It really is sad, and tragic for our nation.
Free Republic, and American, "ain't what it used to be." The only real threads that inspire me these days are the ones about Jesus Christ.
There are many Freepers who believe in Him, and we are discovering that the world is growing darker, just as He predicted.
I remember when the threads were full of the American spirit, and of hope.
Today, the threads are full of anger that goes off in a direction that is completely irrational or on a cause that is completely un-winnable politically.
I was in the military 21 years, but I never was an advocate of suicide missions unless the cause itself could be advanced, and I still am not. Today, we have Freepers who advocated (and went on) missions to cut our own belly, and then they rail against those who watched us do it.
There are too many Freepers who are living themselves in poverty or near poverty, and nobody listens.
There are too many Freepers who want "their" government program, but will scream at other spending - NOT because it is bad for the country, but because they see it as threatening their spending.
Now, I can apply that standard to myself (and I must if I am to remain honest before Christ), but here is the difference. I ACKNOWLEDGE and I say here, that my military pension is on the table towards Cola reform or other solutions (in the spirit of Simpson-Bowles) towards solving our fiscal death spiral.
I have found that 99.9% of Freepers, sadly, never, ever say the same thing about their Social Security, Medicare, or whatever else.
I DO distinguish between earned and unearned Entitlements. Earned are Social Security, Medicare, Govt pensions, and military pensions. They contributed and earned them.
Unearned are SS Disability (which is helping to bankrupting the SS system), TANF welfare, EBT Food Stamps, Unemployment (sorry, it is unearned after a few weeks), Section 8 housing, and these:
Universal Program for Subsidized Phones for Low Income (ObamaPhones), Medicaid, Unemployment Asistance, EITC, Foster Care Title IV, Old Age Assistance, AFDC, General Assistance Cash, Assets for Independence, General Assistance to Native Americans, SCHiP State Supplemental Health Insurance Program, Consolidated Health Centers, Consolidated Community Health, Maternal and Child Health Assistance Fund, Healthy Start, School Lunch, Job Assistance, Job Training, Minority Job Assistance, Job Relocation, Woman Infants and Children's Program, Nutrition for the Elderly, Summer Program, Summer Jobs Program, Minority Summer Jobs, Hispanic Jobs Program, African-American Jobs Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, Special Milk Program, Needy Families, Farmer's Market Nutrition Program, Public Housing, Low Income Energy Assistance, Migrant Education, Title One Grants to Local Education Authorities, Education for Homeless Children and Youth, Even Start, Job Corps, Social Security Disability, Social Security for Refugees, Social Security for Humanitarian Cases, Social Security for Asylum, Health Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Grants, TANF Child Care, Empowerment Zones for Minority Communities, Urban Development Action Grants, and Family Planning (abortion).
Freepers better wake up. It is all coming down, and soon.
Your only hope is Christ.