The very picture of the modern conservative

Roy over at Aliculablog makes a funny. Says he of conservatives, In a real marketplace of ideas, the idea of national health care would provoke not waves of bluster, but a serious counterproposal. Maybe if we sweat 'em a bit more, we'll get it.

Silly boy. Modern conservatism isn't about solving problems. Modern conservatism isn't about providing solutions. Modern conservatism is all about "let them eat cake" -- an imperious declaration from upon the throne that there is no place for any collective action on the part of citizens to defend themselves against those who would take advantage of them, or to provide services for themselves that the free market for whatever reason will not or cannot provide in a timely and cost-effective manner. To the modern conservative, the only "problem" is laziness, and the only "solution" is "let them die if they can't make a living on what we pay them as our servants."

The notion of government of the people, by the people, for the people -- the notion that people can get together to defend themselves against those who would harm them -- is derided as "socialism" by modern conservatives. The notion of government services -- other than those services which the modern conservative uses (specifically the police and courts, which the modern conservative uses as his private militia to squash dissent and insure that objections to his rule are beat down violently) -- is similarly derided as "socialist". As for the health care crisis, the modern conservative's answer is to... uhm... do nothing. "Let them die." And if the people object to being told to die, well, let them go to the emergency room.

"Let them eat cake", indeed... and the odd thing is, the majority of the American people, rather than rioting in the streets when told this, just grimly say "there is nothing to be done" and go about their business of being killed by their "betters". What was I saying about, "I have seen the enemy and he is us"?

-- Badtux the Conservative-observing Penguin
(uhm, yeah, I do need eyewash after that, especially with all the closeted gay tearoom queens in the Republican Party nowdays).