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 Gifts
for all occasions in the Galleria!May 28, 2006 Predictable Liberals By Jan A. Larson My recent three-part "liberals are ..." series was at least partially designed to bring a few liberals out of the woodwork to see if any of the liberal traits that I described would be revealed. I was not disappointed. A large majority of those that responded, not with well-reasoned arguments countering my assertions, but instead included one or more sentences including the word "you" (meaning me) followed by "are a(n)" and then one or more, shall we say, uncomplimentary phrases. Think of every word you've ever heard that starts with "f" or "s" and you'll get the idea. One writer, a self-proclaimed "progressive" took issue with my apparent "name-calling." I found this to be ironic when he challenged my claim that liberals do not readily accept reality, i.e. "what is." His position is that "what is" is a "right-wing ideology of neo-cons" and went on to recite the tired, old list of left-wing talking points, "foreign war-mongering," "domestic spying" and "lying to the populous." Another writer challenged my assertion that liberals don't solve problems. He took credit for liberals abolishing slavery. Considering that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican and that slavery was abolished over 140 years ago, that argument in favor of liberalism seems weak, but maybe that's just me. It was very clear that a number of those that took the time to respond did not get farther than the first point with which they disagreed. At that point, they apparently dismiss everything else said, assume the "I'm so smart and you're so dumb" attitude and then proceed with the aforementioned profanity-laced tirades. A common theme in a number of responses was that liberals don't dwell on "what should be," but rather on "what could be." The problem with that is that much of what liberals think "could be" really can't be. * The liberal positions that diplomacy and "working with our allies" will solve international crises won't work if those so-called allies are on the take, witness France and the UN oil-for-food program. * The position that higher taxes on the "wealthy" (whoever they are) will bring unbounded prosperity is not borne out by history. Low taxes, the Kryptonite to liberal fiscal policies, even for the wealthy have proven again and again to be the best, and only, path to prosperity. * The liberal position, as recently articulated by liberal stalwarts Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi (and quoted in a piece by Herman Cain), that the impending collapse of the Social Security program is not a problem at all is imbecilic. * That a universal, that is government-run, health care system would be preferable to the present is also ludicrous. Remove the incentive for doctors to treat patients, for drug research to yield new (profitable) drugs and for patients to take responsibility for their own health and you'll end up with a system in which patients die waiting for care. * Liberals hold low- and moderate-income Americans hostage to a failing public school system while continually demanding more money for that system is an inexcusable injustice to the young people whose education is supposedly at the top of liberal priorities. It isn't uncommon for someone to claim expertise on a particular subject when, in reality, he or she may have only a moderate level of expertise. Likewise, some people "fudge" on their experience and accomplishments. In other words, people are not always entirely honest. However, liberals, especially those on the far left, take "fudging" to the absurd. They claim to be tolerant, but they are not tolerant. They claim to be for the "common man" but they advocate policies that hurt the common man. They claim they are for free speech, but they suppress speech with which they disagree, witness the behavior at the recent commencement addresses by Sen. John McCain and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Many liberals, especially those on the far-left, are much like a cross between an 18-year old know-it-all and a two-year-old crying baby. They are so smart that they don't know when they are being stupid and they are convinced that they will get their way if they make enough noise. -- Send feedback to the author. The "What is the Deal?" column will appears weekly on the Pie of Knowledge website. Guest submissions are welcome and encouraged. To submit an article to "What is the Deal?" click here. To subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list and receive early notification when a new column is available, click here. The Pie of Knowledge will never, ever divulge email addresses to any third party for any reason unless so ordered by a court of law. Contributions to the Pie of Knowledge are greatly appreciated. 
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