[T'wit]

>> Good restatement of what was very recently discussed here

Missed that. But I've been looking at this slice of history for decades, and no doubt you have too. The antidote -- at least it used to be one -- is the unique American philosophy at its founding. We are free men, joined in a Free Republic, so long as we govern ourselves with God's law. When we let that slip away, ka-boom!, we go from the smallest, least bothersome government on earth to the biggest, brassiest, most expensive state in history. Next thing you know, the world is awash in red shirts and brown shirts and black shirts and the wrong sort of towelheads and a parade of horrid people grasping for power.

It is related in the Book of Samuel that the Israelites, in just this way, grew weary of their liberty and decided they wanted a king to go before them and fight their battles. The Lord told them (so to speak) that it was Him or the IRS, and told Samuel privately that they would opt for the IRS and be very, very sorry for it, but that's the way things were.

In other words: government is punishment for sin.

There's the whole of political philosophy in five words :-)

[Wampus SC]

"I've been looking at this slice of history for decades, and no doubt you have too. The antidote -- at least it used to be one -- is the unique American philosophy at its founding."

Yeah, used to be. But that was then and this is now.

"Next thing you know, the world is awash in red shirts and brown shirts and black shirts and the wrong sort of towelheads and a parade of horrid people grasping for power."

Our homegrown ones will be, and are, of the brownshirt/blackshirt variety. though they'll likely wear white shirts, black suits, and red ties. We'll follow them into anything as long as they're "our team". Party before everything, and all that.

Good tagline.