Dear Swmbo,

I'm just pointing out the peculiar bedfellows, thats all. My underlying assumption that an animal that quacks like a duck, walks like a duck and looks like a duck, is probably a duck may be faulty, but I think it has some merit. Merely because you find it distasteful, doesn't make it any less true.

You say you are not a Dem? Then why defend them. Look at the only Socialist member of the U.S. Senate, he is going to Caucus with the Democrats. Look at the policies of the Democratic party, (and some of the moderate Republicans) free health care from cradle to grave. Redistribution of wealth. No moral clarity only strange nuiances. No personal responsibilty. From each according to their means to each according to their needs. Straight from the Democratic Party Platform.

Plain and simple the Democratic party is socialistic 101. How in Marx's name could you deny that?

Nevermind, I already know the answer.

Good grief! How partisan can you get? Scared the Dems are going to run the government like it's supposed to be run? Gotta start throwing out some baseless labels, huh? The Democratic policies you mention are priceless, too! Except I thought I had read those on the Republican platform, except for the health care - there's no mention of health care there.
Let's see - redistribution of wealth. Yep, the middle class is shrinking and the rich are getting richer.
No moral clarity - that one's too easy.
No personal responsibility - Yes "pull yourself up by your bootstraps while we all spend like drunken sailors - on your grandchildren's money!"

And your logic is pretty shallow, too. Do you really want to start talking about who's bedfellows with who?

The corporatists who have taken over the Republican party have done a great job running the government for the wealthy, but an awful job for the other 95% of us. Americans are starting to grow weary of their policy of letting big business write laws which benefit only big business. Where have the good old Eisenhower, McGovern Republicans gone?

Using simple grammar (subject, verb, direct object) analysis, your logic is faulty.

European Socialists promised .... Socialist leaders ... pledged ...."

In both cases, the subject doing the action is the Socialists, not the Democrats. The only instance in the story in which a Democratic Party member is the subject is,

"Howard Dean, chairman of the national committee of the U.S. Democratic Party, is attending the two-day conference together with the leaders of leftist governments of several countries and party leaders from across Europe.

The sentence clearly implies that there are more than Socialists and Democrats in attendance. And the fact that 10 people go to the same hotel at the same time doesn't mean they're all there together for the same reason.

I'll point out that, in true current Republican form, you have again attacked me to deflect from the premise of your blog. I am neither a defender of, nor am I a member of the Democratic Party -- by registration or by voting record. (Although I will take this opportunity to point out that that the current Republicans -- present company excepted, Richard -- make themselves sound incredibly ignorant by calling them "the Democrat Party".) I've told you before, Richard, I find both of the parties' platforms to be no more virtuous than a used-car sales pitch . . . puffery devoid of reality. I'm one of those conservative "independents" the last election warned you about.

I am just going to point out flawed logic where I see it. We will, no doubt, see things very differently, with substantial frequency.

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If you and I are always in agreement, one of us is likely armed and dangerous.

Seriously, was dog catcher recently vacant, dang, I could have done well in that job myself.

No, Git Real, I have no idea who you are. I had some suspicions and then you would either throw me a trueful curveball or fake me out with one of you biographical comments. I suspect, I know who you are, but then again, I wouldn't lay any money down on it.

Suffice it to say, I really don't want to know. Your anonymity gives you some "Umph!". So please don't tell me.

Melting pots and salads don't work anymore. All these races you mention want to be who their parents were, not be us 50 years ago!
They want to be here in the USA because that is where they can progress the best.
As to predicting 50 years out, we can't even predict 5 years out in this time of electronic automation and the hunger for fast information.
"Mission Accomplished," said a few years ago should tell you that. Just when we decide wars will be fought one way---they are fought another.

He didn't mention race...you did. There is only ONE race and it is the HUMAN RACE. The Gnome has found only (I think) 8 skin color markers on the total DNA, out of thousands & thousands.

Get over it and learn to live with it.

You are right that skin color is no big deal, but you miss Git Real's excellent point about being a melting pot versus a collection of hostile ethnic groups. It's not about DNA, it's about culture. If we put our various ethnic and political cultures ahead of our identity as Americans, then America will slowly come apart at the seams. That is what seems to be happening the last few years. Frankly, the arrogance of the Bush administration contributed greatly to that process, in my opinion. However, the outcome of the last election seems to have resulted in a new willingness to be bipartisan on both sides, and I'm glad for that. I just hope it continues.

Bladderq, you are just as guilty as the right-wing Republicans who are always ranting about "liberals" like it was a 4-letter obscenity. (Hobbs comes to mind here.) We have to try to see past our own partisan point of view if we are to continue as a great nation.

I missed the point. The "Protestant" Pilgrims were not too happy when so of their English brethern showed up. Neither were happy a couple hundred years later when their Irish country cousins (read Catholic) showed up. Did I miss where Irsh flags are shown on St.Pat's Day or we take a day off for Columbus Day & fly an Italian one. Having lived a number of years in Chicago, I can take you down streets where Polish is not only spoken but still the "linga franka."
You manage to not "come apart at the seams" by not putting stress at the seam. You don't get your shorts in a wad because a man of religion wants to use the Koran to take an oath of office. And other remarks posted here.
Glad you see the Decisiveness, Arrogance & Hurbis of W's rain (sic).
I do not believe I have been quilty of sticking to a partisan point of view. I just don't like any mis-guided view.

Then what are all these comments about OTHER ethnic groups keeping some of their ethnic heritage? I'm guessing that you are black. You seem to be placing ethnicity at the top of your list of priorities. My point, and Git Real's point as I understood it, is that we risk losing sight of our common interests as Americans if we start placing our partisan, ethnic interests ahead of the common good. Your constant slams against the PTC police dept. are a good example. That's OUR police dept--they are there to protect us and our children, and they are doing a pretty good job overall. FAR better than what's going on in Fulton and DeKalb county, I might add.

By the way, I was in favor of that person being allowed to swear-in using the Koran in place of a Bible. But I'm NOT in favor of demanding the "right" to practice Muslim customs in public in a way that conflicts with local laws or other people's rights. That goes for other groups as well. You don't see the KKK parading around anymore, for exactly that reason.

The more "Us vs. Them" mentality that we allow ourselves to indulge in, the weaker we become as a nation.

My point, and Git Real's point as I understood it, is that we risk losing sight of our common interests as Americans if we start placing our partisan, ethnic interests ahead of the common good.

Yeah...what he said. That's exactly what I mean. Otherwise we parcel out the land and if some Muslim steps into my people's land we convert him or "take him out". Likewise if I enter his neighborhood he either converts me or "takes me out". This is where we're heading.

All these races you mention want to be who their parents were

This I believe Dollar is what will be our downfall. If we don't meld together as a society and every ethnic group becomes what their parents were and we become a country that has lost it's common cause then we will be no different than many countries in the Middle East and Africa. Many of these countries war against each others ethnic groups in a violent manner. We already have problems getting along in this country between races. If we continue the trend of segregated communities where 80% of each group hates the other and we discontinue being a "melting pot" then I see the salad bowl turning into a toilet bowl. The path we're taking is one that citizens of this country are no longer loyal to Uncle Sam and the Grand Old Flag. Instead each groups loyalties are to that of their mother countries.

Just look at France and the volatile and violent culture they face daily due to the their loss of nationalism due to the massive influx of Muslims into that nation.

I'm not singling out any race as good or bad here but what is happening in France is between two clashing cultures that should have remained seperate. Our situation might possibly be more dire than that of France and Great Britain. Look at the massive numbers and power between the Hispanic community pouring into this country. Mix that with a large and growing Islamic community and then add the existing Black and White groups. Oh...let's not leave out the Asian population. Mix in the fact that they each want to maintain their own ethnic heritages, languages, religions and forms of government and we're heading on a path that eventually will collide and no form of government or law enforcement will be able to maintain peace. Unless, perhaps we become a totalatarian government.

God help us and I hope I'm wrong.

We will have a significant Muslim population and rather than a melting pot, it will look like a "salad"

And in that salad will be an assortment of ingredients that ultimately will not blend together to provide a pleasant atmosphere. The peace we have that is sometimes forced upon segments of society today will be a thing of the past..... perhaps forever.