Look on the Bright Side

OP-ED by The Uber-Conservative
08 December 2005



Hooray for not being idiots!








I've noticed for some time now that while those of us on the right don't always agree on everything, we do have much in common. First and foremost on my mind would be the ability to look on the bright side of most things. Perhaps not right away but eventually, if there is any bright side to be seen, those on the right will find it.

Some examples-

Downer- I'll be paying for my house until after I'm dead.

On the Bright Side- Perfect! As an artist, that's exactly when I'll be rich & famous!

Downer- Owning a home is lots of work without a maintenance man to rush right over.

On the Bright Side- One can always ogle the Lowes guys while getting "help" picking out the replacement hot water heater, central air thermometer, tile, paint, wallpaper, etc, etc and pay less for the repairs and improvements in the end. Also save money on a gym membership because you no longer need it.

Downer- A friend's child constantly bringing pieces of the house to me every time they visit.

On the Bright Side- Eventually this house will be brand spankin' new, piece by piece. And aren't those dimples on that kid cute?! She'll likely have one of her own some day, that's just like her, dimples and all (kids- gotta love em).

This ability to look on the bright side applies to other aspects of life as well.

A relationship doesn't work out? One less mouth to feed or that much less laundry to do (ok, so that's a stretch). John Kerry calls service members terrorists (again)? We get to publicly point out that he's a liberal and nobody on the left called him on it (again). "Patriotic protestors" burn U.S. flags? We not only get to see who these people are but what politicians they support as well as what politicians support them. Sharing that info with others is half the fun. Also, it's been my experience that a renewed love and respect for the flag grows in the place of complacency wherever flag burning occurs. Look how many flags popped up around the nation when some on the left decided it was a good idea to act offended at the very sight of a U.S. flag. Double bright side there, many saw their true colors and responded with red, white and blue. Howard Dean is an idiot? The bright side is, well, Howard Dean is an idiot! And he's not ours. That helps. If he were ours we'd stick him in the attic and put him to licking toxic stamps or something (read: out of media, out of mind). How's that for looking on the bright side? Hooray for not being idiots!

Now, I imagine those on the left are able to look on the bright side as well, the difference is that they look at things like wounded/fallen service members and American defeat on the whole as being "on the bright side" of things. They hope to weaken support for the war on terror, to get the U.S. out of Iraq quickly, before victory can be achieved because American success means potential Democratic failure. Having run their mouths so much at this point their only hope truly is complete American defeat. This is why they are obsessed with numbers, ignore (distort or lie about) every success (large or small) in Iraq while highlighting every failure (large or small). They need death and destruction of service members as well as American defeat in order to find the bright side. As if one wounded or fallen service member doesn't matter every bit as much to this nation as one thousand. As if one thousand changes the importance of success for every single sacrifice made as well as for the U.S. as a whole. Add to all of the lies and distortions the constant groundless attacks and what you have is not every day politics and dissent at all but self-centeredness of the worst kind.

What liberals are doing to America is lots like what my grandma calls "cutting off the nose to spite the face" only it's more like cutting off the face to spite the nose and reward the knife. They can call this "patriotic dissent" all they like but they definitely crossed the line a long time ago. This is not patriotism*** of any kind because it must have a love of one's country at the bottom of the dissent**** in order to be defined "patriotic". To merely dissent is not necessarily patriotic (although it can be) nor can the love of one's own self, power, and or political party that inspired the dissent of whatever given topic be patriotic unless the best interest of the United States of America is at the heart of the dissent as well.

When an American actively works against their nation in the process of attaining their own personal best interests, this is treason* or at the very least, sedition**. There may be some who don't realize what they are doing, who honestly believe their party stands for something more than itself, but after some time and all that has occurred, I think most must know by now exactly what they are about, what they are doing and why. Were I in their shoes, having to choose between my party's best interest and my nation's best interest (keeping in mind that failure for service members= death), I'd have to walk away from my party and just look on the bright side; "At least I am still a citizen of this great nation where there is hope for a better tomorrow." Of course, this personal patriotism that I feel towards the United States and her service members is why I'm attracted to the Republican Party in the first place. (I'm a libertarian who has been registered as an Independent but voting R forever it seems, only officially "crossing over" last year, just for the record. Also, I did not vote for Bush the first time around but only because I was unable to walk at all so instead I watched the whole ballot counting thing yelling this and that at the TV like it was a football game while friends brought me drinks then ran away and hid, just for the record.)

Back to my point. Yes, I have a point.

All U.S. citizens (Liberals, Democrats, Libertarians, and Greens alike) owe allegiance to the United States of America and this includes the President chosen by her people whether he or she (go Condi!) is a Republican or not. The difference between dissent, treason, and sedition should be clear to all and if there were any ramifications for committing treason or sedition, I do believe many (if not all) would make it their business to figure out exactly what that difference is. One summarization is the difference between honesty and dishonesty of our leaders in their dissent as well as knowingly and repeatedly damaging the U.S. as a whole in the attempt to acquire power and/or damage another political party. (To quote a wise teen I know- Well, duh!) While I wouldn't really enjoy seeing my fellow American be brought up on charges of treason or sedition and don't think this would necessarily be good for the nation, I do believe not having the spine to charge those who cross that line will be far more harmful to the U.S. in the end. I'm sure there are many who would agree with me but I seriously doubt that there are many with the spine to actually make it happen. But look on the bright side, at least we have the freedom to use the left's extra liberal freedom of speech against them to thwart their attempts to become the victors (and become the undoing of our great nation in so doing).

Insolublog comments on the subject of bringing charges (or not) of sedition-

"This can work well, even if this charge is only in the court of public opinion.

Holding the MSM just as accountable for consistently providing the public stage for sedition, while claiming fraudulent objectivity, is just as important. They do the exact same thing with terrorism. The media puts the terror in terrorism. They also put the dissemination in sedition."

Indeed.

*treason- 1 : the betrayal of a trust: TREACHERY 2 : the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family

(This word expresses a betraying, treachery, or breach of allegiance. The Constitution of the United States, Art. III, defines treason against the United States to consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort. This offence is punishable by death. By the same article of the Constitution, a person shall be convicted of treason on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or on confession in open court.)


**sedition- : incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority

(The word describing conduct which is directed against a government and which tends toward insurrection but does not amount to treason is sedition. Treasonous conduct consists of levying war against the United States or of adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort. The raising commotions or disturbances in the state is a revolt against legitimate authority. The distinction between sedition and treason consists in that though its ultimate object is a violation of the public peace, or at least such a course of measures as evidently engenders it, it does not aim at direct and open violence against the laws, or the subversion of the Constitution.)

***patriotism- : love for or devotion to one's country

****dissent- 1: to withhold assent 2: to differ in opinion


I can't sleep due to insomnia again, but look on the bright side. I cleaned my room, put up a Christmas tree, installed a central air thermometer, and you all got to witness an uber-insomnia "put the treasonous liberals in jail for the love of God!" rant. ;)