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Meddling celebrity liberals

By Jackson Murphy
web posted July 9, 2001

Singer Barbara Streisand and actor/directors Rob Reiner and Robert Redford are among the celebrities that are cashing in on their fame to preach liberal doctrine. They have gone into action denouncing the new president for ruining the country and destroying the environment-never mind that this misleads other Americans..

This is the new face of a movement that Rush Limbaugh and the Wall Street Journal have deemed the "Limousine Liberals". They are elitists who enjoy their millions, send their children to private schools, drive SUV's while telling their fans that public schools are great and they should be conserving energy-hypocrites one and all.

"Not only is he poisoning our air and water by withdrawing his promise to enforce emissions standards and arsenic regulations, but he's poisoning our political system,' wrote Streisand in a memo to congressional Democrats.

"Democrats are the party of, by, and for the people while Republicans are the party of, by, and for the corporation," says Streisand.

The reality is that the Democrats are actually the party of, by, and for multimillionaire film and music stars who want to go back to some FDR-era utopia of big government.

On a recent episode of CNBC's Hardball, Rob Reiner suggested that neighborhoods like the South Bronx are the same today as they were in the 1950's and 1960's. With all due respect to 'Meathead' he has obviously missed four decades of political correctness, now zero-tolerance, and crumbling family values. Not to mention the failing schools, drugs, and crime, which a Wall Street Journal Editorial points out.

In June Barbara was at it again demonstrating how out of touch these people are by urging her neighbors in California, "to conserve energy and vote for politicians in the next election who support alternatives to our traditional reliance on oil and coal."

One idea that Barbara lists is the ever-popular line drying of cloths. Now I am not morally against this, just against some Hollywood type telling me to do so while she has someone take her laundry to the cleaners for her. Obviously she and Meathead have been caught in some weird 1950's time warp.

Or what about Mike D from the Beastie Boys who urges his fan base to action from his web site by suggesting that Bush's Energy Plan, "will take us back in time to an era when we moved Native Americans from their lands in order to mine the minerals where they lived, a time when people thought that nuclear power was safe, a time when coal power plants turned America's skies black as the night.

On the one hand these celebrity liberals advocate environmentalism and anti-corporate jingoism. On the other hand they are the ones who have benefited from the 250 years of progress that started with the industrial revolution. If they had it their way we would not meet the growing energy demands of a growing population and a rising productive society.

The president of the Southern California Americans for Democratic Action (SCADA), Lila Garrett, is calling these people to arms. In a message announcing their recent event appropriately called "Wake Up Democrats!" she wrote that, "As politically savvy liberals we are painfully aware of the onslaught of the right agenda since Bush took office."

"Everything has been hit," Garrett says. "Our gas prices are suddenly out of sight. And so is our power, no pun intended. The environment, workers rights, healthcare, choice, family planning, human rights, the judiciary, all of it is unraveling."

In 1960 under John F. Kennedy Democrats were for fighting the Cold War against the communists and for low taxes. Now they are elitist leftists who enjoy telling middle America that tax cuts and economic growth are not worth endeavors.

Somewhere along the way the democrats have gotten off the track. The good news is that the majority of the people are not of the same thinking as people like Barbara Streisand.

Already since the Jefford's defection the republicans have taken a seat back in Virginia and nominated a conservative as the GOP Governor candidate in New Jersey-these are not the actions of a party that is out of step with the people.

In fact in 2002 and 2004 it is going to be maverick Democrats like 'The Dealmaker' John Breaux (D-La.) and Zell Miller (D-Ga.) who get elected not more Hillary Clintons (D-NY) or Ted Kennedy's (D-Mass). Even Garrett admits that in the US Senate there are only 38 "real democrats" to be found-good that means there are 62 rational people there. If this is the case Bush will do just fine.

The truth is that if these 'progressive' democrats were to have it their way we would be crippling our economy by implementing Kyoto, fixing price caps on energy, and spending the surplus of the people's money on bigger government and reducing arsenic in drinking water to such a level that it would bankrupt every small town in the country.

Wake up Republicans is more like it. If the democrats are going to mobilize and energize their base with celebrities and propaganda like junk science, then republicans better do likewise.

Jackson Murphy is a young independent commentator from Vancouver, Canada writing on domestic and international political issues. He also writes weekly at suite101.com. You can reach him at jacksonmurphy@telus.net.

Other related articles: (open in a new window)

  • Queen Barbra addresses the serfs by Shelley McKinney (June 25, 2001)
    Californians have a new voice for energy conservation, reports Shelley McKinney. It's none other than Barbra Streisand




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