Just because you believe something to be true, doesn't make it true.

This has been bugging me for a while. It seems like there is a trend amongst people to actually think that because they believe in something, it must be true regardless of the evidence to the contrary. Some of the more stark examples come from south of the border (I am Canadian by the way). Look at the birther's. They believe that President Obama was born in Kenya. Even though his birth certificate has been released (yes a certificate of live birth is proof of birth, it just goes the extra step to be a certification that someone was born alive). Somehow it has become honorable to continue to believe something to "stay the course" (yes the Bush allusion is on purpose).

This strict ideology is very disconcerting to me. Look at the Libertarians. They believe that the free market can take care of everything. Now the fact that the free market and lack of regulation has led to the economic collapse of the last couple years and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico hasn't led them to moderate (not abandon but moderate) their views is something that I dont' get. I have actually heard them argue that these events were CAUSED by the inadequate regulation in the market and therefore the best solution is to remove regulation. This is insanity. I'm all for the government staying out of things where they don't belong, but regulating environmental impact of activity and protecting consumers from shady financial institutions obfuscating the risk inherent in their hybrid products is a place where they do belong.

While I'm at it, I'd like to clear up one thing. These tea party folks down south are not really libertarian. The reason I say this is that the majority of them support the Christian Conservative cause. This means while they want the government to stay out of their pocketbook, they see no problem with the government deciding who someone can marry, whether or not a woman has control over their body when they become pregnant. I didn't see any of these people coming out and saying that Arizona shouldn't have the right to ask for someone's papers because they look like an illegal alien. What the hell? Really, what they want is the government to do what they want them to do an nothing else. They want the government to leave them alone but if you are gay, latino, or a woman who was raped, too fucking bad (excuse my french). Yup, too fucking bad because what how you live your life should conform to their morality, their religion. That is not small government and don't let them convince you otherwise.

Sharon Angle, Christine O'Donnell, and the other tea party supported candidates are NOT small government candidates. They want government to lower taxes and cut spending that helps people who are finding it difficult to help themselves, but they also want government to tell victims of rape and incest that they must carry their abuser's or rapist's baby to term. They want to government to tell a gay man that they cannot marry the person they love and share the same benefits of a marriage as a heterosexual couple. Don't let them fool you.