Submitted by A Clear Thinking Conservative, Jul 12, 2007 18:24

I have to ask what kind of conservative are YOU, that you don't believe that our national security rests rightfully in the hands of government???? What do you propose, PRIVATE armies??? That boggles MY mind, not to mention every other person's mind that I've come across. Are you saying that simply because 9-11 happened, we should do away with the Department of Defense? Sorry I have to disagree . . . besides that's a CENTRAL part of our Constitution ("providing for the common defense").

And then you go on to say that government should be in the business of education, because our current education sytem is in "shambles". My question is - compared to what??? Those "socialist" countries in Europe whose educational systems are kicking our butts??? The problem isn't that our educational system is publicly funded, it's that the funding they receive is misused and not allocated properly. We pay teachers next to nothing compared to the responsibility we expect them to assume, so the result is that we get inferior teachers. No bright college grad here wants to enter the teaching profession for the money they're offered. They can make more in the private sector, so ultimately our children suffer. The old adage, "you get what you pay for" applies here.

As for infrastructure, I don't know where you live, but the highways in my state are pretty good - in my opinion - and most places I've been to throughout the country (45 of 50 states) are pretty good as well. I don't know what you expect . . . gold plated highways?? Sure there are some problems, but most of those are related to our government underfunding the maintenance of those roads. Again, you don't get something for nothing (unless you're on Welfare or you are a corporation receiving government subsidies)!!! Increasingly it appears that more and more people believe that they don't have to pay for the benefits they receive, but it apparently doesn't stop them from complaining about the quality those benefits.

As for Healthcare, WHO'S talking about 'Hillarycare'? From what I've heard from her, I certainly don't want her plan. But that doesn't mean I'm happy with our current "for-profit" healthcare system. Explain to me how it makes sense that we pay THREE times what every other industrialized nation in the world pays for individual healthcare?? I don't know about you, but from a BUSINESS sense I think it is insane that we pay a middleman (insurance and HMO companies) for the 'privilege' of receiving healthcare from our doctors. I don't want an accountant or a corporate manager telling me what kind of treatment I can receive from my doctor!! I have what I believe is pretty good healthcare insurance compared to most, yet I can still go to a doctor and receive a bill of $300, of which only $60 is covered by my insurance company. The rest I have to pay (on TOP of my insurance premiums). Is THAT a good deal to you???

Oh, and by the way. For your information, the VA had NOTHING to do with Walter Reed Hospital. That's run by the U.S. Army.

Finally, NO I don't agree that government should be run like a business. That's a nice sounding 'slogan' but its very naive. Are you suggesting that government should be a "for-profit" endeavor(?), because that what businesses are. I don't know about you, but I don't want my government having anymore of my money than what it needs to operate efficiently. And don't even TRY to tell me that business somehow has a corner on efficiency and good management. All you have to do is look at the THOUSANDS of U.S.businesses, large and small, that have gone bankrupt due to mismanagement and greed.

To me, you don't sound as much like a conservative as you do a NEO-conservative. You know, one of those nation-building, deficit-spending, anti-tax, corporate welfare, big government types that want government running our lives. I'm an Eisenhower/Goldwater/Reagan type conservative who believes that you pay for what you want government to do (such as a strong and efficient military) and you stay out of my personal business. Apparently you are a Bush neo-con, and we've all seen how well that works. Bush has never met a bloated federal budget that he doesn't like.

I long for the days when TRUE conservatism returns to this nation.

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