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To: PhilosopherStones
It never ceases to amaze me how many times writers begin an article by quoting the Declaration of Independence and then fail to construct an argument based on it.

The operative part of the quotation you included is "a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation," or that rules of civility oblige you (the separatist) to justify why the "dissolution of political bands" ought to occur. Your post, although written with language mellifluous to FReepers, does not contain this central thesis and has more to do with chest-thumping than reason.

Reading your post, I have to surmise that you want blue areas on your map to be separate from the red ones because:

  1. You're tired of hearing the blue's whine; and
  2. Because you can, and they cannot live without you if you do.
This is totally opposite in spirit to the Declaration of Independence. Among the major reasons of the American Revolution were that we were tired of King George III's taxes (and taxmen). King George was tired of our whining and our tax-based rebellion was making life impossible for the British---essentially, they couldn't live with us because financing the defense of the colonies and quashing rebellion was bankrupting a Britain already stretched thin with imperial obligations.

Your post also claims that conservatives produce all of life's necessities while liberals merely live off the fruits of your labor. This positions you as having a superiority complex. Isn't this exactly what you accuse the liberals of doing to you ("innate superiority")? Furthermore, do they steal the fruits of your labor from you---or do they purchase it on the market? Also, I would invite you to research the flow of tax dollars in this country. In general, the blue states receive less (federal) tax-spending than they pay in tax, and red states receive more than they paid in. That is, the blue states fund the red states. They may need you alright, but you need them too. Who's going to buy all the food you produce and sell when all the liberal consumers are gone?

Furthermore, showing some "decent respect of the opinions of mankind" might include you not lumping all liberals in with cappuccino-drinking, eco-bicycle-riding human waste pumps and not lumping in all conservatives with farmers, miners and utility employees (who are often unionized). Americans pride themselves on being individuals. Stereotyping everyone by their caricatures makes for a disrespectful showing indeed.

If you feel that "We don't need them, and it's time they found that out," then perhaps you should begin by telling them with a logical argument.

67 posted on 10/04/2008 2:40:05 PM PDT by AdLibertas
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To: AdLibertas

“If you feel that “We don’t need them, and it’s time they found that out,” then perhaps you should begin by telling them with a logical argument.”

You can not reason someone out of a position that they did not reason themselves into in the first place.


70 posted on 10/04/2008 2:44:14 PM PDT by PhilosopherStones
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