Tattletale Pranks and Kindergarten Pursuits

12 September, 2008 | joanie-f

[joanie-f]

Most conservatives decry the ‘bread and circuses’ atmosphere of modern politics, principally because the consistent focus on meaningless pursuits takes the citizens’ focus away from the important issues … even crises … that must be considered, and faced, if we are to remain a free society.

Our Founders continually warned that liberty, and the republican form of government that is best suited to ensure it, can only be maintained through an informed citizenry.

Wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people, are necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties.

Many of us consider the ‘bread and circuses’ nature of modern American society to be most frequently exhibited in our adulation of the Hollywood crowd, professional sports figures, and reality programming, the accumulation of creature comforts, the me-oriented nature of the citizenry, the need to ‘be entertained’, etc. … with an incremental de-emphasis on genuine heroes, the importance of personal character and responsibility, and a sense of civic duty ... which includes being educated about our history, and concerned about our future as a free society.

I completely agree that all of the above trends have increased in intensity over the past fifty years, and that, if they continue to gain momentum, our very lives, liberties and sovereignty as a nation are in grave danger.

A sub-level of this toxic trend has become glaringly apparent over the past few weeks of the election campaign.

Our republic is facing potentially deadly crises the likes of which there is no historical precedent:

• the specter of Islamic fascism
• the mass invasion of illegal immigrants across our borders
• the growing national debt and debasing of our currency
• the nationalization of an increasing number of businesses and services that were once private enterprise
• the growth of the entitlement mentality
• the disintegration of the nuclear family
• the burdensome tax structure
• the incremental, open-ended theft of our liberties and prosperity by the hoax known as ‘global warming/environmentalism'
• the economic and political power of trial lawyers over virtually every aspect of our lives
• the anti-capitalist crusade that permeates much of American politics/academia/media
• the purposeful dismantling of the finest healthcare system in the history of mankind, via the incremental imposition of socialist/universal health programs, the over-regulation of the insurance industry, the demonizing of drug companies, and the allowing, even encouraging, of frivolous lawsuits
• the protection under law of the murder of more than a million unborn children every year
• corruption, and the unbridled power of special interests, in the highest levels of government
• a judiciary that has usurped legislative powers and subjectively interprets the Constitution
• the incremental loss of religious freedom, and the gradual removal of God from the national conscience

... and on and on, ad infinitum ...

One would think that, with one of the (if not the) most crucial presidential elections in the history of our republic approaching in fewer than eight weeks, the crises mentioned above would be foremost on the minds of every American who intends to step into the voting booth on November 4th. And, even more importantly, one would think that the American media (the self-appointed purveyors of information and education) would be hard at work seeking, and reporting, the candidates’ opinions on, and proposed solutions to, all of the above.

Yet what do we predominantly see and hear in all of our media outlets? What are we being subliminally told is of utmost importance in this crucial election?

• whether one candidate did or did not call another candidate a pig
• whether one candidate does or does not know how many houses he owns
• Susan Sarandon’s, Tim Robbins’ or Matt Damon’s expert opinions of the candidates
• the various sticks-and-stones labels being applied to a candidate by members of the other party
• which candidate has agreed to appear on Saturday Night Live
• whether Russia is really visible from Alaska
• whether Todd Palin’s DUI of twenty-two years ago has any relevance to Sarah’s candidacy ... and on and on, ad infinitum ...

Many of my conservative friends, all of whom are true patriots, have voiced the opinion over the past few days that they are glad Barack Obama and the left are ‘getting a taste of their own medicine’ via the production of the new RNC ad that plays off of Obama’s lipstick/pig gaffe, and they are pleased with all of the attention his gaffe, whether innocent or purposeful, is receiving.

I could not possibly disagree more vehemently.

By producing such an ad, and even debating Obama’s intent – indeed, by even giving credence to this story – conservatives are accomplishing three fatal outcomes:

(1) they are legitimizing the bread and circus atmosphere in this election process
(2) they are stealing a worthless page out of the left’s playbook
(3) they are spending major campaign funds on nonsense advertising that would be better spent educating the public about issues of critical importance to our republic

On my list of 'Things I Want the Voting Public to Know about Barack Obama That the Media Aren't Reporting', there are 8,563 items ahead of the fact that he may (or may not) have referred to his opponent as a pig.

I think the McCain campaign, and the RNC, should be telling us about those 8,563 things in their campaign ads, and leave the lipstick remark to those who believe it has some importance in the grand scheme of things. The fact that they have wasted the donations of loyal Republicans on such nonsense is infuriating to me.

The media, academia, and the political left profit from such abject stupidity. It allows them to fill the airwaves with such drivel, and to scrupulously avoid discussion of Barack Obama’s dark, longstanding connections to anti-American zealots and his agenda to impose his Marxist/black separatist ideology on a populace that has been programmed to be preoccupied with ‘looking the other way’.

Half of the American electorate is ready to put such a man in the White House. And I believe that ninety percent of that group possesses no real knowledge of his infamous background or his ultra-left-leaning agenda.

Why have so many of our countrymen fallen into such an ignorant stupor? Because, for fifty years, we have allowed the leftists in the media, our institutions of ‘higher education’, and Hollywood to incrementally turn our focus away from the enemy within ... and toward tattletale pranks and kindergarten pursuits.

I don't give a rat's patoot what derogatory label one candidate may affix to another. What I do care about is whether that candidate intends to dismantle the noble foundations upon which my country was built.

And the media be damned.

We're going to pay a terrible price for allowing ourselves to be so pliant in the hands of those who most certainly do not have our best interests at heart.

~ joanie

[narses]

“Again, your claim ... is an outright lie.”

Nope. That is an attack. Twice you have called me a liar. You support Keyes against McCain, you want McCain to lose.

Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment

Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”

[EternalVigilance]

Your tactics are quite similar to Obama’s.

[doodlebug]

I’ve been following the thread; do you support the Republican ticket or not? If not, just say so, but you might also want to recognize that you are in the minority here.

[narses]

See post 144.

[EternalVigilance]

No, I don’t support a man who has done more damage to the conservative movement than anyone else over the last decade. Making John McCain the head of the Republican Party is like putting Bill Clinton in charge of an abstinence program.

[doodlebug]

Hey, thanks for the link back, I missed that. I think it’s too bad he has to tear down Palin’s obvious pro-life credentials in the course of this discussion. Every pro-life organization I know of has endorsed the McCain-Palin ticket.

[narses]

Every pro-life organization I know of has endorsed the McCain-Palin ticket.

Every pro-life organization I know of has endorsed the McCain-Palin ticket.

Every pro-life organization I know of has endorsed the McCain-Palin ticket.

(Worth repeating. Sadly the deaf will not hear nor the blind see.)

Obama Doesn’t Want His Daughters Punished with a Baby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNzmly28Bmg

CNN on Obama’s Infant Born Alive Act Rejection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPZCXcTwZPY

Jill Stanek on Obama and Born Alive Infant Protection Act (MUST SEE)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIdbYjmbFzo

Obama Cover-up Revealed On Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Bill

http://www.nrlc.org/ObamaBAIPA/ObamaCoverup.html

Explosive Audio Found Obama arguing against BAIPA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypDwNpgIUQc

Babies left to die!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIdbYjmbFzo

[narses]

We may yet have a last shot at curing ourselves of our 'vices' - the rot of MArxism and modern liberalism - and that's with a McCain/Palin win. It would at least be a start, a step in the right direction. We have no shot at all with an Obamanation win.

Well said. Sad that there are the blind purists who would allow the imperfection of the very human candidates become a bar to voting for them. McCain ain't perfect, nor was Ronald Reagan. The very closest America has ever come was geo. Washington and he was flawed. Today we have a stark choice - Obama and death or McCain and life. Period. It is time to choose.

[Guenevere]

joanie, until 2 weeks ago, I vehemently told anyone who would listen I would not vote for John McCain...and I would not bow to the pressure (here at FR) to vote 'lesser of two evils'.....

Governor Palin changed all that.

I was cautious at first....then cautiously optimistic...

...I can vote for this ticket now because, with all my heart, I believe it will save babies.

He went against his own grain to select her...

..the response of his 'friends' in the media and Senate surely prove this!!..they're furious.

I personally hope this is an eye opener, an epiphany for John S. McCain....

...that his intelligence...yea his very heart, soul and mind will recognize WHERE this anger (from his peers/friends) comes from ---the very pit of Hell!...

..and that he will separate himself from their ridiculous grasp.

That is my hope.

Why McCain & wife appeared on the View, I don't know...

..unless he truly thought they were still his friends...

..I only caught exerpts from his appearance but it was what I expected...

..they were like vicious hyenas tearing him apart...not letting him finish his sentence...to the point his own wife had to come out and defend him.

Believe me, from even the little I saw of Michelle Obama on the View...(& trust me, I don't watch this insipid trash)...she was 'untouchable'....she was their friend, their hero...

..they were practically licking her!

There are reasons & levels of reasons why I'm energized for this duo....McCain/Palin.

Yes, I'm a purist, yes I'm an idealist...

..but I WANT TO BELIEVE!...and I want this ticket to be from God.

But I don't/can't/won't make an idol of Sarah Palin!....However, I will PRAY PRAY PRAY for her!

[narses]

Well said.

Obama Doesn’t Want His Daughters Punished with a Baby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNzmly28Bmg

CNN on Obama’s Infant Born Alive Act Rejection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPZCXcTwZPY

Jill Stanek on Obama and Born Alive Infant Protection Act (MUST SEE)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIdbYjmbFzo

Obama Cover-up Revealed On Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Bill

http://www.nrlc.org/ObamaBAIPA/ObamaCoverup.html

Explosive Audio Found Obama arguing against BAIPA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypDwNpgIUQc

Babies left to die!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIdbYjmbFzo

[betty boop]

Well said, Cicero!

[narses]

Indeed, well said, thank you. Sad that there are those so wilfully blind they cannot see.

[TigersEye]

What do you mean? The point I made is exactly the point that you proceeded to make.

No, it is the opposite. You advocate an anti-federalist position; wanting the federal government to make criminal statutes. I advocate the federalist position; that states make criminal statutes which must then pass Constitutional muster in a federal court.

[TigersEye]

If we had some states allowing it and other states not to allowing it, the number would certainly decrease.

More importantly, I think, couldn't states that allowed abortion be challenged, point by point, in a federal court on Constitutional grounds? Isn't that the system of separate powers, representative legislation, Constitutional law and decentralized government our founders had in mind?

With fifty states making laws on the subject there would be that many more potential Constitutional challenges. Each time SCOTUS ruled on one aspect of law in relation to abortion regarding one state's laws the other 49 would have to come into compliance with that ruling.

[TigersEye]

Now, I will ask, with respect, that you cease bashing the GOP candidates on this website. Capisce?

I understand that statement. It is pure garbage.

[narses]

Really? You want folks here to bash McCain and Palin? Why?

[TigersEye]

Why? Because, even though EV and I have a profound difference of opinion on Constitutional principles that we may never see eye to eye on, I would rather argue with him than follow you into the slaughter pen with GOP sheep dogs nipping at my heels. There have been exceptions at times but for the most part FR has been a conservative forum not a GOP cheer leading squad. Whether EV and I settle our differences or not isn’t all that important. Having the argument is important IMO. You would like for the argument to not take place at all. That kind of falling in line for the sake of party unity probably doesn’t suit either of us, EV or me, very well.

[apocalypto]

You and me both. Has it ever turned liberal. I have been told that I am too conservative and that John Sidney McCain does not need and does not want my vote. That is ok. However, others have gotten really nasty and accused those of us who object to McCain's left wing views as B. Hussein Obama supporters (go figure).

[joanie-f]

Absolutely brilliant! Not a word with which I disagree.

Thank you.

~ joanie

[narses]

“You would like for the argument to not take place at all.”

Wrong. This is not the time. Shells are flying. The battle is joined. A decision needs to be made and your buddy has walked over to the other side. Sad.