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 who doesn't? You are the poster boy for what passes for libertarian “thought” around these parts.
As much as I know I'm going to hate myself for asking this, I'm dying to know HOW you know that. Source, please?
And for the LOVE OF GAWD, don't use that silly formatting you usually use.
I confess I had to pop onto this thread just to see what could possibly be interesting enough to merit 1200+ posts. I was disappointed, and pooped out after reading 200 or so. I then flipped to the back of the book to see how it ends, and look who I find!
I take it that someone is mad because things aren't run the way he wants, and desperately wants us all to know about it.
Other than that, have I missed anything? Warmest regards, Tonto
Big ditto........nice and gentlemanly would be the right way to do it.
Beckett, I agree with you -- I didn't think there was anything "mysterious" about Forrestal's suicide.
I do think I owe One-Particular-Harbour an apology, I thought she came down on you kinda hard when Jim and yourself tried to mend fences.
The sad thing is, I was about to E-mail Jim and say that I had noticed a marked improvement in the moderation of this site. Moderators were giving alot more warnings, and deleated posts were accompanied with explanations as to what limits were violated. Those explainations I found to be very helpful.
Frankly I'm stunned at this thread. IMHO the changes were beginning, and noticable.
Of course, if there was an agenda, though, that way wouldn't work...
Careful Tpaine the cult may perform an exorcism on you.
Bingorooney !!!
We then have discussed how to get on the list, how to hold a pageant to fill the vacant spot, and other such fluff.
I am having a martini. Care for one?
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