Free Republic

THEY CALL THEMSELVES “ELITE” I CALL THEM CHILDREN I have been reading the liberals’ reaction to the election with a mix of howling amusement, great satisfaction along with a small amount of sheer horror at the thought that they actually stood a chance of wining. There has been a lot of talk about why Bush was re-elected and what issue actually turned the tide. The more I read the more I am convinced that this election was not about competing “values” but one of adults saying, to the spoiled children that make up the ranks of the liberal “elite”, that...

THIRTY-SIX MONTHS As the new election year fast approaches the usual hot button issues with the Free-Republic community are starting to bring charges and counter charges that both George W. Bush and the GOP in general have become no different than the democrats. The only difference I see this time is the lack of any real 3rd party insurgents. I guess it may be due to some folks recognizing the utter futility of the same old 3rd party candidates running for the 3rd or 4th time with no hope of success. That doesn't mean that those that feel Bush or...

THE WAR IS CANCELLED DUE TO LACK OF INTEREST We are a little more than a month away from the 1st anniversary of 911 and I am sure that the media is gearing up for a deluge of heart rending retrospectives and for a few hours Americans will turn from the stock market and remember that long ago event with not a dry eye to be found. I say “long ago” because on American time, a year is ancient history. We vaguely remember that we fought a 3-month campaign in Afghanistan that may have killed Bin Laden but even that...

WHAT SHOULD CONSERVATIVES DO IN 2002 AND 2004 There has been a very loud and nasty argument gong on around here for months about how the GOP and George W. Bush have deserted Conservatives to pander to moderates and liberals and that they would stay home to show their discontent.. I say argument and not debate because there has been no debate just charge and counter-charge. I have issued the challenge to several disaffected former GOP and Bush supporters to start a thread that would focus on viable alternatives to both the GOP in 2002 and a replacement for Bush...

Dear Mr. Prime Minister There is a raging debate going on in our little Web community concerning the level of support or lack thereof being exhibited by the President of the United States for your country. Many on here are incensed that President Bush has not labeled Yasser Arafat as a terrorist and that he sent his Secretary of State to Israel to “negotiate” with him. No sane person would argue that Arafat is not a terrorist. From the 1972 Olympics forward he has shown himself to be exactly that. He is the model on which the term “terrorist” is...

The noise level in the forum needs to abate so issues can be discussed on their merits and not deliberate misrepresentation of this President’s, motives, decisions and conservative credentials. The decisions Bush has made on the immigration reform act and the CFR are not the same decisions I would have made but they are principled decisions not based on polls or focus groups. For those of you that hold principle as your standard I would think that would be a plus in your assessment but I guess when your ox is being gored, the presence of principle is not as...

What We Have Been Told About the Declaration Of War On The Barbary Pirates Appears To Be Wrong One of the more frustrating debates about this “war on terrorism” being discussed on the forum has been the legitimacy of Bush’s recent actions in light of the fact that Congress has not formally issued a “Declaration of War”. It is argued by a large contingent of libertarians and paleo-conservatives that all military actions and presidential powers exercised as the Commander in Chief in war time require this formal declaration by Congress to meet Constitutional muster. The other side, the “Bushies” for ...

Needless to say, there's been a flood of crocodile tears that the libertarians on FR have cried in protest of not being given the chance to govern. These self-proclaimed "patriots" seem to believe that if they were just given the chance to govern, things would vastly improve. Notwithstanding the fact that history has always served as either the caretaker or graveyard of such boasts, I challenge the libertarians to advance their arguement by producing documentation of civilizations and/or nations that were built purely on a libertarian philosophy and has prospered, unchanged to this day. I know many libertarians will no ...

The So-called War On Drugs Must Cease, (Another view) I read Bluesduke’s award wining “The So-called War On Drugs Must Cease “essay. As always it was well-written, well thought out and a fun read. Unlike many on the pro-legalization side he based his argument on the damage the “war” has done to individual Constitutional rights. That is the proper context in which to debate the issue. However; recently the tone of debate has taken a sharp turn from placing the prosecution of the unfortunately termed “war on drugs” within firm constitutional balance between the States’ and The Federal governments to ...

I am curious to know the Libertarian stance on the concept of a "citizen's arrest". Would that be an "initiation of force" if a Citizen exercised it in the defense of another person?By Sarah Rupp Norm Thomson owns a 124-acre plot in South Kitsap, Washington. Although it's private property, not everyone respects that. In March 1999, he noticed a man wandering in his woods, cutting down greenery to sell. He decided to do something. He took his rifle from his house, headed out and stopped the trespasser in his tracks. Thomson then hog-tied the guy, put him in the back ...

The War on Drugs…The Day After There have been innumerable threads on the evils of the WOD complete with sometimes-heated attacks from both sides. In many ways the WOD is, at least to many on this forum, a defining issue concerning where the future of this great country will be in the next few years. Both sides of the legalization issue have made both passionate and thoughtful arguments pro and con regarding the consequences of the prohibition of drugs. I use the general term drugs since, for many, the term is completely open ended. The most glaring omission in this ...