Livin' the Liberal Life

I got into a little tiff on a Yahoo transsexual group I belong to. Nothing big, but someone forwarded one of those ridiculous "feel-good" email things. It was something about how in the past we didn't have all these safety concerns like seatbelts and mothers smoking while pregnant and not drinking from the hose and yada, yada, yada. Their point was that people who grew up in the 30s-70s were made tougher and more intelligent because of all the risks they took (which is retarded, because risk-taking doesn't count if you're unaware of the fucking risks!).

So someone else replies "See what liberalism has done for us?"

Well, good little liberal that I am, that pisses me off, but I hold it in check since, for God's sake, this is a group that's supposed to be about photos of transsexuals. So I ignore it. Well, not ignore, but fail to respond to that obvious liberal baiting. Took the high road.

So someone else responds who claims to be a liberal but agrees with that statement. Then they say how betrayed they feel because even though they voted for Kerry, they're pissed off that Democrats aren't behind Bush's plans for pillaging reforming Social Security.

OK, so, apparently the high road for me lasts for one email reply. Anyhow, so I reply (quite reasonably, not ranting) that the Social Security plan is shit. I didn't use that term, but honestly, the plan is shit, and the fact that many (though, happily, not most) don't see it as shit proves that Karl Rove is, in fact, a Sith Lord. He was the apprentice of Darth Atwater.

I also pointed out this:

Further, I'd just like to point out that over the time period mentioned in this piece, segregation was ended, the depression was ended, the civil rights movement flourished, the sexual revolution happened, homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism have become largely accepted as not evil (not universally, granted), Americans have walked on the moon and fake breasts were invented. See what liberalism has done for us?

Anyhow, the moderator of the group gets on, talking about how he's a right-leaning moderate, then complains that what pisses him off is the fact that Democrats won't even sit down and talk to Bush about the Social Security plan. And he also says that the achievements I mentioned were not purely liberal ones.

OK, so I haven't responded to this email, and I'm not going to, but this is the most complete bullshit I've ever heard. Look, even if you're a supporter of President Bush, you have to admit that the man plays serious hardball, and that means not negotiating with Democrats ever. Ever. EVER. The only weapon the Democrats have is occasional public support when Rove & Co. haven't managed to completely alter the terms of debate, and when Dems use it, they're accused of "politicizing the issue", which is some serious pot and kettle crap.

I mean, I know some of you may not agree with me on this (although I think Aughra is probably on board, bless her bleedin' heart), but Bush is anything but a uniter, and compromise is the same as defeat to him. Conservative Republicans are long past the point of having to have serious policy debates with liberals because they own the White House, both houses of Congress, K Street and are using that influence to pack the judiciary with alarmingly conservative judges. The fact that they, time and time again, paint the Democrats as the great oppressors is one of the wildest magic tricks ever created.

And as for Republicans and conservatives participating in the great social movements of 20th century America, yeah he's right. No large political change happens without the willing participation of both parties. But let's be totally, brutally fucking honest here. Who fought desgregation the most, conservatives or liberals? That's right, social conservatives. Who opposed accepting homosexuality as a valid lifestlye the most, social conservatives or social liberals? That's right, social conservatives. Who opposed the New Deal the most? Economic conservatives. Let's face it, in the grand tradition of great societal change, conservatives are the ones who stood in the way the most, that's pretty much the definition of social conservatism right there. So let's not pretend that Rosa Parks was a right-wing hero back in the day, all right?

... Ah, I feel better now. It's been a while since I did any political blogging. Maybe later I'll get into why I'm so fascinated* by transsexuals.

*"Fascinated", of course, being a euphemism for "turned on by". But also genuinely fascinated too.