More Right-Wing Lysenkoism

Well, this comes from Atrios.

You know, I don't associate with people who lie to me, nor with people who don't respect truth and reason. Well, I have one or two associates who are marginal, but I see them primarily as people who need help, not as close friends. My hope is to reform them.

My guess is that most people are like this. And that's why I'm flabbergasted by the fact that the majority of Americans seem indifferent to the fact that it's all lies all the time from this administration.

Many readers of this blog might be surprised to find out how much I agree with the conservatives on some big, important issues--like issues about the morality and rationality of the welfare state. (Hint: I have my doubts about it.) Not to mention firearms issues...

I disagree with them about even more things, but that's reasonably obvious.

But voting for Republicans for important national posts is, in general, simply not an option for me anymore. (Though I did vote for John Warner the last time he was on the ballot...but that was a special case for a number of reasons.)

Anyway, why not?

It's the dishonesty, stupid.

The current Republican leadership seems to have some constitutional inability to tell the truth. I'm averse to even moderate spin by politicians, though that's something I've come to recognize that I have to live with. But the current Republican leadership--including, of course, the current occupant of the White House--seems to have committed itself to the all lies, all the time policy.

Despite my policy-wonkiness, I came to realize a few years back that I just didn't understand most complex policy issues well enough for my opinion about them to be of much value. So, in general, I began toseek out the opinions of experts on such matters.

It was that realization that lead me to recognize that the best I could really do was assess the characters (both moral and intellectual) of candidates, and to vote for the one who was most honest and reasonable, most open to facts and reasons, and the most likely to listen to the experts when appropriate.

The Bush administration is, of course, the worst of my lifetime on all of these scores. The worst by quite a long shot.

This administration's continued campaign of spin and dishonesty in almost every area of public and foreign policy has, sadly, probably so put me off of the Republican party that I may never be able to bring myself to vote for them again.

Too bad because I, like so many other people, don't really completely agree with the Democrats. It'd sure be nice to have a reasonable alternative to them...