Not really sure what your point is here. The Tea Party came into existence because up to that point, we hadn't been trying. The TP of '09 and '10 was a very rare example of our side being proactive, and refusing to be ignored. Too bad we simply went back to sleep after the 2010 elections, and squandered our momentum. I believe the only way to make the system work is to do exactly what the Tea Party did in '09 and '10, only this time, not stop...keep it rolling.
"How many Conservatives in Primaries have the Ruling Class sabotaged to ensure a Leftist or RINO got the spot?"
I'll answer your question with another question: why have we allowed the GOPe to sabotage the likes of Matt Bevin and Bryan Smith (ID-1)? You question assumes there's nothing we can do about it...well, that's why we're in the predicament we're in.
I spoke to the president of the local Tea Party, asking if they had any rallies planned, the likes of what we did back four-five years ago. He told me the TP had "evolved" into more of a "behind the scenes" role, vetting candidates and such. WTH? Is that how the Tea Party became the force it was? Hell no! It became the force it once was by being visible and vocal, and showing Ma and Pa Kettle at home that they weren't alone in their beliefs.
They -- we -- got Ma and Pa Kettle to join us on Tax Day '09, and Independence Day '09, and Election Day '10, and at a number of other rallies in between. Why? Because we weren't "behind the scenes"...we were out, telling the GOP and the Obammunists how it was going to be. People follow courage, and having courageous leaders is what builds movements. Of course, then the Obammunist lickspittle media began calling us racists, and we scurried away like mice, because we're so frightened by people saying bad tings about us, even our sworn enemies. So how courageous were we really? That's why the GOPe still runs the show...we got scared, shrank away into the shadows, and our followers went back to sleep.
"How many laws has Obama violated? Where is ANY concerted opposition to his unConstitutional coalescence of power from those who are in authority to hold him to account??"
Good question...here's the follow-up: what are we doing to make our so-called "leaders" do something about it? Yelling at O'Reilly? Pounding away on the keyboard, arguing with other FReepers? None of that is going to do any good. We have to pound the phones, picket their offices, get into arguments with RINOs and Leftists in the opinion pages and social media, and so on. If we stay meek and just expect "them" to do something, we might as well just go ahead and book passage to Belize.
"As it became self-evident to the Founders that redressing grievances to the King and Parliament was futile because every attempt was met with repeated injury, it should be self-evident to us that fixing a corrupted and rigged system from within is not an option."
So we don't "redress grievances"...we command our state legislatures tell DC to kiss off, that our states aren't following their unConstitutional dictates. We demand our Congresscritters step up and start holding the Obammunists accountable for their violations of the Constitution. We mobilize millions of PO'd Americans to back us up, and march with us to the steps of the 50 state capitols. Wouldn't you rather try standing up to DC before taking up arms? Wouldn't you rather be an American citizen, doing his civic duty, rather than being an American expat, bitching about how things are going back here while sitting in a beach chair in the Philippines?
"Mark Levin is absolutely correct when he says that we CANNOT work within this system any longer, because Washington will NEVER allow itself to be reformed - it will have to be forced to do so from OUTSIDE the system."
Huh?!?! What do you mean "outside the system"? WE ARE THE SYSTEM! Everything that "is" today, is there there only because we've allowed it to be, either by our action or, more often, our inaction. Ours is a system like none other before or since...we have the power to change things. We have the power to ignore the media and the GOPe, and nominate good people for office -- like Matt Bevin in KY and Bryan Smith here in Idaho. We have the power to jerk the chains of the people we elect, be it at the city, county, state house, Congress or White House. The only reason the GOPe is running the show is that we -- and apparently you and Levin as well -- have been convinced we're on the outside of the system. Hell no! WE ARE THE SYSTEM! Of course, the system doesn't work by sitting on our a**es...we have to get out and do a little community organizing of our own.
"History also teaches this fact; tyrants and lawless regimes cannot be reformed from within systems they have taken over and corrupted for themselves. Rulers who make themselves above the law or arbiters of the law, will never permit themselves to submit to the law if it is the will of the people they rule."
History has also never seen a Constitution like ours, a system of self-government like ours, nor has it ever seen bravery like we used to have in this country. Tyrants have never reformed in the past because the people never had the power to make them reform, or to remove them from office with extreme (political) prejudice.
Our system has not been corrupted...the people running it have been. Our system is just as good as it was on the day it was ratified in 1787...just We The People need to remember that we're in charge, not "them".
I've told this same thing to several people, and the die-hard Pubbies always answer with some variation on the "we're not wired that way...we don't get out and make public spectacles of ourselves" theme. Well, two things...first of all, yes we are. We did it in '09 and '10, and can do it again if we stop making lame excuses. Secondly, those who aren't "wired that way", call an electrician to rewire your spine. Get that way.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Too bad we simply went back to sleep after the 2010 elections, and squandered our momentum
Several reasons for that. Most of which has to do with the fact that most Conservatives are Producers and they have a living and/or businesses that take priority in their estimations. The other is that with the exception to Cruz, Lee and to a lesser extent, Paul, the rest of the Freshman Class of 2010 abandoned Conservatives and what they promised, capitulating with the Ruling Class GOP-e, that is in league with the Democrats and Obama.
That is how Washington works. It infects all who seem to go there. Washington D.C. is Mordor on the Potomac.
why have we allowed the GOPe to sabotage the likes of Matt Bevin and Bryan Smith
We do not have the millions of dollars in war chest money that the Ruling Class Establishment has to run propaganda and smear campaigns against anyone who threatens them. Look what McConnell and the Ruling Class in D.C. are trying to do to the Senate Conservatives Fund. Money talks. Everything else walks.
People follow courage, and having courageous leaders is what builds movements. Of course, then the Obammunist lickspittle media began calling us racists, and we scurried away like mice, because we're so frightened by people saying bad tings about us, even our sworn enemies. So how courageous were we really? That's why the GOPe still runs the show...we got scared, shrank away into the shadows, and our followers went back to sleep.
Excellent points. Totally agree. Not only that but the larger TEA Party groups were infiltrated and in some cases TAKEN OVER by Establishment party hack loyalists.
Not only that, the TEA Party sees what is happening to Cruz, and many are not willing to risk the same vitriol and media blitz against them from all sides. They see what was done to Palin, and recognize the demonization worked well enough to eliminate any chance for her to run.
what are we doing to make our so-called "leaders" do something about it?
Millions of letters and appeals to our 'representatives' are ignored, those of us who went to town hall meetings were shouted down, demeaned and ridiculed by these 'leaders' in public. It is more than self-evident to me that the Ruling Class in power holds those this people in utter contempt.
As such, like all tyrannies that came before us, our petitions to redress grievances and demand adherence to our will is ignored, impugned, ridiculed and demonized. As Jefferson said, 'met with repeated injury'.
We melted phone lines and got answering machines or no ability to reach our Reps at all. In a few minor cases they backed off what appeared to be a total cave - only to do it in piecemeal behind our backs a bit later.
No sir. We have no representation in Washington. The ruling class holds we little people in contempt, and that we are only good for one thing alone: casting a vote for more of the same.
we command our state legislatures tell DC to kiss off, that our states aren't following their unConstitutional dictates.
Every time we try that, some Federal judge strikes us down. Just happened today in my state. We the People demanded our legislatures pass legislation protecting biblical and traditional marriage. It was struck down and today we are ordered by the court to recognize homosexual marriages.
I already heard it said today that if the state defies this order, it risks losing federal funding for 'much needed programs'.
Money talks, everything else walks.
Wouldn't you rather try standing up to DC before taking up arms?
MILLIONS Of us took to the mall and the Capitol steps. Pelosi and the Left marched with a giant gavel 'in our face'. False charges were levied. We were demonized and even other Republicans turned on us and said that (the 9-12 rally) was 'illegitimate'.
In addition, history teaches tyrants only respond to one thing: force and the threat of force. I believe what exists in Washington are tyrants. They know themselves to be tyrants as well, and they also know they are immune from anything we attempt to do in a civil manner.
They expect pushback from us against what they intend to do. That is why they have stockpiled BILLIONS of rounds of ammo and have militarized fed agencies and police with tanks, APS and other military hardware. The math of what is coming is not hard, and it has been intended to occur, because it's all part of the plan.
Everything that "is" today, is there there only because we've allowed it to be, either by our action or, more often, our inaction.
No disagreement there.
We have the power to jerk the chains of the people we elect, be it at the city, county, state house, Congress or White House. The only reason the GOPe is running the show is that we -- and apparently you and Levin as well -- have been convinced we're on the outside of the system. Hell no! WE ARE THE SYSTEM! Of course, the system doesn't work by sitting on our a**es...we have to get out and do a little community organizing of our own.
That is so 1990. I no longer believe this is the reality any longer. Corruption has taken over, and Cook County went national. As a former Precinct Captain from that corrupt county - I can tell you that fighting the machine - is impossible from within the system. Because the reality is WE ARE ALREADY OUTSIDE THE SYSTEM they have perverted for themselves.
Our system has not been corrupted...the people running it have been.
This is where we will have to disagree. Corrupt people can and do corrupt institutions. They transform republics into dictatorships, usually upon the consent of the people they rule - in the name of public safety, security or 'the children'.
I believe we are way beyond the ability to redress this tyranny most have begrudgingly accepted in any civil manner. If they do not respect the rule of law or the Constitution now - what makes us think they are going to respect any further effort made to stop their encroachments on our rights?