A little rebuttal help please?

Below is a chain-letter I sent to my friend called, "A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JOE REPUBLICAN".
Apparently he sent it and got the responses below.
He wrote me asking for some rebuttal help and I thought you guys might want to have a go at this too.
If you have links and/or info refuting any of these responses then please help me compile.

Thanks!!!!!!


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In italics is someone's responses to the email you sent. Can you rebuttal each one since you are well-versed in the political arena? good solid facts and references and staying on topic would be most effective. Also a little referencing with specific factual information to portray how the bush admin is against the good of the general public in the aspects below.
I would so totally appreciate it!
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"A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JOE REPUBLICAN"

Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his
morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging
liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first
swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are
safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their
safety and that they work as advertised.

The clean water act was passed by what congress? And the medications are safe not because of liberals but because the government had to protect itself from lawsuits...they have to make sure that it meets the minuimum risk assessment or the lack thereof would bankrupt the government.

All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical
plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid
medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.

You think this is free????? You are paying for this in higher prices in goods because...nothing in life is free the corporations and companies pass this cost on to the consumer.

He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe
to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the
meat packing industry.

Again, there is the Federal Food and Drug Administration, and if our livestock that the government inspects is harmful, there again there are those lawsuits.

In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is
properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total
contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what
he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

America did not start the listing of ingredients. the Germans did, we just followed in their footsteps. Let's not give credit where none is deserved.

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes
is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws
to stop industries from polluting our air.

You did check out the Clean Air and water Act, and those party affiliations of those that authored it right?

He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his
government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in
parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought
for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the
opportunity to be a contributor.

And whose paying for this? Nothing in life is free. YOURS, MINE and everyone elses taxes pay for this. So you think it's okay for me and you and the rest of America to provide the public parks and recreation to the Mexicans.... and how much in taxes do they pay?

Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical
benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy
liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's
employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his
employees to call the union.

And, again the cost of this is passed on to the consumer in higher cost of goods....because again, nothing is free. Just because you don't see it coming out of your pocket doesn't mean you aren't paying for it....you are again and again. Every time you buy gas, a loaf of bread, shoes, diapers etc, etc. you and I are paying for those "rights, vacations and holidays" This is Economics 101.

If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker
compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn't
think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Right, you really want me to comment on this? Let's begin with Medicare and Medical and Social Security that the Mexicans are getting without ever paying into the system. This one would require more space than AOL allows in one email.

It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some
bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some
godless liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers
who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.

This was passed by a Republican Congress I believe....wasn't it a Democrat President in power then?

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market
federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and
the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more
money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that his in addition to his
federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.

This is my area of expertise! You need to read Ted Kennedy's remarks on the record about those student Loans. Read Kennedy's campaign contributions from Sallie Mae, JP Morgan Bank and Chase Manhatten Bank The democrats are the ones holding the Dept. of Education back from allowing more competition from lenders on student loans....again not enough space to write about this.

Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his
farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is
among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought
for car safety standards to go along with the tax-payer funded roads.

And you credit the democrats???????????? You need to look at Volvo and Mercedes for the safety on our cars. They are first and we follow, and we only follow suit IF more Americans are buying foreign than domestic. This is money driven. Again, don't give credit where none is due.

He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in
the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers
didn't want to make rural loans.

Are you sure about this????????

The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal
stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.

Electicity is consumer driven. What liberal stuck his nose in this?

He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on
Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking,
cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe
wouldn't have to.

See above. One of my neighbors in Buffalo, paid into Social Security for 4 months and recieved monthly allowance for 34 years. You think this is good? Who paid for the 33years and 8 months of benefits that Mr Crawford recieved but only paid 4 months for? The answer is John Q Public. You do the math, if you banked in your own account the same amount that you pay in every month, are you better off with Social Security or your own account. This system was cooked up because the government didn't trust the average person to plan for their own retirement. And somehow you think that's good????

Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk
show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and
conservatives are good. He doesn't mention that the beloved Republicans
have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout
his day. Joe agrees: "We don't need those big-government liberals
ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone
should take care of themselves, just like I have."

And I agree with Joe. Everyone should take care of themselves. The problem is you have liberals who don't trust our ability to make decisions. I believe teach me to fish so I can eat for a lifetime, don't give me enough fish to feed me for a month (welfare).

He's unable to work and loses his insurance. He's unable to support his family who needs food and shelter.

Repukes kick Joe while he's down and gives him the finger.

...like a Libertarian to me.

#1, People didn't sue the government when products weren't safe, or the air wasn't clean. They couldn't sue ANYBODY, that's the point of making the laws. (!)

#2, His question about which Congress, well the EPA was created under Nixon, but the Congress was controlled by Democrats. And the pressure to create it came from liberals. Bush's "clean water act" is another one of their Orwellian-named pieces of crap that actually does the opposite of its name.

#3, He shows no knowledge of the Tennessee Valley Authority, automobile safety, history of unions, etc.

The guy is not smart (or willing) enough to understand a response.

Medications are safe because the government had to protect itself from lawsuits?

WTF?

ask him who gave him his first pole? Then ask him, who made the pole? Then who subsidized the making of the pole? etc. What would happen if a Tsunami swept you off your feet while you were fishing? Self-made men pick themselves back up and start over right? Better hope you can find your pole.

Then end with: it takes a lot of selves to make one man. I'm sorry that you've alienated yourself from the people that love you. perhaps you'd be happier if you stopped taking them for granted.

You know stuff like that.

I'm sorry. This guy's not worth it.

I hated that reponse.
Fact is that even undocumented workers pay taxes every time they buy something.

"This system was cooked up because the government didn't trust the average person to plan for their own retirement. And somehow you think that's good????"

Dumbass.

Part of my rant to my friend regarding this guy:

In general... We all pay taxes so therefore we expect services!!
Some want just military and the punitive side of government funded (rightwingers) while others want a balance and social safety net (liberals).
A social safety net, such as The New Deal, has created and supports THE MIDDLECLASS!!!
Without programs to fall back on then the middleclass would not exist. That was the whole reason for the New Deal. We had an extreme 2 tiered system of the haves and have-nots prior to it's passing.

The clean water act was passed by what congress?
1972 was a democratic congress that also impeached the previous wiretapping criminal. They did good twice


You did check out the Clean Air and water Act, and those party affiliations of those that authored it right?
which party is currently reversing all that legislation and dismantling the mechanisms for enforcing those standards?



Right, you really want me to comment on this? Let's begin with Medicare and Medical and Social Security that the Mexicans are getting without ever paying into the system.
Document just ONE "Mexican" getting social security benefits without a social security number. In fact undocumented workers save the employers all the expense of those pesky ss payments. Some employers actually DEDUCT social security from the undocumented worker's wages and pay him even less. Tell him to hold his prejudice at bay before spouting bullshit.


Electicity is consumer driven. What liberal stuck his nose in this?
You're saying then the California brown-outs and the Enron scandal was the fault of the consumer? You are full of shit



And I agree with Joe. Everyone should take care of themselves. The problem is you have liberals who don't trust our ability to make decisions. I believe teach me to fish so I can eat for a lifetime, don't give me enough fish to feed me for a month (welfare).
Give me no-bid open-ended defense contracts with no oversight. Give me retroactive benefits to oil industry. Give me widfall profits to pharmaceutical companies by way of prescription drug plan.(corporate welfare queens)

how much he thinks it would cost him to do all these things by himself, and how much he has saved up for his own retirement.
is he a lawyer? he seems to credit them with saving the world.
does he plan to raise his own army to patrol the border and keep "the mexicans" out?
did he like the old days of barn raising and all? today we need more than barns, and it is the same principle.

The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal
stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.

Electicity is consumer driven. What liberal stuck his nose in this?

That particular liberal's name was Franklin D. Roosevelt. He stuck his nose in because he saw something that conservatives are always blind to: failure of market mechanisms. There were people in rural areas who wanted to be consumers, but the for-profit power companies didn't like the cost of setting up electric lines there. In 1935, as part of the New Deal (which your commentator doubtless reviles), the government created the Rural Electrification Administration, now known as the Rural Utilities Service. It did indeed bring electricity to many farm areas. For more details, see the Wikipedia article.

He takes several flawed approaches to his rebuttals. The first thing he does, is anything that can not be adequately rebutted, he simply says that the republicans did. He also uses the fox-news style of stating his opinion as if it is fact, and offering absolutely no proof into evidence to support his viewpoint. It's the same approach that the talking heads used when the U.S. economy took off under Bill Clinton. At first, when the new budget was passed, the talking heads screamed it would ruin the country, it was communism plain and simple, blah blah blah... Of course after the economy took off, they changed their collective tune to "well, this is just Reagan's economy we are running on." An example of this is his use of the "clean air and water act" argument without doing the actual research to see the actual processes that led up to them being signed into law in the 70's. It's probably not his fault though, as he probably wasn't born yet when these laws were passed, and didn't see the process in action.

I also noticed the little brainwashed randian robot likes to spew out a lot of "free market" propaganda. Stuff along the lines of "extra costs passed to consumer", "rules and regulations only up the costs", etcetera. Again, he offers no real proof of this, or no real consequences of what his ideal little paradise of anarchy and no oversight or safety regulations would bring. He also likes to equate social security with communism, his argument being the standard "government doesn't trust us with the money" bullshit. It's actually beyond ludicrous to be pushing this garbage when untold thousands of people have lost their 401ks, their retirements and their savings to the stock market over the past few years under this thieving bunch of crooks in power right now. To these brainwashed Libertarian shitheads, it seems Social Security is their big enemy which they love to define as communism. The fact is, it is the most popular social program in American history, that reduced the poverty rate of the elderly from over 50% to less than 10%, with around 90% of Americans presently behind it. Does he perhaps watch a little too much fox-news?

Of course this persons idea of a perfect society would to scrap all these aforementioned programs and replace them with BRING OUT YOUR DEAD wagons. Which, as I read more and more crap from these conservative and Libertarian bastards, is what they're really after. They love to ask what all the losers did before there were social programs to help them (you know, what most people call--civilization). They died of disease and malnutrition. So what huh?