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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MAGA is NOT about Trump.
It is more like Tea Party II without all the infiltrators and GOP-e.
“I love Trump because I believe he genuinely loves America, stands up to the Left like no other ...”
Agreed. Well said. At every opportunity, Trump shows his love of America. Despite all Trump’s political successes, Democrats refuse to emulate his patriotism.
Trump reduced total Federal employment. The only major increase was for ICE.
Trump is not always right, but he does adjust course to get back on track.
“””You always want to grow business.”””
I do not agree with your view regarding business.
I would say: “You always want to make sure your business is profitable.”
Trump has done a lot to stop government from growing.
Almost every time Trump does something to stop government growth, the Democrats, the squishy RINO’s, the Judicial System, and the Government Bureaucrats put up roadblocks.
Today’s Big Government took decades to get to where it is today.
Contrary those who want ‘instant gratification’, it will take decades to dismantle Big Government.
Trump started the dismantling, but the job is far from over.
Vote accordingly in November 2026.
I love Trump because 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 downsizing the gov’t, except the military, to its constitutional size.
Read the body of the post.
I love Trump . . . But . . .
Like a Seminar Caller.
Right now, at this moment, Trump is the last best hope for America.
MAGA is the way, the truth, and the light.
Sorry, but what perceived premise are you talking about that I didn’t support?
Amen - except for the military.
I did both...
I agree.
Except for definitely the single largest category of Federal Spending?
Guess what's the second largest category of Federal Spending. That's right: MEDICARE.
For the trifecta, guess what's the third largest category of Federal spending. You got it! INTERST ON THE FEDERAL DEBT.
Anyone who is truly serious about shrinking the size, scope, power, and cost of government will need to get government out of the old-age retirement pension business.
Y'all can whine and cry and fulminate all you want about it ... but deep down you know I'm right.
Have a nice day.
A Military Industrial Complex is unconstitutional.
President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal requests a total national defense topline of $1.5 trillion, which is roughly a 42% to 44% increase (an increase of about $500 billion) over previous funding levels.
“ended Iran’s nuclear weapons threat”
Utter nonsense.
selling to who? just curious.
I would agree with this. I also believe that Obama has yet to meet up with the justice due him........along with a few dozen other democrats.
We just need the strongest military in the world
Get rid of all unconstitutional federal gov’t except for maybe social security and keep a strong military.
How’s that?
Note that large chunks of FR congratulate the President on ending the Iranian nuclear threat.
Another large chunk wants to bomb Iran into the stone age to end the Iranian nuclear threat.
Another large chunk wants to fight a war with Iran forever to guarantee they will never have a nuclear threat.
Then folks from all three groups get agitated when we cannot manage to support all of them at the same time.
Lol.
That's what means testing does.
I'd say pick an "no new customers" date, scrap the 35 year work restriction, and pay folks (at their retirement age) based on what they paid into the program. Keep COLA going for both current and future payouts.
So if you happen to have only one day of employment before the cutoff, you put in a couple bucks and maybe get out pennies at the end.
Already retired get what their getting, continuing COLA.
Everyone else gets their due proportion. Fund w/general funds if necessary.
I doubt that'd actually happen though.
The Dog and His Reflection
It’s USA or DSA
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