"Every Time Sen. John McCain Flip-flops on Automotive Industry Issues, He Lands on the Wrong Square"
So begins the Detroit News' recent editorial on John McCain's recent flippity-flop on California emissions regulations. And though industry gentlemen prefer McCain, the DetNews' critique is centered not so much on McCain's flip as his flop. After all, McCain originally supported California's right to set its own standards before coming around to support the industry-backed opposition to CARB– before flopping back to the federalist camp at a recent appearance at GM's Warren Technical Center. That has the Detroit News going after McCain on a host of industry-related issues. Calling his proposal for a $5k consumer tax credit for zero-emissions cars a "giveaway scheme" sounds good, and is certainly founded on strong economic principles. McCain's proposed $300m prize for an advanced EV battery is similarly lambasted. Which is all well and good, except that the Detroit News would rather find itself dead in a ditch than hold its industry backers up to the same standard. Haven't Ford's Mark Fields and Chrysler's Jim Press been pressuring the government for production incentives for EVs? Hell, didn't Slick Rick even ask Obama for the very consumer incentives that the Detroit News derides? But as hard as it tries to portray Detroit as just wanting to be left alone by the government, DetN fails to apply its free-market logic to the industry it pimps. With this flip-floping attack, the industry's paid rhetoricians have inadvertently exposed their critique of John McCain as the intellectually bankrupt hypocrisy it really is. You stay classy guys.
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I'm actually encouraged by enthusiastic criticism of Barack Obama by conservatives and Republicans. A focus upon Obama's flaws represents the only usable political discourse they can contribute in 2008. They have a reserved dislike of their nominee in John McCain, who has both a lightweight candidacy and little to nothing from the outgoing Republican president that would justify a third consecutive GOP presidency. The good news for conservatives? Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh have both re-upped. So you'll at least have those sympathetic microphones to rely upon for the next [s]four[/s] eight years.
politics!!?! don't get me started... [ must. exercise. restraint. in. the. face. of. temptation. ]
i am sorry. [robert?] i am weak. i cannot help myself. from the american heritage dictionary - fascism: a system of government [1] marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, [2] stringent socioeconomic controls, [3] suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically [4] a policy of belligerent nationalism... http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fascism any of this seem at all familiar? lets see now...[1] unitary executive. 800+ presidential signing statements. ineffectual congress. highly-politicized department of justice. warrantless wiretaps. [2] $9.5 trillion national debt [increasing $1.7 billion every day]. taxbreaks for the wealthy. decimated middleclass. no hope for the poor, the unemployed and the unemployable. lousy economy. collasping financial system. inadequate healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. [3] iraq's "smoking gun in the form of a mushroon cloud." highly-suspicious terror alerts. secretive energy policy. rampant political interference on scientific and environmental issues. co-opted mainstream media. [4] lawlessness within the executive branch. "you're either with us or against us." "i'm the decider." "goodbye from the world's biggest polluter." anybody see any similarities? and john mccain? mccain's insane. mccain wants more war. there's gotta be a better way.
Philip, You forgot emminent domain being used to take property and redirect it to a use deemed more favorable to the state ala Kelso; propaganda being taught in state controlled schools; state support for secular humanism with suppression of religion; and, state redirection of capital to control economic outcomes. Those would be the real marks of socialism and fascism in the US. Lastly, if you look up the history of the nazi's, you will find that they called themselves socialists. The important thing to remember is that when we let give too much power to the feds, we cease to have control over what kind of dictators they will become.