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Posted on 08/18/2026 8:13:35 AM PDT by Jim W N
On Aug. 17, 2026, balch3 posted “What is Wrong with you People?”, saying, What has happened to FR? People are advocating for President Trump's removal, making sarcastic remarks, Saying the TRump era is over. President Trump has righted the economy, ended Iran's nuclear weapons threat and is the greatest President since Reagan. He deserves better than this. He already has the RINOS in Congress against him, he needs his base fired up and ready to vote! THe RATS are highly motivated to steal this election. Have some courage and get behind out President!
Here is my answer:
I love Trump because I believe he genuinely loves America, stands up to the Left like no other, and he generally tells the truth. "MAGA" is from Trump's heart.
But there's more work to be done. Although I love Trump and the idea of "MAGA", it appears that Trump thinks MAGA is achieved through gov't. In business, Trump was used to being in charge ("The General", as Melania admirably calls him) and growing his business to world class. But what Donald Trump doesn’t seem to understand is as President, his job is to SHRINK gov’t, not grow it.
But gov't is essentially different from business. Business comes under the heading of "free pursuits". It is the endeavors of legitimate and God-given "self-interest". The Left has succeeded is merging "self-interest" with "greed" but these two terms are not the same. Everybody has God-given self-interest. It's why you don't pick rat poison at the grocery store for dinner tonight. Greed is corruption whereas self-interest is God given. Greed is basically taking what does not belong to you whereas self-interest is earning what belongs to you.
You always want to grow business. It's a God-given and legitimate desire in the interests of yourself, your family, and your concerns. It's free and competitive in the open market where eventually, without gov't interference, the best quality and best prices win the consumers' free choice. Nobody coerces the consumer to buy the product. Again, self-interest guides the consumer to the highest quality at the lowest price AKA VALUE. Business without gov't interference is FREE ENTERPRISE AKA the Free Market Economy (I don't like the Marists term "capitalism"). Nobody puts you in jail if you don't buy a product.
What about gov't? Read the Declaration of Independence for the purpose of gov't. Gov't is a necessary evil basically to protect a country from invasion of another country. Gov't is coercive. If you don't do what gov't says, it might put you in jail. Gov't has its OWN self-interest, and the bigger gov't gets, the greedier and more corrupt it gets. The greatest political document of all time might very well be the U.S. Constitution which recognizes both the need and the peril of a national gov't.
When did America become great? Basically in the 1800's. Why did America become great? Was it because of gov't? Hardly. Gov't spending during the 1800's averaged somewhere around 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The federal gov't was an afterthought and generally was not thought about by the average citizen except in time of war.
And yet with individual freedom in full bloom and gov't generally out of the picture, America emerged for the 1800's into the 1900's as the most free, wealthiest, healthiest, and powerful country in the world.
Individual FREEDOM NOT GOV'T is what made MAGA and what will again make MAGA. As I said, Trump has done a lot of good but there much still to do. If America is going to truly be great again, it must have BIG individual freedom and SMALL gov't (except for military).
Who is going to put the Federal Gov't back into its constitutional cage and cut the 80%+, $3+ trillion unconstitutional portion of the federal gov't? (For instance, the federal gov't has not been constitutionally authorized to meddle in healthcare. Gov't healthcare needs to be abolished. On the other hand, social security although not constitutional, is an investment that so many Americans have made that to be just, it would have to be slowly ramped down if it were to be eliminated.
Whoever can take the heat from the Left like Trump and except for maybe social security, make the federal gov't constitutional, will be making America great again. Who is that person? I don't know if we'll ever have such a parson and such a movement but that is what will be required for MAGA.
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Well said.
If i were a leftist...
I would hate Obama. He’s the anti-trump. We’ll spoken, agreeable. Also he did NOTHING for the democrats.
Donald Trump is not agreeable or well spoken and does everything for the right.
As long as there is constant surveillance of our people and personal transactions we will never be free again.
They can and should eliminate it, but they cannot do so by robbing the people who have already paid into it for decades.
Your premise “it appears that Trump thinks MAGA is achieved through gov’t.” is questionable. Are Trumps policies and actions increase or reduce government? Is using government to undo past rules, regulations and effects an example of more government when its designed to ultimately reduce government ?
The commies have infiltrated our sandbox.
They were already robbed since the money they paid in paid the benefits of those retired. The money “they paid in” was covered by essentially IOUs - meaning someone will pay your benefits later.
Agree but it has to be phased out in some way. Unfortunately any form of intelligent discussion about how to do this get demagogued to death!
I missed your courtesy ping to balch3
That’s how the worm turns. It’s not what it used to be. I heard that it was selling if they didn’t make their quarterly nut. May have happened for all I know.
I love Trump becasue he loves America and hits the Left like no other. However, there is stll a lot of work to be done to restore our Free Constitutional Republic.
Trump was needed for his time, but that was just a start. We need someone and a movement to restore our Free Constitutional Republic by dwonsizing the gov’t, except the military, to its constitutional size.
Is Trump’s goal to dismantle the $3+ trillion, 80%+ unconstitutitonal portion of the federal gov’t to make it small, except for the military, and constitutitonal?
I don’t think so.
You’re right and that was the main person I wanted to copy. Sorry balch3.
Thank you Jane.
Who is going to put the Federal Gov’t back into its constitutional cage and cut the 80%+, $3+ trillion unconstitutional portion of the federal gov’t?
s/b
Who is going to put the Demagogic Party and DSA into a constitutional cage and without the federal gov’t?
I can overlook any and all of Trump’s foibles, but I continue to support him for all the good stuff he’s done for this country, and there’s a lot to like.
I might also suggest that it is OK to criticize Trump without being disloyal to the conservative cause. Unfortunately, at times, it seems like this has become Trump Republic, not Free Republic. A true conservative is not bound by a cult of personality but by a well-reasoned, logical approach to behavior - personal, societal, governmental. Trump or any politician is temporary, but the ideology should be permanent and transcend individuals.
ping
“You did not address your premise. When we base our positions on an untested premise, we risk arriving at conclusions that are likewise false. I asked you to support your claim that ‘it appears that Trump thinks MAGA is achieved through gov’t.’ My intention is not to argue whether your premise is right or wrong, only to ask that you establish a foundation for it yourself. If, however, you are just using an unsupported premise to launch some rhetoric, then go ahead and spout.”
I agree.
The health and wealth of a nation are inversely proportional to the size and power of its government.
I guess you felt it was OK to start a new thread instead of posting your opinion to yesterday’s thread.
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