Kumbaya My Elephant

“Support our troops—bring them home” and “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.”

“No conservative reads those bumper stickers and thinks, ‘Hmm . . . so liberals are patriotic! We liberals are universalists and humanists; it’s not part of our morality to highly value nations. So to claim dissent is patriotic—or that we’re supporting the troops, when in fact we’re opposing the war—is disingenuous.

“It just pisses people off.”

Jonathan Haidt
University of Virginia

“Liberals tend to have a very optimistic view of human nature. They tend to be uncomfortable about punishment—of their own children, of criminals, anyone. I do believe that if liberals ran the whole world, it would fall apart. But if conservatives ran the whole world, it would be so restrictive and uncreative that it would be rather unpleasant, too.”

Jonathan Haidt
University of Virginia

“They’re driven by the idea that God gave man dominion over the earth, and keeping the planet healthy is our sacred responsibility. If we simply rape, pillage, destroy, and consume, we’re abusing the power given to us by God...The climate crisis and the economic crisis are interesting, because neither has a human enemy. These are not crises that turn us against an out-group, so they’re not really designed to bring us together, but they can be used for that. I hope and think we are ready, demographically and historically, for a less polarized era.”

Jonathan Haidt
University of Virginia

Read Liberals-Arent-Un-American-Conservatives-Arent-Ignorant by Tom Jacobs @ Utne Reader.

Red State Values

"A Communist should have largeness of mind and he should be staunch and active, looking upon the interests of the revolution as his very life and subordinating his personal interests to those of the revolution; always and everywhere he should adhere to principle and wage a tireless struggle against all incorrect ideas and actions, so as to consolidate the collective life of the Party and the masses; he should be more concerned about the Party and the masses than about any individual, and more concerned about others than about himself. Only thus can he be considered a Communist.

Every comrade must be brought to understand that the supreme test of the words and deeds of a Communist is whether they conform with the highest interests and enjoy the support of the overwhelming majority of the people. "

Mao Zedong
The Little Red Book

"Reagan Conservatives are those who don't compromise their values. The Republican party needs that these days...yet it seems difficult to find them. Republicans also need someone who can actually orate--someone who is not like a McCain. The Democrats seem to find plenty of skilled salesmen for their cause...but the Republicans are the ones who need them...

"...Conservative values are backed up by historical precedent, logically derived principles, and prudence (practicality). Conservatives love facts. Liberals, Socialists, Communists, and Islamic fundamentalist terrorists hate facts, because to them facts are pernicious things that get in the way of a good ideology--and their irresponsible actions. Speaking of facts, anyone who checks into them will fairly quickly learn that it's Conservatives who make up the intellectual party in politics. Liberals co-opted--that is, stole--that concept in order to grab power..."

Read more @American Conservative Values.

"Americans will respect your beliefs if you just keep them private."

Bill O'Reilly

The International Democracy Conspiracy Continues...

An International Democracy Conspiracy?

"A proper measure of democracy should be put into effect in the army, chiefly by abolishing the feudal practice of bullying and beating and by having officers and men share weal and woe. Once this is done, unity will be achieved between officers and men, the combat effectiveness of the army will be greatly increased, and there will be no doubt of our ability to sustain the long, cruel war.

Anyone should be allowed to speak out, whoever he may be, so long as he is not a hostile element and does not make malicious attacks, and it does not matter if he says something wrong. Leaders at all levels have the duty to listen to others. Two principles must be observed: (1) Say what you know and say it without reserve; (2) Don't blame the speaker but take his words as a warning. Unless the principle of "Don't blame the speaker" is observed genuinely and not falsely, the result will not be: "Say what you know and say it without reserve."

Both in the army and in the local organizations, inner-Party democracy is meant to strengthen discipline and increase combat effectiveness, not to weaken them."

Mao Zedong
Little Red Book

On Second Thought...

"The socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system; this is the objective law independent of man's will. However much the reactionaries try to hold back the wheel of history, sooner or later revolution will take place and will inevitably triumph.

There is a serious tendency towards capitalism among the well-to-do peasants. This tendency will become rampant if we in the slightest way neglect political work among the peasants during the co-operative movement and for a long period after.

Apart from their other characteristics, the outstanding thing about China's 600 million people is that they are "poor and blank." This may seem to be a bad thing, but in reality it is a good thing. Poverty gives rise to the desire for change, the desire for action and the desire for revolution. On a blank sheet of paper free from any mark, the freshest and most beautiful characters can be written, the freshest and most beautiful picture can be painted."

Moa Zedong
Little Reb Book