The Command Post - Op-Ed - An Open Letter To American And European Liberals From A Red State Republican

November 08, 2004

An Open Letter To American And European Liberals From A Red State Republican

Since George W. Bush was reelected there has been a lot of very angry talk from the left about "Red State Americans". Since then, those of us in the red states have been called "greedy," "sister marryin'," "slow learners" & "fascists" who live in "Jesusland".

Well, I'm a "Redstate Republican" from the South and I think it's a good idea to take a few minutes to let the left, American and European, know how things appear from the other side of the looking glass. Sure, maybe this won't faze any of the "Michael Moore is genius and conservatives are Nazis crowd," but we can always hope, can't we?

First of all, this may come as a shock to our condescending liberal European cousins who believe they live in the crown jewel of civilization and tend to think Americans are backwards barbarians, but many of us across the pond don't see much worth emulating in Europe.

From our perspective, the majority of the last hundred years has been nothing but Europeans getting into trouble time and time again and Americans being called upon to pull their buns out of the fire. Think about WW1, WW2, the Marshall Plan, the Cold War, and then Serbia in the late nineties. Many liberal Europeans may believe themselves to be more sophisticated, smarter, and generally superior to Americans, but who has been calling on whom for help over and over again? But of course, when finally WE here in America asked for Europe's help in the War on Terror, many European nations begged off, many delivered very minimal help, and almost all of Europe's left have acted angrier with Bush and America than the terrorists we're fighting to stop. That's not very neighborly and I suspect at some point in the future, we will have the opportunity to remind Europe's left of that fact when they're asking us to save the day for them once again.

On top of that, what do we see in Europe where liberalism has largely taken over? We see secular welfare states, strangling in red tape, featuring mediocre militaries & sluggish economies. Furthermore, today's Europe has adopted the appeasement mentality that Neville Chamberlain was much derided for, they don't like America very much, and birthrates have dropped so far, so fast, that much of the continent seems to be in a death spiral. Is that something we here in America should aspire to? Not bloody likely....

Now, on to America. Many liberals here tend to assume that conservatives hate them or think they're stupid. Personally, that's not true for me. However, I do think liberals tend to be hopelessly naive about human nature, are borderline suicidal when it comes to their views on national security, and they tend to be titanically arrogant about how right they are and their capabilities given the paucity of what they've accomplished in...oh, say the last 30 years or so at least.

I'd also note that liberalism these days often (but of course, not always) seems to be largely synonymous with "blaming America first," extreme hostility to religion and American businesses, and a willingness to entertain bizarre conspiracy theories. Likewise, liberals tend to assume that opposition to their ideas in of itself is base: that it's based on greed, racism, homophobia, and dare I say it...just plain, old, eevvvviiil.

Well again, I don't want to shock anybody, but conservatives genuinely believe that the whole country, rich or poor, men or women, minorities or majorities, are not only better served by conservative policies, but that liberal policies hurt the country. Yes, we think a small government is better than a big one, that low taxes for everyone, including the rich, are good for the country, & that the "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" portion of the First Amendment is just as important as the, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" section.

Additionally, when conservatives wave the flag, it's because we like doing it. When conservatives say "we support the troops," it's not some kind of dodge; we realize what a tough job they have and believe we should look out for them because of it. When we listen to Rush Limbaugh, it's not because we think he makes up great lies about liberals; it's because we believe he's telling the truth.

Liberals, American and European, probably won't buy into what I'm saying because it's much easier to just paint conservatives as gap toothed, fundamentalist, bigots and homophobes who dream of locking liberals in camps and running some sort of one party theocratic state. Believe that if you will, but it will not make it into reality, nor will it change the ugly face of modern day liberalism into something that will appeal to most Americans.

Posted By John Hawkins at November 8, 2004 10:21 AM | TrackBack

Comments

You won this election by a hundred thousand votes in one state, out of 110 million cast, running against the most liberal member of the United States Senate. We just need another candidate like Bill Clinton and all will be well. So spare us the lectures on how we have it all figgered out wrong.

Most Americans still believe that the rich should pay their fair share of taxes. Most still believe that the government is not the enemy, (especially when it comes to things like food inspections, OSHA enforcement, and the environment). Most still believe that we should not go to war unless we have to.

We do have a little cultural gap that needs to be addressed, but the Democratic Party is alive and well, no matter how much you may wish to the contrary.

Posted by: rdelephant at November 8, 2004 07:53 PM

Canada isn't too happy with you guys and your reneging on NAFTA when it suits you, closing borders to perfectly fine beef, illegally banning the softwood lumber, despite many rulings against you in the WTO. Or the hundreds of other smaller instances that could be named.

Not that I agree with European liberals - just remember, one finger pointing at them, two fingers pointing back at yourself. America has problems domestically and, far more seriously, how it deals with its closest partners. I think that's fair call to stop and think.

Posted by: Connolly at November 9, 2004 07:45 AM

..I agree its way past time to "stop and think" as you put it..you`ll have to trust me on this one..I dont think you will like the conclusion we red states come to..with eyes wide open there are things we dont like seeing..the old adage.."good fences make good neighbors"..seems appropriate..

Posted by: Rob_NC at November 9, 2004 09:13 AM

rdelephant,not to sure about the well part..but with life support..there will be another day..
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/vote2004/countymap.htm

Posted by: Rob_NC at November 9, 2004 09:21 AM

With Howard Dean, socialist, mulling over heading up the DNC, I'm certain that all is not alive and well with the Dems. They will spend the next 12 years or so wrestling with the identity crisis they clearly have, ("so many liberal issues to stand for, so little time"), and the next two elections will be won with red states, in an even larger margin than this one.

As for Canada, even in the quietest of times, it has not been happy with the US, for one reason or another, despite the fact that it's economy is 100% dependant on US import of it's goods, and has been helped unimaginable by NAFTA and other free trade poilcies. It tends to focus on things like these trade squabbles with it's biggest customer, (like Europe does), rather than helping it's customer/neighbor in any real profound political way, except of course when Europe or the UN says it's OK to do so. Canada, like our Dems, have an identity crisis. Western Canada despises Quebec, and vice-versa, yet lets Quebec walk all over it in countless costly ways. It also takes it's political direction from Quebec, but is in total denial about it. Canada is perpetually confused, and much as I like visiting there, I cannot take it's criticisms of the US very seriously.

Posted by: Alliturken at November 9, 2004 10:56 AM

"it�s much easier to just paint conservatives as gap toothed, fundamentalist, bigots and homophobes who dream of locking liberals in camps and running some sort of one party theocratic state. "

well John it's easy to paint the right that way becuase those on the right are bigots , homophobes, toothless, and sleep with their sister, it's a scientific fact. I don't know why we're having this discussion, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROPAGANDA, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DEFEND< YOU ARE WINNING< AND GETTING WHAT YOU WANT, which is a one party theocratic state

Posted by: Richard T at November 9, 2004 03:00 PM

I guess I am one of these �European liberals�. I must say that the accusation that you launch when you say that you asked the Europe�s help and many European nations begged off, etc. hurts me quite a lot.

When the USA was attacked the 11-S each European country stood at the American side. When the USA decided to clean Afghanistan, the paradise of those who killed so many innocents in NY, many European countries supported the American action (including Germany and France) and sent European soldiers there. Some of this soldiers didn�t go back home alive. And there still a lot of European soldiers in Afghanistan, working under a huge risk to reconstruct this country once the afghan people was liberated mainly by means of the great American military power.

But, why Iraq?

Look I don�t think we the Europeans are smarter or superior. Only the European dumbasses think this kind of things. I guess you have also some dumbasses in the USA. What I think is that we the Europeans use to know a little bit better what a war is despite many republican Americans call us �bunch of pussies� or so. As you say we had many wars here. There are in Europe a lot of buildings and walls which still showing the impact of bullets. And our press doesn�t hesitate to show us the marine with the face smashed by the bomb, the militiamen at the moment in which a bullet blows his head, the moment in which the old man takes his dead granddaughter out of the mountain of rubble, or the body of the poor civilian burnt alive in the crossed fire. Here nobody have appeased. Why the most of you don�t make a little effort to understand our position? But we are sadly aware of the real situation in the Muslim world. I hope some day the whole American people will be aware too. We will support a war only if it is strictly necessary. This was not the Iraqi case.

Oh, I think that the rich people must pay a hell in taxes.

Posted by: VinoTinto at November 9, 2004 03:55 PM