But Eric, you’re more in line and in agreement with the Republican Party and conservatives than the Democrats, so why is most of your energy these days put towards the demolition of the Republican Party and conservatives? Why all the mockery?
Good question, glad you asked. Let me answer it the long way.
You have your home, whatever or wherever it is. It may be an apartment or house or houseboat. It might be your car or even on the streets. But you have your home. You may or may not have people you share your home with. You probably have stuff in your home. Whether you’re renting, buying, leasing or squatting, you’re there with some kind of investment. The why is only for you to decide. The how long is also for you to decide.
Why I was first attracted to conservatism was because my understanding was that it meant conserving the Constitution. No, not the parts that were shoehorned in, that clearly didn’t fit with the message, like slavery. I’m talking about the basic premise that, (as I wrote previously), “The Constitution was created with great care to respect the individual liberties of the people and to restrict the power of government”. Any meddling with it should always be in this direction and socialists, democrats and the left are in favor of less individual liberties with a government geared to forcing collectivism. So when I spread my political wings in the 1990s, it was a conservative base that I mingled with.
However, not quite the Republican Party.
It was clear even back then that the GOP was more talk than walk. They campaigned like Constitutional conservatives but were constantly governing like democrats. So I ended up a Libertarian. And yet, I still kept tabs and close ties with Republicans as we may have been different colored swans but we swam in the same side of the pond, more than with the left at any rate. So we were still part of the same house if not in the same room.
Over the last decade, it seemed the GOP could be saved. With the likes of Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz, it seemed possible to swing the Republican Party away from its talk and into the walk. But a strange thing happened on the way to redemption.
Since the election of Donald Trump, there are simply no more Constitutional conservatives in the GOP. Over the past four years of Donald Trump being at the helm, Republicans have cowered to his will, afraid to speak up out of fear of ending up called out for insubordination in one of Trump’s twitter rants. The message is clear with this president: Please Donald Trump or get out.
Some have left because of this, like Justin Amash, congressman from Michigan who switched to the Libertarian Party. Others who were members but not necessarily holding office, have also bailed. Those remaining in the Republican Party have morphed into the boys circling Biff Tannen, a group with no principles other than keeping in favor of the alpha male. Or better visualized as Chesters to their Spike.
There is no more proof of this than the recent Resolution Regarding the Republican Party Platform which says, in summary, the GOP is now the party of whatever Trump feels best. It’s officially, in writing, a cult of personality. They’re no longer campaigning like libertarians. They’re campaigning on a Dear Leader. I see this as extremely dangerous and worthy of all the scolding and mockery I have to offer.
The first rule of business is to keep your own house in order and so I don’t go about teasing democrats too much because we don’t live together. I feel more a need and time better spent on Republicans because sharing the name “conservative”, they’re now mucking it up and quite frankly, the term is meaningless. Their behavior is bleeding into my libertarianism and not in a good got their chocolate in my peanut butter fashion.
So how long should I continue to share my house with Republicans?
There comes a time when you live with someone who’s addicted to drugs, fails to seek help, fails to heed advice, steals from the others in the home, leeches off those in their circle, no longer abides by the contract, and joins a gang that works against your principles that you simply have to let them go and change the locks. Seeing even those once principled senators noted above become Biff Boys has left the nuclear option the only option. They all have to go. From the top (President of the United States) down to head dog catcher in the city. Republicans are not to be voted for at all costs.
I see no way back to civil or principled politics for the Republican Party or even those using the term of conservative. As of the Resolution Regarding the Republican Party Platform, it is now in writing and in front of everyone’s face. The party is based on one man’s wishes. And for allowing this to happen, while living under my roof, they deserve my greatest scorn.
Freedom Cocktail 