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June 08, 2007
Frank Zappa, Part One: How to Debate Conservatives
The late Frank Zappa was a prolific musician, a shocking lyricist, a comedy genius and certainly no stranger to politics. He was an articulate, well-educated chap and sometimes went on to talk shows to defend his positions on art, freedom of speech, and the politics of hatred.
Additionally, Frank Zappa was a Conservative. Only he wasn't like today's breed of neo-cons or religious fanatics or right-wing extremists. Rather, he was a traditionalist who believed in a small government that wasn't involved in the matters of the home.
Seen below is Zappa in a 1986 appearance of the show "Crossfire". The show is co-hosted even then by the man who'd later go on to expose Valerie Plame as an undercover CIA operative: Robert Novak. But what makes this episode of "Crossfire" isn't Novak, it's Zappa and the way he deals so simply with the narrow-minded conservative with whom he's debating:
#1) Zappa answers yes/no questions directly, without being afraid to state what he thinks simply.
#2) He never apologizes for his rationale nor acts like he's wrong in principal.
#3) He answers questions with other questions, putting his questioners on the defensive and forceing them to account for their own position first.
#4) He stays on point. Throughout the debate with the foaming-at-the-mouth conservative, Zappa continues to press the notion that the debate is about words and that no word is pornographic.
#5) He shifts his body language such that - at some point - he actually stops making eye contact with his detractor. This gives him the advantage of rising above the fight and making his opponent not even seem worthy of being looked upon.
Comments:
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If you are a conservative because you believe in small government that wasn't involved in the matters of the home, what are you conserving? Power of course. So whose power are you conserving? The governments or the people? It can't be the Governments power because if the government is “small”, it is by definition, less powerful. It must be the people’s power that is being conserved now that the people can do that which the formerly "big" government had prohibited.
Understanding that all power one has comes from others (the wealthy don't print their own money, they get it from consumers, Generals get their power from soldiers, for examples). So conserving power means not distributing power back to the people who gave it to you to begin with, but keeping power, concentrating that power in a single person/organization (or at least in a few people/organizations). The power the government used to have was liberated and distributed to the people, so small government is actually dictated by Liberalism! Allowing people to live their lives (to pursue happiness) however they see fit without taking others power (robbery for example) is dictated by Liberalism as well.
You simply have to understand what Liberalism and conservatism are, they are terms we use to describe the tendency to either conserve (or concentrate) power, or to Liberate (or distribute power). Conservatism concentrates power, Liberalism liberates power. Almost all issues come down to this simple understanding.
Understanding that all power one has comes from others (the wealthy don't print their own money, they get it from consumers, Generals get their power from soldiers, for examples). So conserving power means not distributing power back to the people who gave it to you to begin with, but keeping power, concentrating that power in a single person/organization (or at least in a few people/organizations). The power the government used to have was liberated and distributed to the people, so small government is actually dictated by Liberalism! Allowing people to live their lives (to pursue happiness) however they see fit without taking others power (robbery for example) is dictated by Liberalism as well.
You simply have to understand what Liberalism and conservatism are, they are terms we use to describe the tendency to either conserve (or concentrate) power, or to Liberate (or distribute power). Conservatism concentrates power, Liberalism liberates power. Almost all issues come down to this simple understanding.
# posted by 
: Friday, June 15, 2007 10:35:00 AM
: Friday, June 15, 2007 10:35:00 AM
If you are a conservative because you believe in small government that wasn't involved in the matters of the home, what are you conserving? Power of course. So whose power are you conserving? The governments or the people? It can't be the Governments power because if the government is “small”, it is by definition, less powerful. It must be the people’s power that is being conserved now that the people can do that which the formerly "big" government had prohibited.
Understanding that all power one has comes from others (the wealthy don't print their own money, they get it from consumers, Generals get their power from soldiers, for examples). So conserving power means not distributing power back to the people who gave it to you to begin with, but keeping power, concentrating that power in a single person/organization (or at least in a few people/organizations). The power the government used to have was liberated and distributed to the people, so small government is actually dictated by Liberalism! Allowing people to live their lives (to pursue happiness) however they see fit without taking others power (robbery for example) is dictated by Liberalism as well.
You simply have to understand what Liberalism and conservatism are, they are terms we use to describe the tendency to either conserve (or concentrate) power, or to Liberate (or distribute power). Conservatism concentrates power, Liberalism liberates power. Almost all issues come down to this simple understanding.
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Understanding that all power one has comes from others (the wealthy don't print their own money, they get it from consumers, Generals get their power from soldiers, for examples). So conserving power means not distributing power back to the people who gave it to you to begin with, but keeping power, concentrating that power in a single person/organization (or at least in a few people/organizations). The power the government used to have was liberated and distributed to the people, so small government is actually dictated by Liberalism! Allowing people to live their lives (to pursue happiness) however they see fit without taking others power (robbery for example) is dictated by Liberalism as well.
You simply have to understand what Liberalism and conservatism are, they are terms we use to describe the tendency to either conserve (or concentrate) power, or to Liberate (or distribute power). Conservatism concentrates power, Liberalism liberates power. Almost all issues come down to this simple understanding.
# posted by : Friday, June 15, 2007 10:36:00 AM
: Friday, June 15, 2007 10:36:00 AM<< Home
