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Ben Stein: We’re Losing the Freedom Our Fathers and Sons Fought For
The American Spectator ^ | 1 May 17 | Ben Stein

Posted on 05/05/2017 9:07:09 AM PDT by seanmerc

Night after night, I stay up late watching documentaries about World War II. I’m obsessed with it. Not surprising, since it was the biggest event in the history of the human race. My father was in the Navy during the war, though to this day, I am not sure what he did. My father-in-law served in combat under Patton and was awarded the Silver Star for combat gallantry, before he was 22 years old, fighting hand to hand against the toughest of the tough, Hitler’s S.S., near Zeitlen.

The documentary I am watching right now is The War by Ken Burns. It came out ten years ago or so. I love every part of it. What I love most, though, is the portrayal of a nation totally united behind the goal of securing freedom and defending the Constitution. From every hill and hollow, every tenement and mansion, men and women fought, sacrificed, worked to defeat the incredibly powerful Nazis and Japanese. The pain and struggle that the men, women, and children of this nation went through to preserve our freedoms was literally fantastic.

I watch the men dying in Italian valleys, shot out of the sky above Schweinfurt, and tortured in Japanese prison camps, and I go to sleep deeply saddened. These wonderful people bled and died and cried for our freedom — and now we are throwing it away with both hands at what should be the bastions of freedom — the universities.

The nation’s universities have become no-go zones for people who do not hew to the one-party, anti-American, anti-police, anti-business attitudes of the violent brownshirts.

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: americanspectator; benstein; education; educationalfascism; liberalmeatheads; snowflakes; university
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To: wastoute

“...real mistake FDR and his buddies made is the underlying assumption that gummint could be a force for good.”

Same as Trump and half or more of our own party today.

He has not even suggested a belief in actual freedom from federal gummint involvement in h/c. He just wants it to be efficient and ‘beautiful’ - his version of a force for good.

Trump is winning some battles, but Obama has won the war.

We will have Republican approved subsidies and mandates. Regardless of anybody’s opinion about pre-existing conditions, etc - what we are getting from Trump/Ryan is NOT freedom.


21 posted on 05/05/2017 9:43:24 AM PDT by BuddhaBrown (Path to enlightenment: Four right turns, then go straight until you see the Light!)
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To: bluejean

The GOP is stuck dealing with the problems they are overwhelmed with today. As individuals they are surely aware of everything we are. They just can’t be too worried about the problems of tomorrow (re election) when they may not survive the problems of TODAY (lost chairmanship, etc.). They are behaving just as one could expect. I noted there was an article that pointed out that all the 15 or so GOP that voted “NO” had gotten greater support than Trump in their last election. Predictable as can be.


22 posted on 05/05/2017 9:46:30 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: BuddhaBrown

Isn’t it curious that when one gets into these things we find that today’s politicians are still responding to things and acting as if they believe in ideas that have been discredited a century ago?


23 posted on 05/05/2017 9:48:25 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: seanmerc

Ben gave away millions to assuage his guilt of success......


24 posted on 05/05/2017 9:49:57 AM PDT by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
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To: wastoute

“... they believe in ideas that have been discredited a century ago?”

When it comes to unconstitutional federal entitlements, the significant difference between Obama, FDR and Trump is that while all are wrong on policy two of them actually like(d) America and Americans.


25 posted on 05/05/2017 10:04:43 AM PDT by BuddhaBrown (Path to enlightenment: Four right turns, then go straight until you see the Light!)
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To: wastoute

I don’t think there will be a “next” big war.

I think there will be constant, endless, low-intensity warfare bleeding away lives, treasure, and freedom, punctuated by the occasional major terrorist attack, followed by more low-intensity warfare.


26 posted on 05/05/2017 10:17:27 AM PDT by Little Ray (Freedom Before Security!)
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To: seanmerc

“the biggest event in the history of the human race”

No Ben, that happened on a hill called Calvary.

But even from a Jewish point of view, wouldn’t Moses receiving the Ten Commandments be a slightly bigger event in human history than defeating the Nazis?


27 posted on 05/05/2017 10:32:41 AM PDT by Meet the New Boss
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To: seanmerc
It is already gone Ben, our socialist government run utopia is here.
28 posted on 05/05/2017 10:51:23 AM PDT by 2001convSVT (Going Galt as fast as I can.)
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To: PghBaldy; central_va
What's a disaster?

We choose to destroy 10% of our babies in the womb.

Each “+” (cross) represents 10,000 deaths (or fraction thereof)

Revolutionary War 6,188 +

War of 1812 4,505 +

Mexican War 4,152 +

U. S. Civil War (both sides) 498,332 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Spanish-American War 2,446 +

World War I 116,516 + + + + + + + + + + + +

World War II 405,399 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Korea 54,246 + + + + + +

Vietnam 58,167 + + + + + +

Desert Storm 293 +

Afghanistan/Iraq Liberation 3,500 +

Grand Total all U.S. Wars 1,150,744 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Abortions in the U.S. (Since Roe v. Wade in 1973) 54,559,615 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 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+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

check it

29 posted on 05/05/2017 11:18:08 AM PDT by cornelis
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To: sauropod

Good for you. Don’t bother to read his excellent column.


30 posted on 05/05/2017 1:27:44 PM PDT by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: wastoute
All one must do is convince folks there is some “promised land” where they can all be happy and they will join forces to do literally ANYTHING.

Or you can tell them if you don't fight we will kill you. Decimation.

31 posted on 05/05/2017 3:51:30 PM PDT by itsahoot (As long as there is money to be divided, there will be division.)
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To: seanmerc

I agree...great article...


32 posted on 05/05/2017 4:06:20 PM PDT by ConservaTeen (Islam is Not the Religion of Peace, but The religion of Pedophilia...)
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To: BuddhaBrown
We will have Republican approved subsidies and mandates. Regardless of anybody’s opinion about pre-existing conditions, etc - what we are getting from Trump/Ryan is NOT freedom.

Exactly what I predicted long before ObamaCare even cleared the Senate.

The reason is Both Parties want it else we would not have it period. Wake up people we have no party that answers to the people or the Constitution. Sanctuary cities, states an schools are guilty of breaking the law and it has serious penalties why are we talking about withholding funds and not talking about criminals? Because both parties want open borders else it would not be happening.

33 posted on 05/05/2017 4:06:51 PM PDT by itsahoot (As long as there is money to be divided, there will be division.)
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To: itsahoot

Yeah, but nothing is as dangerous as a zealot...


34 posted on 05/05/2017 4:44:01 PM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: sauropod

When he endorsed Al Franken for Senate, he died, as far as I’m concerned.


35 posted on 05/05/2017 5:49:44 PM PDT by Impy (End the kritarchy!)
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To: seanmerc
Great commentary!

Agreed I read the whole piece. it was excellent

36 posted on 05/05/2017 10:02:51 PM PDT by Cubs Fan (Modern day liberals are the most intolerant, hateful, and violent people in America)
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