This Rick Perry Syndrome...

[TMA_1]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/15/gov-rick-perry-texas-coul_n_187490.html?page=4

This Federal Union of ours... goodness.

It isnt so much that I fear texas seceding, or any state seceding any time soon for that matter. What really genuinely concerns me is the way this kind of topic can be discussed so nonchalantly within the bloodwork of the uglier patches of the "right wing". The fact that even after Rick Perry was chastised for his statements by many on both the right and left, he still held to his earlier statements as being completely valid. The arrogance that these words that Rick Perry has let loose is startling. It almost seems that he is not taking what he is saying seriously. All of this is so brash, so thoughtless, and so completely lacking in historical and societal sensitivity, that it absolutely unsettles me.

I remember early in Bush's presidency, many of these same folks in the right wing would brand you as "unamerican" for DISAGREEING with the president's policy. Now you can get away with what Rick Perry, Sean Hannity, and others have said without even the slightest notion that what these guys are saying is downright unamerican, and smacks of a deep and ungerminated treason. This isnt a joke, and this game that some in the right are pushing all around lately is becoming disgusting.

The Republican Party is dead, and the so-called "Right Wing" has lost all it's soul.

[Wolf]

My hiatus was brief, it seems.

TMA, I believe that Mr. Perry made a reckless and thoughtless mistake by bringing up the absurd topic of Texas secession to make a point--however, let's remember that he did so to make a point: and what was that point? That he disagreed with the President's policy. I find it therefore ironic that you have a problem with people being called un-American for protesting the President's policies when that President is Bush, but are more than willing to call people un-American yourself for the same when that President is Obama. Perry is an idiot: but there's a valid point there somewhere in the sometimes-lucid jargon he spouts, namely that this spending is going to destroy us in the long-term if we maintain it, I refer you to here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt#Long-term_risks_to_financial_health_of_federal_government

and, particularly, here:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/64/GAO_Slide.png/800px-GAO_Slide.png

I mean, I'm not that angry of you--this sort of double-standard is endemic of most of our country's present condition when discussing politics. "Tea-parties" of course are conspiritorial, corporate astroturfing schemes rather than legitimate expressions, where people throwing bleach in the eyes of attendees at the Republican National Convention were just "expressing their beliefs." Oh, and major news networks only like to report on the former, rather than the latter. We're all open-minded, it seems, as long as people agree with us.

[TMA_1]

I was trying to bring up the fact that if the republicans turned to look at their recent past that they wouldnt be so quick to have brandished people as unamerican, or unpatriotic. It also seems much more thoughtless and divisive to empathize with seceding.

what I meant with the "syndrome", is that I have heard these same discussions of seceding and coups thrown around (not that I believe it will ever come to these things any time soon, if ever) by a small crowd inside the far right. It just seems unsettling.

[Wolf]

This isn't limited to the right. The same thing was said by the liberals when Bush won, both times, that "we'll move to Canada," and, "we should let the South secede again." Where is that America-land picture--here it is:

http://www.gwjokes.com/pictures/postbush.jpg

And your comment about "if the republicans had turned to look at their recent past..." that's nonsense, TMA. Think about it rationally, you're arguing that:

1. If Republicans, now, in the present-day, had turned to think about their past, they...

2. ... wouldn't have been so quick to have brandished people as un-American in the past?

That doesn't make sense since the Republicans can't go back in time and correct their mistake. Calling people un-American in the past doesn't bar them from protesting right now. What it does, do, however, is bar you from calling them un-American if you want to maintain, whatsoever, any legitimate claim to being "better" than they were. I'm sorry, your complaint here is unfounded.

And finally, you brought up Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity... don't get me wrong, I probably believe in 80 to 90% of the things you do, TMA, and I fear these lunatics, but what I fear more is the fact that their liberal counterpart--Al Franken--is now a Gods-damned U.S. Senator. Who is more dangerous? They're all nutjobs, but what scares me more is that as long as you're a liberal nutjob, you have some sort of veneer of legitimacy.

[Edric O]

Perry is an idiot: but there's a valid point there somewhere in the sometimes-lucid jargon he spouts, namely that this spending is going to destroy us in the long-term if we maintain it.

If you maintain it, that is, AND IF all other present financial trends continue as predicted for the next 20-30 years, AND IF there are no major changes in the structure of the US economy.

I mean, you could easily cut health care costs by introducing universal health care, and if the government is still short on money, well, you can always nationalize a couple of things. ;)

Also...

AUSTIN' date=' Texas -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry fired up an anti-tax "tea party" Wednesday with his stance against the federal government and for states' rights as some in his [b']U.S. flag-waving audience shouted, "Secede!" [emphasis mine]

Am I the only one who noticed the sweet irony of waving the federal flag and shouting "Secede"?

[Wolf]

1. Yep. I hope they'll change... and, I suspect that the closer we get to Zero Hour, the more likely it is for us to change policy. But, as with all long-term problems, the longer you wait, the worse fixing it will be.

2. Double-yep. But this isn't a "Secessionist Rally," and I think some of us may be guilty of painting it with those colors in order to make some fairly dubious points. In reality, it was Anti-taxation and Anti-Federal debt rally, and I don't think people came to that event necessarily thinking that Perry would say what he did--again, Perry is an idiot--and brought their Good Ol' American flags because... that's what we do. I'm sure if they're planning on holding an explicitly secessionist event, they'll provide appropriate fahnen for all.