Half tangent then, according to the terms you set. - Edit 1
Before modification by Joel at 31/07/2011 02:34:47 AM
I don't hate or think them, or anyone, "evil".
Then you're on a tangent, seeing as the qualification for this not being one, which you say is exactly what you meant, specified modern political divisiveness as being caused by the right being "inherently evil".
I don't think it's a spotlight effect, but I don't think it's caused by the right itself being inherently evil (or, as a whole, inherently anything but conservative). I think it's because a lot of them are dangerously unstable, but I don't impute motive to a rabid dog. Some of them are just exploiting mania (which IS morally dubious, but I'm not singling anyone out; it's ONLY suspicion), but some seem genuinely infected by it, and IMHO that means they should be put in a rubber room, not Congress, and certainly not the White House. Not all or even most Republicans, and not even in government, but some whose removal from power should be a civic duty, if not a mission of public safety. You noted before that I haven't thrown "personal insults at" you; I try to never do that to anyone, and believe (perhaps wrongly) my statements now and in the past few days accurate: The reason I haven't directed similar ones at you is because they would not be accurate, but consider the possibility that those toward others were born of more than pique or emotional stress.
Yes, it's worse now than it was. When the VP responds to greetings in the Senate with "go f--k yourself" and House members interrupt a Presidential address to Congress by shouting, "YOU LIE!" it's bad, worse than any time I can think of since a Representative beat a Senator on the Senate floor. I think we both know how that bit of partisanship ended, and neither of us wants it repeated.
I think a lot of them are dangerous radicals catering to an unstable fringe. I further think John Boehner agrees with me; it's just so vicious now he's afraid to say so publicly. I'll keep to the fiscal policy side of that since that's what we're discussing, but it's DEFINITELY applicable in OTHER areas. Rejecting radicals who share much of your ideology isn't rejecting your principles. Disgust with their rhetoric and disagreement with their ideology doesn't mean I disagree with Palin and Bachmann on 2 and 2 being 4 (though atm I'm not sure we even do math the same way... ). Keep the ideology and we'll debate policy, but dump the radicals before they bankrupt the country.
You've got a pretty low bar for radical, and vicious one considering how you've been talking about radicals of late. At this point I'm going to recommend to you what several others have, take a break from posting on politics. Find a new hobby for a while.
An ironic statement, since that's what I'm suggesting certain Congressmen do, and why. You noted early that I'm not responding to you as I have others; there's a reason for that.