Sorry Rudy, The Republicans Are Not The Party of Freedom

Originally posted at Liberal Values. See original post for multiple links (and better formatting):

http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=1148

Earlier I posted some information as to Mitt Romney's election strategy (attack France and George Bush's intelligence). Rudy Giuliani has also revealed how he wants to market himself. He wants to call the Republicans the "Party of Freedom." It's a shame that this is all marketing which has nothing to do with reality. The New York Sun reports:

"Mayor Giuliani is calling on the Republican Party to redefine itself as "the party of freedom," focusing on lower taxes, school choice, and a health care system rooted in free market principles...

"Democrats, he said, would want to raise taxes to pay the higher costs of a war. "That shows a dividing line, and to me, a misunderstanding of how our economy works," Mr. Giuliani said. He said that while Republicans believe that the American economy is "essentially a private economy," Democrats "really believe, honest, that it is essentially a government economy.""

In other words, Giuliani wants to run on all the old canards spread by the Republicans for years which few now believe. Republicans cannot run as the party of small government after supporting big government whenever in office. Republicans cannot claim to support a "private economy" after being the party of corporate welfare and the K Street Project. Nonsense such as saying Democrats "really believe, honest, that it is essentially a government economy" makes him sound like the kookie right wingers who believe Democrats are socialists.

While Democrats might raise taxes to pay for the war, the alternative is far worse as Republicans pass on the debt and erode the value of our retirement savings with their deficits. It wasn't long ago that Republicans recognized the value of fiscal responsibility, just as they once recognized the dangers of unnecessary foreign entanglements.

Giuliani also states the solutions to health care problems "have to be free market solutions." Republicans have been saying this for years, but we are still waiting to see them come up with ideas that work. Previous Republican free market ideas such as HMO's and Health Savings Accounts only worsen the problem. Giuliani brings up the old scare stories of "socialization" of medical care, failing to recognize the huge distinction between government involvement in financing health care as opposed to government control of providing health care. While he speaks of freedom, he ignores the fact that Medicare provides the financing for private health care which is more economical than privately financed health care and which is less restrictive than many private programs. If freedom is to be Giuliani's new mantra, I am far more free in providing the care my patients need under Medicare than under many of the "free market" plans which Giuliani would prefer. The growing number who are uninsured and underinsured do not feel like they are more free under Republican health care plans which do nothing to provide them with adequate coverage.

If Giuliani wants to claim to be part of the "Party of Freedom" he also cannot ignore the Republican record on social issues. You cannot be the "Party of Freedom" when you allow the government to intrude in intimate aspects of individual's lives, or when your party fails to recognize separation of church and state, which is essential to guarantee religious freedom.

Even if Giuliani really offered policies which supported more freedom, we cannot forget his support for the failed foreign policy of the Bush administration which undermines our national security and strengthens enemies such as al Qaeda and Iran. We cannot afford yet another Republican president who supports policies which place the nation at greater risk.

If Republicans like Giuliani want to claim to be "The Party of Freedom" they must cease the empty rhetoric and really support freedom, as opposed to supporting big government and more government intrusion in individual's lives.

Walmart being a prime example of killing mom'n'pop shops, the takeover of PC support companies by best buy and the ilk and turn around to provide horrible support, and so on...

so I think they can pretty much skip the whole 'Freedom' brand thing. :grr:

That's the only way you'll pass a lie detector test.

Giuliani = Il Douche


:evilfrown: