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Since you brought it up again... I still don't understand why non-conservatives (aka "liberals") are so desperate to salvage the word "conservative" after what the Right has done to the word "liberal" for the past 60 years. It's like you don't understand messaging at all. You know who calls themselves "conservative"? Just about every goddamn Republican politician in the land. They brag about how "conservative" they are. That word is featured prominently in their campaign ads. Its a massive point of pride and identity to them. Why the hell would you try to rescue it? I don't get it. You should be savaging that word, not salvaging it. Make these people afraid to boast about how "conservative" they are. When's the last time you saw a Democrat brag about how "liberal" they are? It doesn't happen. And you know why? Because conservatives had great success at turning that word into a pejorative. They didn't try to save it, they demonized it. And it worked. Think about this: what would conservatives call themselves if "conservative" was successfully turned into a pejorative? Liberals went with Progressive (with mixed success), what would conservatives go with? Make them think about that for awhile... But nah, we're gonna keep throwing this incredibly key political label a life-line because contemporary conservatives don't align with the Webster's dictionary definition of the term. "The Left" has got to get alot better at messaging and there's no better place to start than to trash the word "conservative" every chance you get. Do unto the word "conservative" what the Right has done unto the word "liberal".

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Fascism's been around a long time. What else would one call white folk who believe they have a right to own slaves and saw to it that slavery was written into the constitution. Isn't that why amending slavery out of the constitution didn't actually stop the white superiority notion so many hold in this, um, greatest nation in the world and the so called "democracy" so many think they live in?

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When will people realize that GOP governance equals fascism which then equals death? GWB led to Katrina and the 2008 economic meltdown. DJT and crew led to the garbage COVID pandemic response and an even bigger economic meltdown. Now the voter suppression GOP clowns in Texas who boasted about how their state was this deregulated paradise can blame everybody but themselves for the infrastructure debacle that will kill lots of innocent Texans.

The problem is that fascist politics pays big time for people like Abbott, Crenshaw, and Cruz. They are financially set for life. Their "governance" is just corruption and self-dealing. After carrying political water for their plutocratic masters, they'll retire and use their connections to get high-paying lifestyles and not worry about average Americans.

The delusion that Republicans without these connections like the former mayor believe they're part of that gravy train. So long as they can punch down on the hater "Other", they can gleefully pay themselves the wages of fascism without making real i.e. plutocratic money. The irony is that they'll usually end up screwing themselves like the former mayor and the insurrection "patriots" now dealing with real legal jeopardy.

The wages of fascism can pay for a while but are not limitless. The majority of Americans have consistently rejected failed Republican policies for decades because they fail and because they are immoral. We'll see how long hardcore Republicans can ride the gravy train of hate before the bill they'll pay finally comes due.

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Feb 17, 2021Liked by John Stoehr

From San Antonio, TX ~ Dems need to hold Republicans accountable for this fiasco. Follow Beto's lead as there's nothing "conservative" about the energy situation; just plain greed.

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