‘These are the times that try men’s souls’

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat ^ | 18 February 2007 | Pedro O. Vega

[Congressman Billybob]

Very nice statement. Thorough, accurate, and applying the history point by point. Several of the posters on this thread would do well to read what you wrote -- and perhaps read a few of the history books on which your statement is based.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article: "Next, We're Going to Wally-World"

[La Enchiladita]

I did not reply kindly. Voting for Murtha is not the "high road." You're a troll for the enemy.

DO NOT POST TO ME AGAIN.

[Congressman Billybob]

My eighth book, on Tom Paine, begins with that whole paragraph. I agree with you, that the whole paragraph should be used. The working title of my book is "These are the times that try men's souls." The subtitle is, "America -- Then and Now -- in the Words of Tom Paine." I'm looking for a publisher, now.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article: "Next, We're Going to Wally-World"

[potlatch]

No doubt every generation thought, "These are the times that try men's souls". Some were correct.


Wonderful quote to begin your 8th book! I wish you success on it!

[devolve]

LSLM !!!

[potlatch]

Not on that one devolve!! Your wonderful creation.

[BlackElk]

Teofilo: With all due and considerable respect for you on other matters, I must disagree with you on Murtha. To call Murtha a corrupt and treasonous weasel is not name-calling, it is a citation of an increasingly obvious truth. If pro-life is your primary issue, bear in mind that his election enables the pro-aborts now in control of Congress. Even the rare pro-abort who may be patriotic should be able to recognize Mirtha as a threat to the well-being of our civilization, of our nation and of our troops.

Vote against him as soon as possible. At his age and in his condition and with heightened political attention to his treasonous and corrut habits of life, you probably won't have many more chances one way or another.

[BlackElk]

Thank you for your kind words and for everything you do here.

Are you a Yale alumnus? What year? POR?

God bless you and yours.

[george76]

Some interesting reading in the responses ?

I thought that you might enjoy some of them ?

[JB in Whitefish]

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight: nothing he cares about more than his own personal safety: is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions and blood of better men than himself." – John Stuart Mill

[george76]

You writing is excellent.

From my view : well thought out and presented.

Thank you.

[george76]

Donald Rumsfeld found a nice historical echo in his speech at Arlington Cemetery to commemorate September 11.

... In the dark days of our revolution, George Washington's army had been decimated in New York. A British admiral told three of our founding fathers that the revolutionaries could have peace if only they would reject the Declaration of Independence and give up their rebellion. To many it might have seemed a tempting offer. Prospects for victory seemed bleak. But those patriots refused. Their army rallied. And our country's independence was secured.

That date was Sept. 11, ... 1776. As it happens the place where those patriots refused to surrender is just minutes from the site of the World Trade Center.

Today, a vastly more vicious adversary seeks our surrender. Once again, we will refuse. And once again, our forces have rallied.

Today, history is being written by the valiant men and women of America's armed forces, and by determined citizens who will do all they can to keep other children from experiencing the heartbreak and terror of Sept. 11.

So today let us recommit ourselves to continuing history's great and necessary task. And to continuing to pursue these enemies until they pose no threat to free people.

[Congressman Billybob]

Thanks for your comment. I got my honorable discharge from Yale in 1964. Was in Ezra Stiles College. Wrote for the OCD.

John / Billybob

[BlackElk]

September 11 has a long and mostly interesting and laudable history (excepting the obvious evils of 2001). For one thing, it is the date of either the successful defense of Vienna by Jan Sobiewski against the Muslim invaders or more likely the naval battle of Lepanto against the Muslims (the end of Muslim naval power). I forget which, but whichever battle it was, the anniversary is a probable motive for the Islamofascisti to choose 9/11 to attack us.

Other 9/11 highlights include: 1973 when Chilean Communist President Salvador Allende committed suicide by firing his machine gun at Augusto Pinochet's forces who restored Chile's traditional non-communist civilization during a brief interlude of military restoration of order. 1970 (?) when Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia (a footstool for Marxist-Leninists) was overthrown by Lon Nol. There are others as well. These two were particularly important strategic victories although Cambodia eventually fell into the communist swamp again. As the late Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick so eloquently explained in full book-length treatment, authoritarianism is preferable to totalitarianism because totalitarianism tends to be a permanent enslavement as authoritarianism does not. Freedom is, of course, far preferable to authoritarianism and still farther preferable to totalitarianism.

[BlackElk]

Thanks for your kind words and for #114 as well.

[george76]

The choice of 9-11 has always interested me.

911 days after our 9-11 they struck again. I wonder what math number and location they will use next.

7 October 2007 will be the 436th anniversary of the Naval Battle of Lepanto ...I believe.

I forgot that the Vienna date was September 11th.

[george76]

Jack Murtha and his friends in the defeatist movement...

[SuziQ]

On occasion, there’s such a thing as a “bad peace” if this “peace” becomes a cover for defeat, humiliation and eventual surrender to the will of the enemy.

The Democrats consider it 'peace' when our soldiers are not engaged in combat anywhere on the planet. They don't even stop to consider the fact that terrorists will continue to ply their trade. That does not even enter the Democrat equation, because it's happening somewhere else.

Of course, if it started happening HERE, on a regular basis, they might change their tunes, but frankly, by then, it would be almost too late to do anything to stop it.

[george76]

Jack Murtha and his friends in the defeatist movement...