Please tell me you forgot the 'sarq'?
Otherwise, very scary to know you're here/
Posted on 10/16/2008 7:15:26 PM PDT by NewJerseyJoe
Atlas Shrugged has been on my mind a great deal these past few weeks. I don't hold with Ayn Rand on everything -- her view of what constitutes "morality," for example, is in complete opposition to my closely held religious faith. And she could have used a good editor; the damn book could have been half its size but just as effective. However, Rand did have incredible foresight into the political and socioeconomic ills that were occurring around her and that abound, nearly unchecked, in our world of 2008.
Apparently, I'm not the only person who has been thinking along these lines -- for example, see Ask Dr. Helen's article "Is It Time to 'Go John Galt'?". This is very much the question that has been plaguing me: what will I be doing in response to the presidential election?
Regardless of the outcome of next month's election, a great deal of pain lies ahead for most Americans. The American financial market and business environment are currently in big trouble -- either in complete meltdown or overdue correction, depending on your viewpoint -- and the heavily burdened American taxpayers have been handed the tab for the "fix" instituted by politicians.
Senator McCain, I've never been a big supporter of you -- I don't like your past and/or present positions on illegal aliens, the First Amendment, oil drilling, etc. However, I'm supporting you in this election for two reasons: your excellent (and surprising) choice of a vice presidential candidate, and your recent apparent modifications of your positions on some issues.
However, be very clear about one fact: you are this country's last RINO politician. Should you carry the day, I am going to stay on top of your policies and positions. If I may channel Steinbeck for a moment… When you propose opening America's doors to illegal aliens, I'll be there. When you start to discuss limiting the freedom of speech, I'll be there. When you start waxing rhapsodic about the phony science of "man-made global warming," I'll be there, too. To paraphrase a line from your acceptance speech: "I will make you famous, and others will know your name." Betray me -- as I have been betrayed in the past, time and time again, by Republican politicians too numerous to count -- and I will be at the front of the pack, demanding your ouster.
Governor Palin… what can I say? "You had me at 'Hello'." I was a proponent of you running for president at the beginning of 2008, at a time when most Americans (outside of Free Republic) had no idea who you were. You have my encouragement, my support, and my admiration. The only warning I will give to you is to stay on McCain's tail in those areas where he is deficient: energy policy, "immigration" (i.e., dealing with illegal aliens), constitutional rights, and -- heaven help us -- "crossing the aisle" to work with the enemies of this country (viz., Democrats). Steer him in the right directions, with your wit, your charm, and your plainspoken manner, and we'll have him turned around in no time.
The economic situation is very bad. I'm counting on the two of you to help move this country back to a pro-growth, pro-capitalism, pro-America world view.
If this scenario occurs, it will be catastrophic, as it will likely be accompanied by a Democrat takeover of both houses of Congress. American voters (including Deceased Americans and those allowed to vote more than once) will have elected their first openly Communist president.
For years, we have heard liberals throw around (incorrectly) the word fascist in supposed reference to conservatives. If the Obama ticket prevails, bona fide, literal fascism will soon be coming to a street corner near you. Should this nightmare come to pass, I -- and many tens of millions of others, I suspect -- will be implementing any of a number of possible actions, including the following:
There could be many, many more points made (I haven't even touched on energy policy and "global warming"), but these should suffice for now. Be warned, Mr. Hussein Obama: This country holds many Spartacuses. For every one you and your jackbooted thugs cut down, two more will rise to take his place.
No. Self employed. Have worked for others in past.
parsy, who wonders if a depression might not be a good thing.
Your sentence about the catacombs was very powerful. I was down in the catacombs and it was a very moving experience to see the pictographs and writings of the early Christians.
Times of trouble will make us stronger and closer to God.
Count me in on the fight.
Placemarker ... in quiet, calculating agreement.
If Hussein raises taxes on “rich Whitey” and “evil companies”, there is likely to be a depression with a capital “D”. I’ll admit, the young people in this country probably need a good lesson, but the situation has become one which appears to have the goal of being filled with violent “revolution” between the races and the different groups which have been pitted against each other. So, I hate to see that, but it may be necessary - and I can only hope that we don’t go quietly into that dark night like the Brits (and others) have done.
We’re self-employed for the past 29 years, but why expand any more if we are merely working until August every year to pay taxes to “the state”? My husband is at retirement age and has paid in a huge amount in all sorts of taxes starting during his teenage years (and before that, working like a man in his father’s photography studio from a child!), so he’s tired and deserves to retire . . but, man, we are both loathe to take a dime from Social Security. He still works selling online and in his usual line of work, but the SS starts in January. He won’t quit and vegetate, though. Erk! It’s unsettling.
So it is your position that the Capitalists are to blame for "this mess"? Ridiculous.
Well, we’ve had the raised-bed victory garden for years now and are looking at getting some goats. We’re at retirement, and my husband was looking at waiting until he’s 70 (if we live, God willing) to take S.S., but he’s been working ever since he was a child (starting in his father’s photography studio), and is tired. So, he’ll take it in January, but keep on working some - just not as much. I’m all for starving the Beast myself. I’m tired, too.
We’re in a subdivision, so there’ll be no livestock here, but we’d like to have more land, with no HOA, and I was considering goats until I bought a quart of goats’ milk at the grocery. No way. I know some people actually like it, but I had to throw it out. Now I’m thinking miniature jersey cow.
I think the thing that can cause the “billy goat” taste in goat’s milk is that the billy gets in the pasture with the nanny - at least that’s what I’ve been told by people who keep goats. I’ve heard also that the supermarket (canned) goat milk in no way compares with fresh, raw goat milk from well-managed nannies.
Actually, though, I can’t vouch for it either way as I don’t remember ever having fresh or canned goat milk. My cousin keeps goats because of his grandchild’s allergy to cow’s milk, so I think I’ll go to visit him over west and try a bit of it before I get too enthused by my husband’s new goat idea. - If you’re strong and energetic (not old and somewhat arthritic like me), the miniature jersey cow might not be bad to manage. “Countryside” magazine is such a wonderful homesteading magazine that deals with all sorts of subjects like that. I saw an article about miniature cattle a few months ago in “Countryside”.
We stored good quality powdered milk from Provident Pantry that was processed and in large cans designed to store for ten or more years during the Y-2K non-event.
Incorrect.
...will likely be accompanied by a Democrat Socialist/Marxist takeover of both houses of Congress..
The Socialist/Marxists have spent the last 28-30 years successfully executing a plan to systematically infiltrate and take over the democrat party.
They have been successful.
Return them to power - especially with their coveted 60% veto-proof majority, and it will not matter if their "{Pretty, Polished, Programmed Puppet gets into the WH. They WILL institute all their Socialist/Marxist agenda. The little messiah is not needed.
If we hamstring McCain with them in the majority - and with the 60% majority = his veto pen will have no ink.
WAKE UP SHEEPLE.
I have never been an advocate of "vote straight ticket" - but this is the one time we must, if we are to survive. Many say, oh no - sometimes the demRat is a better choice. To you I say - NOT WHEN the demRats ALL vote, consistently, in a block. Please note that they do this on National bills all the time.
They did it time and again to protect Fannie and Freddie - and where are we now? WE are being blamed for the collapse/
At this point, it may not be a matter of making a statement but of survival.
Galt's Gulch was made up of the 'strikers of the mind' BEFORE the country was taken over by the Socialist/Marxists.
Whether the little messiah gets into the WH or not will not make a difference if we don't vote straight ticket and keep the Socialist/Marxist who make up the 'democrat' block in both houses - they WILL enact their Socialist programs. The little messiah is but a Pretty,Polished, Programmed Puppet.
I have my 'survival' spot picked out. Just a place where I can become all but self-sufficient as to food, heat, water, no mortgage, low taxes, etc.. Just going back to the simple life - with my 'puter and bathtub added! - like my grandparents lived in the 20-40's.
They owned their land, no mortgage on the farm house (built in 1848 by my great-grandfather) , had no credit cards (debt) paid as they went, worked for NO ONE else...etc.
I'm thinking this is the way to go - not just for myself but for my kids, grandkids and maybe several more generations - as a sanctuary to ride out decades of Socialism...
A new ap for a credit card came through. In looking at the man's credit history, I saw that he had EVERY credit card that existed, from the time that company issued it's first credit cards (remember, the credit card system started in, what, the 1950’s?)
Every time a company issued a new CC, this person applied for and got it.
His credit line was “unlimited” on each one.
He had, however, never charged a penny on any of them.
His ‘employment’ was unlisted.
His occupation was “Engineer - GE”
His name was = JOHN GALT.
(When I mentioned this to coworkers, they hadn't a clue what I was alluding to.)
But, in the early ‘60’s, there WAS a real JOH GALT - an engineer - unlimited wealth - etc...
(I used to wonder: "If enough of the "Galt's Gulchers" with unlimited credit lines had all the CC' s - what would be the effect if they all, at once, maxed them all out - and then 'disappeared' to the "Gulch" - what would be the effect on the economy?")
Please tell me you forgot the 'sarq'?
Otherwise, very scary to know you're here/
But her "Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal" spells it out without the novel intertwined.
Every school kid should be required to read it - and every adult, come to think of it.
She grew up in Russia, as you know, in the midst of the Bolshevik Revolution. She knew, from inside, what the steps to Socialist take over were.
She escaped to relatives in Chicago and soon had a job as script writer in Hollywood - at the same time as one Ronald Reagan was President of the Screen Acters Guild.
They became friends and he learned well from her what the danger signals were - and they fought to keep the Commies from taking over Hollywood...Reagan's house was even fire-bombed.
But he knew what Communism is/was. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Ayn Rand's prophetic warnings about becoming a welfare state with those of us who work - being expected to work even harder as more and more of the paycheck was taken to give to those who don't - and how the Socialists take over a country, are invaluable.
Unfortunately, too many people chose not to listen.
Her personal life, however, was about as bad as it gets. I've often thought that she saw herself as a tall, beautiful, blonde Dagney Taggart - unfortunately, she was trapped inside a short, far from beautiful, dumpy, dark-haired body. She was a miserable person to know or to live with.
The Heroes in Atlas Shrugged weren't greedy capitalist pigs, they were hard workers who expected excellence from themselves, and everyone around them.
Have you read the book?
No. This was for real. Alan Greenspan confirmed a few days ago when he said he had relied on “self interest” from big banks. Alan was a protege of of Ayn Rand.
I do think that capitalism has been allowed to run amok becuase of fear of gov’t involvement. The problem is, that Big Business is almost as bad as Big Gov’t. I think conservatives are caught up in the worship of business and forget that you often find those with anti-social personality disorders in politics and business, not just criminal activity.
parsy, the common sense conservative.
Capitalism, as practiced today, has been polluted - but still far better than Socialism.
Have you read Rand’s “Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal”?
We need to win this election and then we need to overhaul our Capitalist tenets
'dollars' won't be anywhere. They have long had a system ready to implement that will totally eliminate cash.
All transactions will be with plastic.
Your every movement, your every transaction, will be instantly known...much as, for example, truck drivers are now.
A long hauler's every movement and location to the square foot is documented. Every fuel purchase instantly documented (and they not allowed to use cash) and just how fast they drive from point A to point B.
When they approach a weigh station, electronics can read - WITHOUT them actually pulling into the weigh station - their weight and give them a pass-by green light or a pull-in red light...Every minute, every action, is instantly documented - and I have only touched on a few.
Every town has web cams to watch every citizen.
Our guns will not be confiscated first - first, purchasing ammunition will be stopped...empty guns aren't much use. People are up-ammoing (how's that for poetic license?) now - but without a resupply, how long will ammo last.
Our ability to communicate will be curtailed.
But you are right in many ways. Freedom/Country loving people will not go quietly into the dark night of totalitarianism. We will fight - regardless. But having a way to grow much of one's own food and other self-dependent ways of old will be essential.
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