Posted on 11/10/2012 12:06:51 PM PST by Steelfish
NOVEMBER 10, 2012 Why I Despair The central problem is that America, knowing Obama, gave him a second term.
By Charles C. W. Cooke
An apocryphal tale tells of an American who claimed to own George Washington’s axe. “Three times,” he exclaims, the axe has “had its handle replaced, and twice had its head replaced!”
This is a joke that has been rendered in more serious form by philosophers throughout the ages — perhaps most famously in Plutarch’s Life of Theseus – and it may be time now to consider it in relation to the United States. People and countries change, as they must.
But, as with Washington’s axe, to change too much is to invite the possibility not merely of alteration, but of replacement. Predicated, as it is, on an established set of principles — rather than merely on geographical or racial fact — America could presumably reach a point at which it could no longer usefully be called America. How close to that point are we?
I was born in England in 1984, two days before Ronald Reagan was elected to a second term. As a small child, I watched the Space Shuttle take off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. I had an Apollo 11 lunchbox.
With varying levels of awareness, I saw the United States defeat Communism, come to Kuwait’s aid in 1991, and rise to hyperpower status. During the 1990s, I watched in awe as Silicon Valley revolutionized the world.
Once, my father told me that the difference between the average Briton and the average American was that a Briton looks at a man driving a Ferrari and thinks, “What a b*****d,” while an American thinks, “I’ll be him one day.” This my father considered a great virtue — as do I. By the time that...
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
I take hope when I see Argentina where 700,000 people showed up outside the capital and said enough with the corrupt government that has bankrupted the country. We need to see those huge Tea Party crowds again in Washington not just in 2012 but every year. Let Congress and Obama know that millions of Americans will not accept socialism.
America’s die was cast when we ceased to be a moral country. My own opinion is that the seeds for this were planted in the 1960s. Whenever it occured, we have ceased to be a nation of moral citizens. Oh, there is a solid minority of moral people, but that is not enough to stave off societal collapse and a race toward communism.
We really are doomed. You cannot use the past as any sort of indicator going forward, because the nation is no longer composed of the sort of moral, hard-working, self-sufficient, courteous, charitable individuals who made this nation into what it is and held it there for so long.
Now we have a majority of selfish, greedy people who have no shame or stigma, thinking nothing of murdering the unborn, are proud of their free handouts instead of ashamed, and believe that any way to riches is a good way, be it gambling, crime or other nefarious means.
The America is doomed because the heart and soul of the average American is doomed.
We are no longer the people who in generations past could save this nation from decline, decay and fall. Those people are mostly long dead. In there place are millions of selfish, greedy, lazy scum who want a free ride paid for by their neighbor.
We are no longer a moral people. The US consitution only works for a moral people.
The nation is doomed. It is just a matter of how long until the fall is complete.
Pray to God and apologize to your children and grandchildren.
I was just checking prices on the big bags of sugar, flour, beans, etc. I have my wood stove, candles candles candles and 3 bottles full of propane for the outdoor grill. And enough firewood for the winter. Total store bought cans at 6 months. Total store at dry goods at 12 months. Need to bring that back to 24. Now would be the time to do it. Sooner would be better.
Condolences, bro. Be obnoxious to me if ya need.
“Clock Stikes 12 And Moondrops Burst At Out You From Their Hiding Place”.
/johnny
I almost cried reading this.
I also know that even if you get conservative leadership many moons from now, the country would be almost impossible to fix.
Once the healthcare system has been ruined, it will never come back as it was. Those choices we had will be gone.
I despair for America too. I am just now coming out of deep mourning and getting around to digesting the coming nightmare in a country where I no longer feel welcome.
“a Briton looks at a man driving a Ferrari and thinks, “What a b*****d,” while an American thinks, “I’ll be him one day.” “
I think, “Damn. Sorry about your penis, dude.”
I am really concerned that in 2016 Hillary will run for President. How do we even try to put a candidate up against her?
Then we have Boehner and McConnell...forcing their pick against what our people want....
Then we have our campaign fiasco against theirs....the fraud, etc.
Sometimes I wonder if we shouldn’t have put all the forces and money against obtaining the Senate majority. At least then we would have a chance to impeach and/or stop Obama reign for next 4 years.
I agree Chipper. Resentment demonstrated here on FR toward wealth is evidence we have passed the tipping point.
Hillary would have run better if her daddy had shot her agin the wall instead. I a have a prediction. obama will be assassinated in his 7th year. And the Tribulation will end.
CHRIST IS KING.
I don’t understand: why do you have a hole in your heart if you didn’t vote for the GOP in the last 5 presidential elections?
I think, “Damn. Sorry about your penis, dude.”
Nothing like putting the horse before the cart.
I got this J.
STFU sockhead.
“To Hell with the despair, cynicism, apathy, and defeatism. The time for redress is now.
All you punks willing to abandon the Country, the Constitution, our children’s future can go straight to Hell.”
Couple of sayings. First I do not know the source for:
“Reality is what it is. It is not what we believe it to be.”
Second from a gal who wrote a lengthly book many folks in this forum have read:
“We can evade reality. What we cannot evade are the consequences of evading reality.”
Those who are downhearted have a basis for so being. They don’t wear blinders, but have taken a look at reality, looked into the future, and cannot discount or ignore what they see.
Just came back from my evening walk with a few thoughts. One is that we are approaching a point where those in this country who believe in conservatism, tradition, and “the old ways”, are on the verge of being (or already are) outnumbered by those who believe in none of those things, and who openly loathe such ideas.
There will be no way to win these folks over to our side with reason (or even pandering), now or in the future. What we have to offer, they don’t want. And what they want, the other side promises to them and has their loyalty, whether it delivers or not. There is a chasm between “us” and “them” as deep and wide as the Grand Canyon. That is reality.
It’s as if our ship of state has struck the iceberg. The bow is down in the water, starting to slip under. At this point, does it make much sense to argue that we should pull together and save the ship?
Of course, that analogy is from the Titanic, as were some of my thoughts from the walk.
There came a point, as the last lifeboats were pulling away, that Captain Smith went to the wireless office to tell the operators (still at their posts) that they were relieved. It’s been years since I read Walter Lord’s book, but he detailed the conversation as the Captain saying they were released from their duties, and to try to save themselves. I do remember a line from the book: Captain Smith told them, “That’s the way of it at this kind of time.”
I think we’re coming to that point as conservatives in a nation that seems to be disintegrating around us. We have pretty much “done our duty” — yet still, our message is rejected by a growing proportion of the population, who clamor for socialism. Their numbers are increasing, like water pouring into the hull, pulling us downward.
Conservatives must redirect their efforts. Our future is not to save a ship that refuses to be saved, but rather to save ourselves, our families, with the help of those around us of like minds. That is now “our duty”.
I sense Ms. Rand had something similar in mind with her book. She, too, realized that the system could never be repaired as it stood, but would have to collapse totally before it could be resurrected. But before that reconstruction can begin, we must first survive the collapse with strength enough to rebuild, when the time comes.
Because “That’s the way of it at this kind of time”.
Yes, its truly sad. I think in many respects the article answers many of our concerns on how on earth this could have occurred. This was a change election and boy didn’t we get one brought to us courtesy by a seismic shift in demographics by people to whom food stamps and amnesty trump everything else and a current of single white women that has become a rage against anyone who dares to talk about personal responsibility and individual liberty.
I think that more about the guys with monster-chassis vehicles.
Another Obama voter, eh? You speak their language. Thanks for the enlightenment.
God grant that he is correct about those rights, they may be the only way we can ever get back what has been stolen.
Regards,
GtG
I’m telling your mom.
“If you are wondering at how I can bring home enough meat to can some the answer is easy.
“I marched out into the King’s forest and took what I needed.”
An absolute truth in 2012.
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