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Homegrown Democrat
by Garrison Keillor
Review
by: Trey
Stone
Bush sucks.
Straight up. Gotta get that out in the open right now. Yes,
I'm in the service now, and I used to be a hardcore conservative.
In fact, some of my conservative leanings still remain. Example,
I'm a big booster of the armed forces, and believe we should
make sure they are the best equipped, manned, trained and
supported they can be. Second to none.
Which
is one of the many, MANY reasons that I think George Bush
should go. You have a duty dodging dilletante, who is advised
by, for the most part, a bunch of cretins with minimal service
experience themselves. They have visions of the US planting
the Stars and Stripes in the ass of the world, now that no
other superpower is currently in position to check us. This
is world policy as created by frat boys who have oh deed on
too many sessions of Risk. So what do they do in doing this?
They trump up excuses to take us to war. They use inadequate
numbers of personell, they don't supply needed equipment or
services for support. They have us dangerously overextended.
They have pissed away worldwide goodwill. They have betrayed
the civilized principles this nation was founded upon. And
they are using this venture to enrich corporate cronies.
Bush is
also a corporate ass kisser of dangerous proportions, bringing
us closer and closer to either another major progressive swing
(Teddy Roosevelt, where are you?), or our descent into second
rate status. He is the symbol of everything that is dark and
negative of conservatism, seeing the world and fellow citizens
as something to exploit, to subjegate, instead of seeking
to lead to a better world.
Conservatism
is NOT evil. The rugged individualism, the free enterprise
(community, not corporate based), the desire to protect, those
things are all noble, nay, necessary values. And, when used
in tandem with the positive value of liberalism, results in
a society that works.
Most of
the time, society is in a pendulum, and right now, we are,
hopefully, nearing the terminus of a sharp rightward swing
that started with Ronald Reagan.
I am a
liberal. But I didn't' get there overnight. It was a long
inward and outward journey, shaped by many things. And for
those of us who actually think about these things, rather
than merely react, that journey was a long one that is still
ongoing. Garrison Keillor also has a long journey that brought
him to where he is now in his politics. He is an unabashed
liberal Democrat, and has no problem saying so, and leveling
his criticism against worthy targets. Oh, and he DOES.
Interesting
thing is, our journeys coincided. One of my first jobs in
radio was at the local public radio station in Texarkana,
TX, KTXK, Twin Cities Public Radio. I was the evening announcer
there, and was annoyed having to monitor Keillor's Prairie
Home Companion while trying to watch Babylon 5 Monday evenings.
Making sure a radio program runs right is complicated while
trying to watch the intergalactic machinations spun by JM
Straczinsky. Used to think it was the WORST radio show ever,
it's hokey soft shoe old fashioned approached to audio sketches
and music. And I was cheering for the Republicans when they
thundered into Congress in 1996, even though my boss at the
station, Steve Mitchelle, thought I was insane. I hadn't grasped,
yet, that Public Radio and Television, and government support
for the arts were going to be some of the biggest targets
for the Republicans. Later, I grew to love Prairie Home Companion
and Mr Keillor's abilities as an artist. And became more aware
of conservative contempt for artists. And that's when the
rift began.
Garrison
Keillor loves his home of Minnesota. And is appalled by American
politics of the last twenty years. He believes this next election
is crucial to our future as a nation. As do I. But, he wants
to let you know that this view is VERY deliberate, and it's
roots run deep. This is not at all capricious on his part.
Read Keillor's
"Homegrown Democrat". Get the dope from the Man from Minnesota,
and why he feels this way. Quick and inspiring read, and one
man's personal political manifesto.
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