Same old Republicans in a new world

The website TomPaine.com has a new look, and one of the features I always make a point to check out is in the lower right-hand corner: The Case, Straight Talk For The Common Good. It presents a conservative talking point (spin) with a progressive response. I thought this was a particularly good one:

CONservative spin: “Governments can't choose winners. Competition lets consumers choose, and efficient companies win. The last thing we need is more taxes to support big government programs.”

PROgressive response: Ironically, under President Bush, we've been hemorrhaging private manufacturing jobs. The largest source of new jobs under the Bush administration has been publicly-funded jobs—created by the military buildup, homeland security and state and local governments. Too many companies have used the tax cuts to merge, purge workers and outsource jobs abroad. And on some issues government can’t wait for "market solutions.” For example, our urgent need to move to a clean-energy economy means ending subsidies to big oil and mobilizing science and technology to develop alternative energy sources and improve energy efficiency. That will generate jobs and new industries.

Republicans are the dinosaurs of politics. They care more about protecting the interests of oil companies, privateers and cronies than they do generating jobs and new industries. This is a new century and a new world. If the Republicans continue to follow the same old path, they may soon find themselves extinct.

(Click here to read more Pro vs. Con.)