Free Republic

If we lose the virile, manly qualities, and sink into a nation of mere hucksters, putting gain over national honor, and subordinating everything to mere ease of life, then we shall indeed reach a condition worse than that of the ancient civilizations in the years of their decay. -Theodore Roosevelt, "The Law of Civilization and Decay", The Forum (January 1897), reprinted in American Ideals (1926), vol. 13 of The Works of Theodore Roosevelt, national ed., chapter 15, pp. 259–60. (From Wikipedia)

Some recent videos - especially in the aftermath of the "spread the wealth around" comment to Joe the Plumber - really fill out the vague, fuzzy, shallow, prettily-lit with halo aftereffects Obama economic and tax policy. In his discussion with Joe Wurzelbacher, Obama said, "My attitude is that if the economy's good for folks from the bottom up, it's gonna be good for everybody. I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody." If you got your job from a homeless guy, Obama is right. Vote for "bottom-up economics." If you got it from a business, Obama...

Speaking in 2004 to a crowd of wealthy democratic supporters during a fund raising event in San Francisco, Hillary Clinton spoke the very words that illustrate the intentions of the government so very well. "We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." While those words were spoken three years ago, they are just as important today. They represent not just the Democrat party's strong commitment to the redistribution of wealth rightfully earned by the American people, it provides insight into the focus that our politicians have in running our nation. It highlights the precise...