Neo Cons Find It Harder To Divide Americans On ‘Raw Nerve’ Issues

Americans now need real answers to their growing real problems, not further hatred anddivision. Neo-Cons Find It Harder To Divide Americans On ‘Raw Nerve’ IssuesBy Cliff Montgomery – May 15th, 2008Abortion. Affirmative Action. Race. Gender. Religion.For decades, neo-conservatives gleefully mined these deeply emotional, innately divisive issues for personal and political gain. The tactic was simple: Point out the otherwise latent differences between Americans to tear them one from another, then conquer a torn nation with your slight, embittered majority.But abortion and affirmative action opponents are finding that the old “divide-and-conquer” tactics of past years no longer work. Americans now need real answers to their growing real problems, not further hatred and division.  Neo-cons have suffered more failures than victories this political season with their “raw nerve” issues. But with nothing else to offer voters except further division, they’ve continued their attempts to place “raw nerve” ballot measures before voters in a number of states this November.But tearing apart America just doesn’t work like it used to…At least five ballot measures have failed; numerous others face legal battles. A measure to ban almost all abortions already is on South Dakota’s ballot however, and numerous other proposals may well advance–including two which may be decided in November by the possible swing state of Colorado.The forthcoming proposals have been produced by two different multi-state campaigns.Anti-abortion activists make up one group. This bunch–almost certainly without a single ethicist or medical doctor among them–hope voters will turn into law their personal religious dogma that human life begins at the moment of fertilization.The other neo-conservative charge is being spear-headed by California businessman Ward Connerly, who opposes any government program which allows black people and women a level playing field in society.Connerly’s anti-affirmative action tirades met with success three times in previous elections, with voters in Michigan, California and Washington passing measures which banned government-sponsored assistance for women and minorities who hope to obtain jobs in public education, state employment and public contracts.Connerly this year attempted the same tactic in five more states, but his personal campaign against equality already has met with two major defeats. He acknowledged that his campaign would not possess enough signatures to meet a deadline in Missouri, and he had little choice but to stop his drive in Oklahoma, thanks to stiff challenges to the questionable signatures gathered there.The idea of Connerly and other neo-cons was never to provide answers to these issues, but simply to fracture the American electorate. The recent failure of these measures is due solely to the fact that the neo-conservative movement has proven itself woefully unable to represent the will of the American people.In 2006, its ineptness led to the loss of both congressional houses. And in 2008, the confederacy of dunces that is neo-conservatism appears well on its way to losing the White House as well–provided the Democrats don’t ruin themselves first.A sad excuse for a modern political movement, neo-conservatism has built its entire power base from spitefulness and smoldering hatreds. Thus the movement contains an inherent flaw. It has created passionate adherents who are only fit to destroy and tear down; that is the beginning and the end of the movement.Neo-cons cannot build–it simply is not in their nature to find common ground with those who disagree with their views. It is a movement solely based on furthering latent divisions. It is thus, in a phrase, innately anti-democratic.This is not to say that the same should be said of true conservatism–often called “libertarianism” in America. Libertarians also are referred to as “classic” or “classical” liberals.While modern liberals believe that a free people should use its democratically-controlled government to oversee and reign in the overwhelming power of the corporation, Libertarians trust a powerful government even less than they do a powerful corporation.Both real conservatives and modern liberals therefore only differ in their style of liberalism–a proud political tradition, defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “a belief in the autonomy of the individual, and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties.”Neo-conservatism, by contrast, is spitefully illiberal and anti-liberal.That is why the last seven years have provided little but pain, division and the erosion of American democracy and civil rights. And that is why neo-conservatism’s long, national nightmare may soon thankfully end.Like what you’re reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of thee-newsletter for only $15? 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