Posted on 09/06/2002 8:17:16 AM PDT by BADJOE
History teaches some very good lessons. They are hard to learn but our forefathers did a great job.
From the beginning of time man has overthrown one form of centralized government only to re-establish another one in its place. Our forefathers understood this far better than anyone ever had. They said governments are the eternal enemy of free men. They said that in order for man to remain free it would take a bloody revolution every other generation, unless you bound down (bastard) government with the chains of the constitution.
On another site this week a poster asked if anyone else hated government as much as he did. I replied to him
"Hell !! I thought you were not a good American if you didn't love our country and hate our government.
At least that is how I have always felt about it"
I think our forefathers had the same attitude that I have now. And I think it is inherent in the average Americans attitude to distrust and have disdain for any government, including ours. One of the hardest conclusions I had to arrive at as a young man, after having been a product of the public school system, was that our government was not on our side. As James Forrestahl, former secretary of the Navy, who suffered a mysterious death, once said about our State Department's foreign policy, " Stupidity is never a mark of consistancy. If they were merely stupid, they would occasionally make a mistake in our favor".
Newt Gringrich put it in a humourous manner when talking about the attitude of Europeans. He related the following story. If you go to Europe and drive on the Autobahn, you feel pretty good cruising down the highway at 100 mph when some some German passes you doing 140 mph. Now he said if the Bundestag passed the 55mph speed limit law, every German would dutifully obey that law, untill the next election. They would vote the 55 mph crowd out of office and the no speed limit crowd in. In America Newt said "A speed limit sign is a benchmark of opportunity.
It is obvious that Yankees and Euros have entirely different attitudes about government's edicts. There are darn few Americans who do not break the speed limit laws everyday.
Now we come to the Free Republic. Once a free wheeling, joyful site for news and discussion of politics, economics, philosophy, ethics and morals. I could not understand the transformation that has taken place in the last six months. Camaraderie, the sense of family, and cooperation seems to have disappeared. Are the Freepers exhibiting the same disdain for the new FR as Americans have for our government?
Well maybe you need to hear from a former monthly that had an entirely different take and knows others that did the same.
I stopped my monthly for a few reasons. One was because I saw a very antagonistic Freeper (who will remained unnamed, but no longer posts) get away with things that others could not. It didn't happen only a few times; it seemed to be out of control.
I also saw a good FRiend, Howlin, receiving some pretty shabby treatment and she received little defense that I thought she deserved.
I also got tired of the unending Bush bashing and perpetual infomercial for Alan Keyes.
So......no, Joe. Not everyone stopped funding for the reasons you claim.
But all that said, it's not about what I don't like or what you don't like. It's Jim Robinson's website. Regardless of anyone's particular "side", he has provided a pretty amazing place for people like us to vent, agree, argue, share and read about events of the day.
Where does anyone get off thinking that he or she has the right to demand anything of JimRob? If you don't like it, don't tune in. If you don't want to donate, don't do it. That's each person's own decision to make.
I would like to say, however, that a lot of people that were unhappy just quietly stopped their monthlies and that was the end of it. Yet others spend a great deal of time traipsing all over another forum, bad-mouthing FR and its owner. Why ???
Furthermore, for every one of you and your friends that are so personally upset with two moderators, there are probably many others that wouldn't choose the moderators you like.
At some point we all have to grow up. If people do not like FR or the people involved, they should just move on down the road and don't look back.
Those who choose to stay, owe JimRob the decency of respecting his rules, whether they agree or not.
This ongoing effort of yours to dictate what HE should do to please you and the former monthlies is awfully presumptuous unless I've missed something and your name is now Jim Robinson.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've only heard bellyaching about lost funds from you. I haven't once seen FR's owner whine about it. I find that rather odd.
It would be good to have someone apart from all of this observe the mods, and report after a period of time if there seemed to be a pattern of ideosyncratic judgment calls. But it seems highly unlikely. What is more likely in this village, is well, dare I say it, personality conflicts. That is what connects the dots to me. UMMV.
Funny. Didn't you mean to say: "Fufkin, imbibing his Constitutional rights again."? Ah, but exercising one's rights is cause for contemptuous sneering. It must be one of those principle thangs.
I know. You have a "Cloak of Invisibility." don't you? Confess!!
Would that not be Jim's choice?
Rag Mama Rag
Rag Mama rag
I can't believe its true
Rag Mama rag
What did you do
I go on up to the railroad track
Let the 4:19 scratch my back
Sag Mama sag
What's come over you
Rag Mama rag
I'm pullin out your gag
Gonna turn you loose
Like an old caboose
Got a tail I need to dragI ask about your turtle
And you ask about the weather
I can't jump the hurdle
And we can't get together
We could be relaxin'
In my sleepin' bag
But all you want to do for me Mama is
Rag Mama rag
There's no where to go
Rag mama rag
Come on resin up the bowRag Mama rag
Where do you run
Rag Mama rag
Bring your skinny little body back home
It's dog eat dog
Cat eat mouse
You can rag Mama rag
All over my houseHail stones beatin' on the roof
The bourbon is hundred proof
It's you and me and the telephone
Our destiny is quite well known
We don't need to sit and brag
All we gotta do is rag Mama rag Mama ragRag Mama rag
Where do you roam
Rag Mama rag
Bring your skinny little body back home
I think that's how all this got started. Somebody who was NOT a moderator was allowed to "watch." Now we have everything but the naming of these people who are being falsely accused with no way of defending themselves.
But it seems highly unlikely. What is more likely in this village, is well, dare I say it, personality conflicts.
You think? :-)
Besides all that, Jim has already said REPEATEDLY that those two moderators have done NOTHING WRONG and that HE BACKS THEM up to the hilt. He can't make it much plainer than that.
And now we have this latest accusation, of Jim being "bought by the GOP." I can hardly wait to hear the next episode will be about!
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