About The AuthorCowboy's Bio
Other Articles by Cowboy Election and the Absurd
Get Tough
On Crime
Clinton's Kosovo Stratgey
Several years ago, I had the pleasure of attending the election-night victory party for Mike Flanagan, the Republican unknown who defeated Dan Rostenkowski, one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress. Before I was two steps inside the door (hell, I hadn't even spotted the bar!) both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times were interviewing me. Somehow, these ladies of the press could not believe that a long-haired; bearded; 6'5; t-shirt, jeans, and black leather type could be a Republican. When I informed them that I'd worked for Nixon (against Kennedy) and Goldwater they wandered off, leaving only an out-of-context quote in the next day's paper.
If you buy into the pseudo-reality of Al Gore, all Republicans are multi-billionaire corporate executives who exploit the downtrodden masses for their personal gain. Guess what? That's not even approximately true. Most of the richest people in this country are Democrats! Those with inherited wealth (like the Kennedys), the show-biz types (Barbara Streisand, et al), and their easy-money ilk are always glad to throw millions to left-wing causes and politicians. (If you don't believe me, check out the fund raisers for your local PBS station. They're surely not poor, and just as surely not conservative.) The big labor unions back liberals, even though two-thirds of their membership vote for conservative candidates. Liberal politicians bash big corporations, while the people they're trying to attract have their retirement money invested in the stocks of these same companies.
So who are the Republicans? Sure, some are corporate bigwigs. But most are struggling middle-class people, or those who aspire to the middle class, who see taxes and government regulations stealing the American dream out from under them. Many are, like me, working stiffs who are sick and tired of sending most of our hard-earned pay to bureaucrats who then disperse it in the most politically expedient way.
When I was in my twenties, half of my paycheck went to the government, as Federal, State, and Social Security withholding. Now, thanks to Ronald Reagan (and no thanks to Billy Bubba), that's down to about a third or less. Unfortunately, this difference is eaten up by liberal-sponsored taxes on such vital commodities as booze, tobacco, and fuel.
By their reckoning, I should probably be a liberal too. The head honchos at work make more money a day than I see in a month. They live in big houses or condos, while I try to scrape by. But it's the damnest thing. Guess who's conservative and who's liberal? (Duh—I wouldn't have mentioned the subject if it wouldn't boggle your mind!) Those with wealth can afford lawyers and accountants who know how to get around taxes and restrictive laws. Those of us with nothing but brass balls fight a never-ending battle to preserve our freedoms. Be it firearm possession, helmet-free motorcycling, or whatever, we are in a constant war against the do-gooder liberals who take our tax dollars and use them against us "for our own good." Therein lies the difference between liberals and conservatives. I feel that I know what's best for me. Liberals think they know better. And that's why liberalism will never triumph over freedom.
Cowboy
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