Comments on: Elevated http://www.oliverwillis.com/2006/12/12/elevated/ Like Kryptonite To Stupid Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:05:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Quaker in a Basement http://www.oliverwillis.com/2006/12/12/elevated/#comment-52426 Quaker in a Basement Wed, 13 Dec 2006 19:01:01 +0000 http://improveman.com/ow2008/?p=3317#comment-52426 All this time, I thought WWJD stood for "We want Jack Daniels". Shows you the kinda crows I hang around with. All this time, I thought WWJD stood for “We want Jack Daniels”. Shows you the kinda crows I hang around with.

]]> By: Nimrod Gently http://www.oliverwillis.com/2006/12/12/elevated/#comment-52425 Nimrod Gently Wed, 13 Dec 2006 13:40:36 +0000 http://improveman.com/ow2008/?p=3317#comment-52425 Apart from the obviously flip comments by myself and PD100, yeah, by and large it was. Apart from the obviously flip comments by myself and PD100, yeah, by and large it was.

]]> By: Dugger http://www.oliverwillis.com/2006/12/12/elevated/#comment-52424 Dugger Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:53:43 +0000 http://improveman.com/ow2008/?p=3317#comment-52424 Well, that was a fair and well balanced discussion of conservatism. Well, that was a fair and well balanced discussion of conservatism.

]]> By: Diamond LeGrande http://www.oliverwillis.com/2006/12/12/elevated/#comment-52423 Diamond LeGrande Wed, 13 Dec 2006 00:16:01 +0000 http://improveman.com/ow2008/?p=3317#comment-52423 Yes. Because ultimately, the modern conservative movement is a cult. It's no accident that its brand of patriotism smacks of state religion -- after 9/11, you wore a ribbon or a flag lapel much as a Christian wears the cross. Personally, I don't dump much on Hoover nor Ike. Hoover actually increased state spending in light of the Depression (Keynesianism, we must remember, was untried at the time) and Ike didn't inflate the military budget as the Democrats advocated. On a more Reagan note -- notice how the Republicans worship the guy who made no statements of political theory? You can find reams and reams of stuff that Clinton or Bush Sr. or Nixon or LBJ said after each was President on public policy, how Washington worked, and so on and so forth. As a kid (this is the 1980s), I can remember news hosts always having Dick Nixon on to talk about politics, and he always had something intelligent to say. After his presidency, Reagan was silent. It lends to the myth; you can put whatever big ideas of conservatism into Reagan's head because he never opened his mouth to speak his mind either in agreement or in disagreement. Yes. Because ultimately, the modern conservative movement is a cult. It’s no accident that its brand of patriotism smacks of state religion — after 9/11, you wore a ribbon or a flag lapel much as a Christian wears the cross.

Personally, I don’t dump much on Hoover nor Ike. Hoover actually increased state spending in light of the Depression (Keynesianism, we must remember, was untried at the time) and Ike didn’t inflate the military budget as the Democrats advocated.

On a more Reagan note — notice how the Republicans worship the guy who made no statements of political theory? You can find reams and reams of stuff that Clinton or Bush Sr. or Nixon or LBJ said after each was President on public policy, how Washington worked, and so on and so forth. As a kid (this is the 1980s), I can remember news hosts always having Dick Nixon on to talk about politics, and he always had something intelligent to say.

After his presidency, Reagan was silent. It lends to the myth; you can put whatever big ideas of conservatism into Reagan’s head because he never opened his mouth to speak his mind either in agreement or in disagreement.

]]> By: Wilbur http://www.oliverwillis.com/2006/12/12/elevated/#comment-52422 Wilbur Tue, 12 Dec 2006 20:19:06 +0000 http://improveman.com/ow2008/?p=3317#comment-52422 Give the 'pubs a break. Who else do they have to be proud of in the last 100 years or so? Harding: crook Coolidge: nonentity Hoover: Mr. Depression Eisenhower: Do-nothing (after WWII) Nixon: crook Ford: ineffectual boob Bush I: ineffectual twerp Bush II: worst.president.ever Who can blame them for latching on Ronnie, who had a nice smile, could deliver his lines well, won two landslide elections, and was never indicted. Hell, Bush makes <i>me</i> nostalgic for Insane Anglo Warlord. Give the ‘pubs a break. Who else do they have to be proud of in the last 100 years or so?

Harding: crook
Coolidge: nonentity
Hoover: Mr. Depression
Eisenhower: Do-nothing (after WWII)
Nixon: crook
Ford: ineffectual boob
Bush I: ineffectual twerp
Bush II: worst.president.ever

Who can blame them for latching on Ronnie, who had a nice smile, could deliver his lines well, won two landslide elections, and was never indicted.

Hell, Bush makes me nostalgic for Insane Anglo Warlord.

]]> By: Nimrod Gently http://www.oliverwillis.com/2006/12/12/elevated/#comment-52421 Nimrod Gently Tue, 12 Dec 2006 20:13:19 +0000 http://improveman.com/ow2008/?p=3317#comment-52421 How should he know? How should he know?

]]> By: PD100 http://www.oliverwillis.com/2006/12/12/elevated/#comment-52420 PD100 Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:48:56 +0000 http://improveman.com/ow2008/?p=3317#comment-52420 "What Would Reagan Do?" Forget about it? “What Would Reagan Do?”

Forget about it?

]]> By: SP http://www.oliverwillis.com/2006/12/12/elevated/#comment-52419 SP Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:26:12 +0000 http://improveman.com/ow2008/?p=3317#comment-52419 It's hard to pin down exactly what has triggered the current wave of Reagan worship. It's prob'ly some combination of 1. Excuse to jump off the disastrous Bush Train. 2. a natural occurance what with the persistant 20-year National Zeitstalgia. What we reality-based life forms should be asking neo-Reganite, erstwhile Bushophiles is: What are the three key differences between the two "presidents." They're really shockingingly similar in a lot of unflattering ways, in my opinion. It’s hard to pin down exactly what has triggered the current wave of Reagan worship. It’s prob’ly some combination of

1. Excuse to jump off the disastrous Bush Train.
2. a natural occurance what with the persistant 20-year National Zeitstalgia.

What we reality-based life forms should be asking neo-Reganite, erstwhile Bushophiles is: What are the three key differences between the two “presidents.” They’re really shockingingly similar in a lot of unflattering ways, in my opinion.

]]>