if you stick around and continue to ask serious questions. You have been listening to too many Democratic/liberal talking point – I hear them coming out, but you are at least questioning them some.

So I hope others here are a bit patient with you. There are some really well-informed people who can address these things in depth.

Remember first that conservatism and Republican are not identical, although there is a substantial overlap.

Let me just give you some food for thought.

The NSA program differ from Big Brother in that the NSA program was designed to combat enemies abroad – primarily terrorist and their domestic supporters. Big Brother’s surveillance was to neutralize domestic enemies, i.e. the populace. Critical distinction. And if the NSA program has turned into monitoring ordinary citizens then conservatives would be first in line to attack it. We recognize that there is a delicate balance between repelling attacks from enemies abroad and unduly curtailing liberties at home.

As far the path to socialism, what a number of us here see is a series of actions, each one of limited impact – but that coordinated will set a tipping point that will rapidly accelerate and be almost impossible to reverse as normally antagonistic players (the separation of power between private and public entities) enter into a mutually reinforcing relationship. Example: policies that essentially forced unionization, which in turn can impose dues for political action to further strengthen the interests of the union leaders. It’s these positive feedback cyles that are so dangerous because even a small amplitude rapidly grows to dominance.

I woudl agree that government does have some role in promoting basic science research; the problem in recent years is that it tended to get captured by crony interests which misdirected it, and made it an easier target to cut. Also, much of our loss in leadership in science research relates to the failings of our K-12 schooling. It’s sad that my children did not have the opportunities to learn real science that I did.

Stick around at RedState – there are some really well-informed people here with a lot of expertise.

Now with the ability to monitor domestic conversations comes the temptation to nission creep, which is why it needs some level of ovesight. But it’s clear that unlike some earlier administrations, the Bush administration did not mission creep, at least from what I’ve read.

You’re going to have to pretend better than that.

No one who thinks that we have become or are becoming socialist says, “The Nanny state is an issue.”

Nor does he go on to call Bush “Big Brother” for wiretapping conversations between foreign terrorists and American citizens in order to protect us.

Hell, I’d favor impeachment for a president who did NOT listen in on telephone calls from terrorists overseas to Americans at home. Avoiding measures like this is what allowed 9/11 to happen. Not sure if you’re old enough to remember that day.

Friggin troll. Take your little hiney back to Kos.

contribute nothing outnumber those who contribute”? Here’s an example for you:

I did my son and daughter in law’s taxes for them last week. Due to the Earned Income Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit, the two of them are getting a return of over $4000. Without paying one single dollar in Federal Income Tax.

Multiply that by all the families just like them, and what do you have?
You have a permanent group of voters who are focused like a laser on getting that sweet, sweet “refund” check every year without realizing, or maybe even caring, that it indentures them to the very government that “gives” it to them. And all while the elderly die for lack of health care, thank you Tom Daschle, because it’s just not “cost effective” to treat people who are going to die anyway. All while people like my husband’s nephew, a construction worker whose parents voted for Obama, will watch his company, already down to 8 people from 40 just a year ago, lose out on bidding jobs that are federally funded because his company is non-union.

But, hey, why worry? If Obama and Co. don’t manage to totally destroy every single safeguard that prevented domestic terror attacks, ruin our economy for generations–or forever– and otherwise cancel out all that made America what it has been, then God knows it won’t be for lack of trying.

As for science, it will be what government tells you it is, not what the evidence says it is.