Republicans: They Can't Control What You Think, But They Can Control The Lies You Hear

Look.  I'm gonna just put it out there.  I am probably a democrat.  I've never voted for a republican in a presidential election, however, if Colin Powell had run, I would have voted for him.  Why am I telling you this.  I'm telling you this because I am most likely biased against the republican party.  I picked a side long ago when I was born into my family.  I come from a long line of democrats.  I was born a democrat just like most people are born Steelers fans, or heaven forbid, Cowboys fans.  That analogy doesn't apply to me because I was born a Baltimore Colts fan, until Robert Irse moved them out of Baltimore and my family became Washington Redskin fans the next day, but I digress.  The democrats have my vote, most of the time.  I don't agree with all of the policies of the party, but I believe they mostly try to work for the greater good as opposed to the republicans that tend to work for big business and the rich.

The biggest problem I have with the republican party and their "agenda" is the constant stream of lies.  Over the past decade and a half the republicans have learned that they don't have to be right, they just have to be repetitive.  In Mike Lux's blog post, "Modern Conservatives: Frightened Falsifying Fools," he gives two glaring examples of how, when in front of the microphone, the leaders of the ultra-conservative wing of the republican party will stick to their guns, and when pressed for the truth, will "turn tail and run away."  Lux brings into focus the stark change in today's republican strategy from the hey-days of the republican party, conservative family-values platform from 1968 to 1998.

Buzzwords dominate the republican lexicon these days.  They even have a special gift of changing the words we use to help change public opinion.  The "poor" are now the "entitled." Which is really f'ed up when you think about it.  The "poor" you feel bad for, and you are a terrible person if you don't want to help. But, the "entitled," you actually can get MAD at.  The "entitled" are taking money out of your wallet, food out of your babies mouth, and they want to kick your dog or cat.

The republican ideology consists of a few salient points.  Lie, then repeat the lie.  And when asked if they are telling a lie, lie again.  Remember what I said earlier, I may be biased.  Calling someone a liar is fighting words, I realize this.  Maybe I want a fight.  Maybe I'm being provoked into a fight.  For, I am one of the victims of these perpetual lies.  I am one of the "entitled." I received and receive government handouts.  I get a grant to go to school.  I'm enrolled in "Obama Care." I was on food stamps once.  The republicans hate people like me, and the lies they tell America about people like me are hurtful, divisive, and it's sparking a class war.  To the republicans a person on unemployment is disincentivized by getting a handout.  It makes them lazy. Their tone on the minimum wage is the same.  When I was laid off in 2010, my take home pay went from $4200 per month to $2200.  With that government assistance, did I put an addition on my house, buy a boat, or start a small business? No, I had a fire-sale on my house, I sold my motorcycle to pay off my bills, I signed up for food stamps, and I moved to Austin, TX.  I moved to Austin because the average cost of a house was $125K less than Northern Virginia at the time, and $2200 a month goes quick with a $1500 rent payment.  I was not disincentivized to work, the second time I was on unemployment in late 2012, I just tried to change my stars.  The bio-tech company I worked for laid off 85% of the company and I was on the streets again.  This time I didn't move, I enrolled in school.  So I supported myself on $900 a month along with some grants, and worked to better my situation.  The help I got during those times of unemployment was money that I paid into the system.  I earned that money.  It was not a handout.  If you call me a mooch, I'll sock you right in the kisser.

Lux's blog post is provocative to republicans.  I can understand why they would take offense to Lux's opinion.  I would go and ask them about it, but I'd just be giving their lies more air time.

Additional Reading: Some of these guys are just assholes... Click for article.