LA Progressive

Smart Content for Smart People

  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Us / Copyright Info
    • Privacy Policy
  • Topics
    • Animal Rights
    • Climate Change
    • Economic Justice
    • Education Reform
    • Elections and Campaigns
    • Environment
    • Community Calendar
    • Healthcare Reform
    • Immigration Reform
    • Labor
    • Law and Justice
    • LGBTQ
    • Progressive Issues
    • Social Justice / Racism
    • The Media
    • The Middle East
    • War and Peace
  • Authors
    • All Authors
    • Steve Hochstadt
    • Charles D. Hayes
    • David A. Love
    • Diane Lefer
    • Dick Price
    • Jerry Drucker
    • John Peeler
    • Joseph Palermo
    • Tom Hall
    • Sharon Kyle
    • Sikivu Hutchinson
  • Events
    • Left Coast Forum
    • Event Calendar
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us

Left and Right: Not Opposite Equals

Progressive vs Conservative valuesAre the left and the right in this country pretty much the same except for ideology? Are liberals and conservatives basically two sides of the same coin? One side you have one opinion, the other side an opposing view. Are the parties in America symmetrical?

Only the right wing will say yes.

It’s a go-to (think lazy) response to any criticism of the right: The left does it too. Even more so, probably.

If you say the right is still utilizing the Southern Strategy while trying to disenfranchise African-Americans, they’ll say the left are the real racists. James Taranto of WSJ.com wrote, “To keep blacks voting Democratic, it is necessary for the party and its supporters to keep alive the idea that racism is prevalent in America and to portray the Republican Party … as racist.”

According to conservatives, liberals are the ones who really have a war on women. (Republicans just want to nationalize their wombs.) Democrats are the ones who really don’t want diversity. (All the old white men in the Republican Party are just a coincidence.) It’s not Mitt Romney who was shockingly untethered from facts in the most suspended-reality campaign in modern history; Obama lied about closing Guantanamo!

Yes, Republicans are rubber, Democrats are glue…

Whatever you say about Republicans they’ll try to pin that tail on the donkey.

This false equivalency benefits the right. A pox on both your houses disengages people from the political process and that helps Republicans. As we’ve seen in the midterms: When fewer people vote, more Republicans get into office.

The two parties are not, as we say in math, opposite equals. At all. Especially in math. As Bill Clinton said in his 2012 DNC speech, “Now, people ask me all the time how we got four surplus budgets in a row. What new ideas did we bring to Washington? I always give a one-word answer: Arithmetic.”

When Republicans were in charge they started two unfunded wars and took the unprecedented (for a reason) step of giving deep tax cuts – also unfunded – during a time of war(s). They spent like proverbial (and literal) drunken sailors. They increased the size of government (Department of Homeland Security) and increased the deficit while decreasing revenue. That’s what Republicans did when they could do everything they’d always hoped for: They made a mess of the place.

Now Republicans are shocked! Shocked by the state of their beloved country! It’s a disaster!

Republicans are aghast and determined to find someone (non-Republican) to blame: illegal immigrants, single mothers, “Washington,” Pelosi, Obama, ACORN, New Black Panthers, Old Black Panthers, Planned Parenthood. Maybe if they just habitually say “Benghazi” no one will pay attention to what Republicans do when they’re in power.

Oh and all this spending – it’s akin to sin and treason and everything distasteful now that Republicans no longer in the Oval Office. The phony outrage is palpable. As Speaker of the House John Boehner tweeted, “Too many Americans are still out of work & Washington still spends too much, taxes too much & borrows too much.”

If you ask a Republican, Democrats are responsible too. Yes, Democrats didn’t shut down the government when the first and second unpaid-for Bush tax cuts were up for a vote. They didn’t abuse the filibuster to stop Republicans from passing (the also unpaid-for) Medicare Part D. They didn’t impeach Bush when they had the votes. In short: Democrats didn’t act like Republicans act when they’re in the minority so they didn’t try hard enough to keep Republicans from melting the world’s economy.

tina dupuySee? Democrats had the power to be just as disruptive, cantankerous and disrespectful of the process when they were in the minority. Therefore, both parties (can) do it.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other. The whole thing is disgusting. They’re all crooks. You shouldn’t even bother to vote or be involved. You should just look away. That’s how Republicans like it.

Tina Dupuy
Editor-in-Chief, The Contributor

Thursday, 10 January 2013

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

By Tina Dupuy posted on January 10, 2013

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed here are those of the individual contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the LA Progressive, its publisher, editor or any of its other contributors.

About Tina Dupuy

Tina Dupuy is a nationally syndicated political columnist, investigative journalist, award-winning writer, stand-up comic and wedge issue fan.

Comments

  1. dezryder says

    October 24, 2016 at 1:07 pm

    You are mixing terms here. Conservatives don’t consider themselves republicans. And Progressives don”t consider themselves dems. Neocons vs. Conservatives. Progresssives vs.
    the Dlc side.

    Reply
  2. Debbie Bundy says

    March 26, 2016 at 3:04 pm

    This is my fault for not paying more attention to politics, but I hate drama! I just don’t see why the ass and the fat elephant can not or do not treat each other with respect. We are all people, someone please tell me why: Congress can not corporate and do their job- that is working with the president; who ever it is- and straighten this mess out? I would like a clue as to what I can do besides vote. I had an idea, change Congress twice a year, no voting, draw a name out of a hat (ok 50 names)… Let us take part in our country, not just do what were told. This country was built by our Forefathers’. I honestly don’t think it could get any worse and we might be lucky enough to pull some citizens who are also sick of this crap. I just don’t get it!!!
    I don’t care if this is posted, I would just like a reply.

    Reply
  3. JoeWeinstein says

    January 13, 2013 at 1:44 pm

    Will Rogers made it clear that left and right, or anyhow Dems and Gops, are not mere opposites. When asked his political affiliation Rogers famously retorted something like: ‘Ma’am, I belong to no organized political party! I’m a Democrat.’

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Thank You For Supporting Independent Media. The LA Progressive cannot publish without your support. Please donate. Thanks....

This Weeks Featured Posts

The Afghanistan Pentagon Papers

The Afghanistan Pentagon Papers

trump impeachment

Articles of Impeachment: Impeaching Donald John Trump

Bernie Consistency

Warren vs. Buttigieg Clash Offers Contrast with Bernie’s Consistency

Nationalize Facebook

Is It Time to Regulate or Nationalize Facebook?

New York Nurses Strike

A Boss is a Boss: Nurses Battle for Their First Union Contract at Albany Medical Center





Impeachment TrapIranian American RelationsKerry Endorses BidenHolding Trump AccountableMatt Bevin DepartsDan BrotmanTrump the Anti-ConservativeMoral InjuryUnited World



Sponsored

Principles of Law

The Principles of Law that Americans Should Understand

Best Wedding Photographer Surrey

The Best Wedding Photographer Surrey

More Posts from Sponsored

Book-A-Bus



Article Categories

Africa | Animal Rights | California
Climate Change | Defense | Economic Justice
Education Reform | Elections | Environment
Events | Foreign Policy | Gay Rights
Healthcare Reform | Immigration Reform
Juvenile Justice | Labor | Latin America
Law and Justice | Los Angeles | Prison Reform
Progressive Issues | Science & Religion
Sexism | Social Justice | Terminal Velocity | The Body Politic
| The Media | The Middle East | Veterans
War and Peace | Wellness

Los Angeles

Organizing in South LA

Rethinking 27 Years of Organizing in South LA

Elect Loraine Lundquist

Let’s Elect Loraine Lundquist, a Breath of Fresh Air for City Council 

More Posts from Los Angeles

The Middle East

If Americans Knew

The Most Enduring Media Cover Up

Trump and Netanyahu

Trump and Netanyahu: How the Far Right Subverts Democracy Globally

More Posts from The Middle East

Economic Issues

Race to the Bottom

“Booming” Economy Means More Bad Jobs and Faster Race to the Bottom

billionaires and capitalism

Why Billionaires Don’t Really Like Capitalism

More Posts from Economic Justice

Copyright © 2019 · Dick Price and Sharon Kyle · Log in