Posted on 02/28/2016 2:34:26 PM PST by Kaslin
Whoa! Let me get this right. After Sunday morning, we now have a potential "Republican" candidate who is comfortable quoting the Italian dictator and ruthless fascist Benito Mussolini, one of Hitler's closest allies. Specifically, Trump retweeted a quote from the fascist dictator and said Sunday is comfortable being "affiliated" with that quote, and by implications the man. Winston Churchill must be turning in his grave. Along with many of our sacred Greatest Generation. Does history mean nothing?
We have a potential "Republican" candidate who has declared he will push to have the entire media, what we constitutionalists or believers in the First Amendment call a "free press," liable for inaccurate or uncomplimentary stories about a political candidate. In other words, he is content to give the president power to go after what he refers to as a "terrible" group, the folks who bring us the news, flawed as it often is. Benjamin Franklin must be turning in his grave. Does freedom of speech mean nothing?
We have a potential "Republican" candidate who is admittedly under scrutiny, being officially audited, by the Internal Revenue Service - and yet, even then, refuses to release his tax returns, or for that matter any prior audited tax returns that might illuminate why. Justice Scalia, Justice Rehnquist, and all our prior Attorneys General must be turning in their graves. Does truth and rule of law mean nothing?
And we have a potential "Republican" candidate who, pressed to prove the accuracy of prior claims by stating his gross income, effective tax rate, or even level of charitable contributions - refuses. And this against the backdrop of Veterans groups asking why they have not received promised contributions, after he called them to his side for a private, televised event in Iowa. Countless honest citizens and Veterans, now gone to their common rest, must be rolling in their graves. Does honor mean nothing?
Yes, the average lifelong Republican is entitled to begin asking - what is going on? I think even George Orwell, famous for his dystopian book 1984, might be asking - what is going on? I think perhaps the most poignant questions are these two: How can a man run for President of the United States who so clearly misunderstands, does not respect, or cannot comprehend the importance of our biggest rights, biggest issues and biggest responsibilities of that office? Even Chancy Gardner was a mere advisor of a naïve, shallow president - not the president himself.
And second, how can the common sense of average Americans - in whom I have always believed, as Jefferson and our Founders believed, be so adrift, so unanchored, so willing to be spoon-fed nonsense, to content to leave these statements - and what they portend - unexamined? How can they be so dozy as to imagine that the values being asserted are what America is about?
Understand this - neither Ronald Reagan nor any other modern conservative, of any stripe, no matter how frustrated with the size of our government, level of taxation and debt, fear for our country's security - would ever counsel throwing their lot in with Mussolini, or someone who did not understand what retweeting the fascist's quote means. Nor would they throw their lot in with someone who suggested shutting down the free press with lawsuits for bad stories, effectively eviscerating the First Amendment. Nor would they hide behind an audit to block Americans' seminal "right to know." Nor would they fail to answer fundamental questions about their basic finances, when that is the heart of a man's campaign to lead.
These ironies now go beyond comic, into the surreal. How little will we allow ourselves to think? Put differently, how much will we allow ourselves to be taken for the fool? How long will we permit ourselves to forgive, ignore, stonewall, and bury truth - in exchange for the pleasure of venting disapproval at Obama and go-along Republicans? I sincerely hope that we are at the end of our rant. I hope we collectively retain enough common sense to keep balance. I hope we still know how to honor basic constitutional rights - and the men and women who died keeping them alive for us. If we do not, we have given away the soul of the country.
If we have entered the twilight zone of disinterest in history, honesty, sanctity of free press, free speech and freedom's reign, then we are indeed in deeper trouble than I thought. We have begun to forget how precarious democracy is, how easily thrown away, how fragile the balance of powers, how permissive freedom must be to survive, how imperfect we all are - and why we tolerate each other's imperfections and imperfect government to preserve the Republic.
Republicans have always been proud of being responsible, genuine stewards of the Republic. How ironic, if we should suddenly become detractors who cripple the institutions we have sworn to protect and defend. Let us not do that. Let us think about this election, and vote with attention to the details. Let us pick a real constitutional conservative, someone who respects where we come from, what we stand for, how we treat each other, and how we have always lived. In a word, Whoa! Let us get this right.
What a terrible choice; I still hope it doesn’t turn out that way.
If Trump is elected as a so-called conservative Republican, he will fail — he’s able right now to say anything with impunity, but reality isn’t as forgiving. If he starts a trade war, it will drive the world into recession or depression. That failure will taint conservatism and the Republican Party for a long time, and the end result could easily be a solid turn by the public to the left.
I'm just waiting for Trump to put on the fez and black shirt and watch all the former conservative defenders of individualism break out the truncheons and the castor oil.
Hey the TRump train is rolling down the tracks. Make America Great Again is not about Fascism. Its about freedom and capitalism. Embrace the wonder. :-)
Has Trump ever elaborated on how he's going to make America great again? Does he have a program? Or does he merely repeat that phrase over and over and let his fans project their own beliefs onto him?
I seriously hope Trump can be trusted. Really, I do. If he is elected and turns out to be a great president, I will be happy. But whether I'm right or wrong, I just don't trust him.
No, Zapata was not a bad guy-he just couldn’t accomplish the goals of freedom for himself and his followers in a non-violent fashion in the master/serf society he lived in-my grandfather greatly admired Zapata-he was the one who gave me the framed print, when I was about 14, reading “Atlas Shrugged” for the first time and already becoming an unrepentant rebel in the family tradition.
Villa was more of a bandito-he may have had his noble moments, but his motives had more of an element of self-promotion and profit...
And of course, you will weep for the benighted masses who didn't appreciate your sagacity when it all could have been avoided.
Pul-ease! This ain't a docu-drama, and you ain't the protagonist.
Hey feel free to read Trump’s position papers. Very informative. He has rock solid ideas. You are going to love him as President. Promise! :-)
Pul-ease! This ain't a docu-drama, and you ain't the protagonist.
I'm afraid I have no idea what it is you're trying to say.
Georgia Girl . . . I sincerely hope that Trump is the man you and so many others think he is. And that's the truth.
You know why I think Trump will be great? Every four year the GOP voters are faced with another form of mediocrity running for the GOP nomination. The best and brightest of our country don’t run for President. They are the captains of industry where the paycheck is big. Once in a million years one of them Donald Trump has decided he’s so sick of it he will run for President and fix things. He knows its not that hard to figure stuff out if you are not bought and paid for by special interests. WE are blessed to have this guy willing to give up four years of his fantabulous life to try to make America great again.
It's robot-fools like you who have caused a large falling ofd in JR's Freepathons. I'm proud to be one of the withholders, until JR gets a grip on this lunacy that abounds here of lae. If the foolishness and infantile crap such as yours ever goes away, "JJ" I 'may' reconsider.....
In the meantime - somewhat off topic - Hillary belongs in prison, and Trump belongs in a mental health facility...........some choice we gots!
....and I'm fully prepped for the zot, if that's the way Jim wants to go, for what it's worth.
I apologize for your lack of humor and I’m terribly sorry you’re so offended.
Have a nice day.
We knew the depths of your problem.
You didn’t have to tell us.
I do appreciate the momentary period of honesty.
Now back to bashing Trump and anyone who doesn’t agree with you.
Meanwhile, to hell with F.R., it’s owner didn’t stifle the first amendment rights over everyone except the supporters of the Constitutional expert.
Do you folks every have a slight tinge, that you might have been wrong all along?
Ern, the guy in post six was picking up off the hysteria coming out of the Cruz tent.
Nobody seriously thinks he was serious, except you folks.
Sad thing is, you don’t have any idea what this looked like to others.
At the end of two months, we have about the same amount of money raised we have had raised the last few campaigns.
Jim does a damn good job here.
Sorry, pal, I don’t do ultimatums. So if you feel FR is no longer your cup of tea, just do us all a favor and turn the channel. At least we can part as friends.
ho hum
When your third party is successful to get seats in Congress then we talk. Until than sit down and be quiet.
New Tagline and yes, I’m Italian too.
>>>What is Cruz looking at in the picture???<<<
Something small, according to Rubio.
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