Step 1: Admitting that you're a liberal

This is the first step for every liberal on the way to recovery. It is important to understand that you're not "progressive", "moderate", or "enlightened". You're a liberal, and you need to be honest with yourself about that fact.

Step 2: Pledge to support your beliefs with facts.

Realize that truth is more important than moral superiority and is the only way to come over to reality. You must research beyond propaganda from the Sierra Club, Hilllary Clinton, and CNN to understand things as they really exist in the world. You can no longer argue based on "feelings" or emotion. You will actually need to back up your arguments with real information. This is a difficult step, because it means you can't be lazy any more.

Step 3: Love America

This may be the most difficult step for those of you who are hippies and peaceniks. Admitting that the country you hate actually stands as a beacon to defend freedom throughout the world can make some of you physically ill. You might want to make a visit to a military cemetery to better understand that these men and women gave their lives so that you could spew hatred. Otherwise, you would currently be living in a police state that would never let you wear that nasty patchouli oil, let alone speak out against your government.

Step 4: Take a college level economics class

A Socialist is defined as someone who's never taken an economics class. Most Socialists have a hard time balancing their checkbooks, let alone explaining the simple concept of supply-and-demand. It's time to flush your complete ignorance of basic economics down the toilet and understand how the world actually functions. This concept will be very important for the next steps that involve communism, facts about corporations, and the inefficiencies of government.

Step 5: Say "no" to Communism and Socialism

While this concept is obvious to most of the free world, it is an important step in your recovery process. If you have difficulty with this step, spend a week living and working in Cuba.

Step 6: Corporations are not evil

If you're reading this article on-line or in an email, it's thanks to corporations. If you get some kind of paycheck, you can thank corporations. If you work for a nonprofit or the government, you still have to thank corporations. The nonprofit sector and the government wouldn't have any money to pay you without corporations. It is also important that you understand that making a profit doesn't equate to "greed" or exploitation. Capitalism has created the greatest society in our world's history. Even communist countries need corporations to survive, so enjoy a nice, hot cup of reality.

Step 7: The government is inefficient

If you are one of those liberals who believe the government should tax us more in order to take care of society, you need to pay special attention to this step. You need to realize that government bureaucracy will waste most of your tax dollars, while the private sector will put your money to much better use. Even most Democrat politicians understand this to some degree, which is why Hillary's socialist healthcare proposal was voted down by a majority of both Democrats and Republicans. Go to your local post office or call the IRS to ask a tax question if you need a reminder about government inefficiency.

Step 8: The earth is not your "mother", and she's not dying

The time has now come to stop your donations to Greenpeace, The Sierra Club, and every other EnviroNazi organization to which you belong. Face the reality that the earth, society and our environment are better off today than ever in recorded history and that they are continuing to improve. I realize that many of you tree huggers will have a very difficult time letting go of the Douglas Fir on this one. I would suggest reading The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjorn Lomborg. Mr. Lomborg is a former member of Greenpeace and is currently a statistics professor at a university in Denmark. He set out to prove the world was in bad shape and ended up surprising himself by proving the exact opposite.

Step 9: Stop smoking the wacky tobacco

Okay, some of you might need to enter another 12-step program to complete this step. Marijuana is distorting your sense of reality, and you need to stop using it. Besides, you'll save a fortune on snacks.

Step 10: Eat a hamburger

If God didn't intend for us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat. You can put your sprouts and tofu on the hamburger, but get some meat into you. You'll look and feel better than you ever imagined. You can always remind yourself that Nazi propaganda hailed Adolf Hitler as a vegetarian to get you through this step.

Step 11: Stop re-writing political history

It's now time to admit that Bill Clinton is a lying-cheating-sexist-racist-rapist jackass, Hillary Clinton is one of the worst role models for women in this country, Al Gore really did lose the 2000 election by every vote tabulation you attempt, Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War and didn't create the homeless problem, John McCain is not a typical Republican, and Jimmy Carter is a nice man but has one of the worst presidential records of anyone in history.

Step 12: Be a missionary

Once you have completed the previous steps to overcoming liberalism, it's time for you to share this awakening with others who are not as fortunate. Go out amongst the liberal sheep and spread the good word of your freedom from the chains of ignorance that once bound you. Congratulations, and welcome to reality.

12/27/2005 4:24:55 PM

holy shit, clinton raped someone?

12/27/2005 4:27:43 PM

This might be useful to you
http://www.brentroad.com/user_logout.aspx

12/27/2005 5:14:44 PM

i could totally iframe break this thread now

and it'd be fine

since soap box has no mod

12/27/2005 5:25:49 PM

is this not old, i swear it is.

12/27/2005 6:08:51 PM

did you write that yourself?

no?

GG DUDE

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 6:11 PM. Reason : .]

12/27/2005 6:10:39 PM

very, very old. it's been done at least two other times in the soap box. pretty funny coming from someone with the following as their favorite quote:

Quote :

"don't assume you know me, don't assume you know anything about me. before you go making judgements and assumptions, talk to me...ask me. it's far easier to start from the beginning having known that to find out down the road."

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 6:53 PM. Reason : []

12/27/2005 6:53:23 PM

I think it would be more usful not to take political advice from someone named QT4U

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 7:15 PM. Reason : ]

12/27/2005 7:15:00 PM

Oh great its the traffic circles girl. Or should I say the anti-traffic circles girl.

3 months ago her profile said she was an 18 year old freshman. Now it says she's 28. wtf?

12/27/2005 8:56:58 PM

Who mentioned traffic circles? I only ask, because I too am deathly against traffic circles on Hillsboro. As I understand the plan, they're gonna cut it down from four lanes to two in hopes that the immense inconvenience will push all the traffic onto western blvd.

12/27/2005 9:32:57 PM

Traffic Circles will make hillsborough St. move smoother and will provide more parking.

12/27/2005 9:53:58 PM

Quote :

"You can always remind yourself that Nazi propaganda hailed Adolf Hitler as a vegetarian to get you through this step. "

Shouldn't this read, "National Socialist German Workers Party propaganda?" "Nazi" is what liberals say to hide the fact that Hitler was one of them. Was there a word limit or something?

12/27/2005 10:02:02 PM