"The only dedicated anticommunitiarian researcher in the world," Niki Raapana from Alaska, gets me hung up on communitarianism this morning.
Look out, Birchers: the GOP Presidential ticket also appears to be hung up on communitarianism... acknowledging that communitarians are right!
Consider Rep. Paul Ryan's remarks to the Republican National Convention Wednesday:
What gave Jack [Kemp] that incredible enthusiasm was his belief in the possibilities of free people, in the power of free enterprise and strong communities to overcome poverty and despair. We need that same optimism right now.
...We have responsibilities, one to another. We do not each face the world alone" [Paul Ryan, speech, Republican National Convention, Tampa, Florida, August 29, 2012].
Ryan's boss for ten more weeks reinforced the communitarian spirit in his postscript to Clint Eastwood's performance last night:
We look to our communities, our faiths, our families for our joy, our support, in good times and bad. It is both how we live our lives and why we live our lives. The strength and power and goodness of America has always been based on the strength and power and goodness of our communities, our families, our faiths.
That is the bedrock of what makes America, America. In our best days, we can feel the vibrancy of America's communities, large and small [Mitt Romney, speech, Republican National Convention, Tampa, Florida, August 29, 2012].
Community as the bedrock of American strength and liberty—I guess Paul and W. Mitt really are disavowing Ayn Rand and embracing the idea that we enjoy liberty only in the context of a robust community and social contract.
President Obama still cleaning up domestic Bush/Cheney Afghanistan/Iraq mess:
http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_21439899/president-obama-will-sign-executive-order-boost-mental-health-services?source=most_viewed
I'll believe it when I read it in their policies, Cory. It sounds good coming off the teleprompter but I'll have to go back and see if the delegates applauded. why am I thinking that maybe Mitt and Paul are talking about 'gated' communities?
A yacht in Tampa Bay with a Cayman Islands flag isn't my community, any more than a race horse farm is.
Mitt destroyed jobs in my community with Bain Capital. US Rep Hartzler's (MO-04) hell-bent quest to keep the economy stagnant to win the Presidency just cost my community 60+ jobs yesterday with the anouncement a local factory is cutting 3rd shift. Consumers are the job producers.
My community has a substantial Latino population. We are working to embrace this part of our community because we realize the impact it would have on all of us if the Latino population was suddenly gone. Our housing market would plummet, our food supply would not be the same, our school district would lose millions of dollars, and we would lose the opportunity to show our younger people that cultural diversity is a good thing.
Mitt and Paul Ryan are driving away Latino voters.
Mitt and Paul Ryan are not part of my community. Never have been and never will be.
Gary Johnson campaign hosting video contest:
http://www.garyjohnson2012.com/the-gary-johnson-2012-video-contest
Indeed, Bill, I'm hearing Romney and Ryan use words that they don't really mean. Both men seem to be getting into that speechifying mode, where they get in the groove, put on a little old-time-preacher schmaltz, and say whatever feels like the spirit of the Lord moving them.
But words still mean something, and even if they aren't thinking about what those words mean, we can hold them to those words.
Well, let's not get carried away. Mitt's communitarian concern extends to white people only. Mitt went to to Louisiana to show his communitarian concern, but all the images for this communitarian photo opp show Mitt with white people.
Saw this comment and thought it hit the mark as to what the Bain inspired Romney plan really is:
1. Get control of the company = win the election and get control of congress
2. Harvest profit centers and sell them off... Privatize the postal Service, Privatize education, Privatize all healthcare, military supply already sold to Halliburton by Bush etc. etc.
3. Liquidate Assets = Sell off federal lands and mineral rights.
4. Reduce payroll by laying off personnel = shrink government by getting rid of public employees (teachers,firemen, policemen, postal workers,FDA inspectors and the list goes on!)
5. Get rid of pension plans to reduce overhead = Get rid of medicare, medicaid and social security
6. Provide dividends to key investors for continued support = massive tax cuts to the .0001%ers funding his campaign and buying congress through lobbyist.
Sounds about right.
Sounds frighteningly accurate, Jana. Anyone who thinks business experience is a pre-requisite for the President needs to talk honestly about how that business experience translates into likely policies.
Or maybe just review the Presidential record of businessman Herbert Hoover.