Posted on 04/23/2012 9:30:05 AM PDT by C. Edmund Wright
FREEPER COMMENTS REQUESTED: Is it just me, or is Mary Matalin way off base today with her entire theme for the show (guest hosting for Rush). Now I normally like her work tremendously, but her idea that we should search for "virtue" in government and for "virtuous people" to be in government seems extremely naive.
The only virtue in government is its limit. We will never get a government full of virtuous people. By definition, government is power and virtuous people are not drawn to that. Our Founders knew that. This is why they insisted on LIMITED government. Wake up Mary!
Yes, the Founders knew that the PEOPLE, not those in government, must be virtuous and they also knew that those in power would do what those in power always do - try to increase it - which is why they focused on the LIMITS of government and the VIRTUE OF THE PEOPLE NOT IN government.
Something you, and Mary Matalin, miss.
See 188 AND 139 - and get a clue about the conversation, and get off your high horse.
Mary Matalin is what you’d expect from a GOP-e insider.
Little surprise to hear her say that she grew up a liberal and ‘converted’ to being a conservative. There are a lot of this sort in the ‘conservative’ media whose instincts were Left. Medved and Krauthammer being two more.
No, the only incentive is to LIMIT what they can tax and what they can do - which means she MISSES the point and that I HAVE a point. Think about it.
I listened off and on this morning and I found no fault. I was disappointed Rush was not there, but she was not insufferable. And I thought it very realistic when she had her husband on (though he needs an interpreter) and he was explaining how well he and rush get along. I have a lot of liberal friends and relatives so I understand. He seems like a very loving husband, and I can think of a handful of conservatives that may have their politics together but not their families.
I don’t mind the exposure to others if rush has to be gone. My favorite by far is mark Steyn because he is brilliant and funny.
Perhaps Mrs. Rush, ‘Katherine’, had a role in the selection. Just who calls their wife ‘Katherine’ anyway?
We can, but not with some kind of naive nicey "pick the nice person" kind of unrealistic plea. We can ONLY limit the scums in government by taking away that which incents scum to run - which is money and power. Take that away, and the scum will go away on their own. THink about it. This is the genius of limited government and liberty - not some kind of Glenn Beck Mary Matalin special divination of who the angels are and are not.
I was commenting on your remarks, not the radio show.
AMEN and keep preaching it.
So what? I post occasionally on Beck threads, and I make it clear I don't like him. Are you such a fanboy that you get butthurt when folks do that? You post every day on Trayvon threads. That's a pattern I've noticed. And I couldn't care less. You shouldn't take dislike of Beck so personally, Chris. It's getting a little weird, this preoccupation with my posting habits.
" and no, I haven’t, I’m listening to Glenn right now since Mary Matalin is so utterly boring."
Oh, okay. I recall you saying you were done with Beck, would never listen to him again, etc. Whatever. The heart of a true fan wins out in the end, I guess. :)
This is where a little info is dangerous. The Founders designed a government that would work well for virtuous people with a government populated by very few people with very little power because the Founders knew that power attracts those of little virtue. You have it wrong.
Is mark Davis the Texas one whose asides have asides? Drives me batty.
Made up example:
“Yesterday what Obama did, well, what I mean is what his Justice Department did, and when I think about the word justice, I guess what I really mean is that Holder doesn’t have the first inkling of knowledge about justice, I’m not sure he knows anything more about anything except race pimping, which is what we have going in the Trayvon case, have you seen the quote from the attorney?...”
NO NO NO NO NO - limited government can only occur when the population is both free and virtuous and they thereby limit the power of government. Your equation is government central and therefore NOT AT ALL NOT AT ALL NOT AT ALL what the Founders intended. WE, not THEY, have to keep them in CHECK because the Founders KNEW they would not.
The burden of virtue is on US, NOT the elected folks.
So you admit you were off subject? Thanks.
Little surprise to hear her say that she grew up a liberal and ‘converted’ to being a conservative.
An awful lot of people fall when young for the liberal bs all around them. Don’t fault anyone for that. Especially when they get smart and become a conservative.
I became a Conservative when living off a government at 90% of my salary, staying home with my baby. It was just so wrong yet I did not refuse the money. Instead I became a conservative because now I got it. Taxes were sky high to pay for my luxury? Wrong wrong wrong.
Google is your friend, so is the search for truth. If you don't like the truth - well, that is your problem, isn't it?
As a matter of record, there were abundant stories about Benjamin Franklin's affairs with the 'ladies'. He, himself, often wrote those stories and promoted their distribution. Read, learn and stop calling people names. You look foolish.
http://www.constitution.org/primarysources/mistress.html
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2522/whats-the-true-story-on-benjamin-franklin
It was rumored that he had several 'flings' while serving in Paris, as well as giving a friend of his a letter on advice in selecting a mistress.
Ben Franklin was a genius, an inspired leader among men .... but he was not pefect, he had his flaws - as do all men. You would do yourself a service to look up some facts on these founding fathers, rather than flame someone who has taken a bit of time to research them - as individuals.
For example, did you know that in the 1770's George Washington grew and wrote papers on how to grow marijuana? Some would argue that the crop was grown for it's hemp and as a soil 'stabilizer' however, that does not explain his papers on removing the male buds. Of course, at that point in time, this was perfectly legal, and there was a market for this crop (primarily rope and canvass), if you chose to believe he never smoked it, that is your priviledge; however naive it may be.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/gwtheman.htm
I tend to think a poster’s opinion about things is on-subject.
I believe you are right. On second thought and listening to the show as it went along, I believe it represented the start of the GOP presidential campaign. Starting on the basis that character counts, i.e. virtue is an excellent beginning. My initial reaction was premature and based on my repulsion of the corrupting meme of ‘can’t we all get along’. I realize it was not this at all. Well done Merry M.
Of course the burden is on us, but if we don’t put a virtuous person in power, nothing will happen.
That is why recognizing that virtue is important is... well, so important.
If we, as voters, don’t think that virtue in an elected official will lead to smaller government, then we will continue to discount the importance of virtue, and we will never get smaller government.
You can’t have smaller government until you have virtuous men in power.
That is the dumbest statement I’ve ever read!
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