[tpaine]

"I guess it first goes without saying that I find value in Noumenon and little in Peikoff. The fact that he used Peikoff's article as his jumping off point for his post needs to be overlooked to get at his main points and concerns. Otherwise, we get tangled up in german history and the issues go unaddressed.
As it appears he isn't near a keyboard, I want to give this a rest until he has time to fairly catch up and make his points."

I think noumenon made his case & its connection to Piekoff qute well. -- Piekoff:

"There is only one antidote to today's trend: a new, pro-reason philosophy. Such a philosophy would have to offer for the first time a full statement and an unbreachable defense of the fundamental ideas of America. "

Noumenon:

-- "the ideals of the Founding Fathers: individual freedom and the right to own the products of one's labor based upon the rule of law - the only logical and proper conditions for a just and free society." ----
---- "You are evading the truth if you deny the reality of the systematic abrogation of the rule of law and the destruction of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights at the hands of both mainstream American political parties.
Once it has become apparent that the rule of law no longer applies to the common man; once the application of existing law has become arbitrary and outcomes subject to the amount of money one can apply; once laws are made and applied in such a way that it becomes virtually impossible to exist without violating them, well - the party's over isn't it?."

Yes, he made his & Piekoffs point well, imo.
- We see the proof every day here on FR, as self-proclaimed conservatives make their pleas for yet more laws for yet more special interests, and in the doing disregard our fundamental constitutional principles.

It is long past time to agree, once more, EXACTLY what those principles are, - and ought to be.
They are plainly stated in our constitution, but it is incredible how many here lack any real understanding of them. - Or even make an effort to do so.

[KC Burke]

The part of Noumenon's post that I think is most on point is here:
The loss of our freedom is akin to the crazy uncle locked up in the basement - we all know he's there; we just won't talk about it. But I will. I will remind you all from time to time of the good work your favorite - and not so favorite representatives are doing in the service of tyranny.

Hopefully, after Tuesday, we can get back to the position where this is a perfectly acceptable position in the forum. Either we will have won the Senate or we will have lost it for the balance of this term.

Right now, with the Judical nominations in the forefront, holding legislators to account to foundational issues seems like small potatos to some that see the lost judiciary branch as being virtually unresolvable.