Our Republic and Our Free Republic

9-6-02 | Joe Phillips

[BADJOE]

History teaches some very good lessons. They are hard to learn but our forefathers did a great job.

From the beginning of time man has overthrown one form of centralized government only to re-establish another one in its place. Our forefathers understood this far better than anyone ever had. They said governments are the eternal enemy of free men. They said that in order for man to remain free it would take a bloody revolution every other generation, unless you bound down (bastard) government with the chains of the constitution.

On another site this week a poster asked if anyone else hated government as much as he did. I replied to him

"Hell !! I thought you were not a good American if you didn't love our country and hate our government.

At least that is how I have always felt about it"

I think our forefathers had the same attitude that I have now. And I think it is inherent in the average Americans attitude to distrust and have disdain for any government, including ours. One of the hardest conclusions I had to arrive at as a young man, after having been a product of the public school system, was that our government was not on our side. As James Forrestahl, former secretary of the Navy, who suffered a mysterious death, once said about our State Department's foreign policy, " Stupidity is never a mark of consistancy. If they were merely stupid, they would occasionally make a mistake in our favor".

Newt Gringrich put it in a humourous manner when talking about the attitude of Europeans. He related the following story. If you go to Europe and drive on the Autobahn, you feel pretty good cruising down the highway at 100 mph when some some German passes you doing 140 mph. Now he said if the Bundestag passed the 55mph speed limit law, every German would dutifully obey that law, untill the next election. They would vote the 55 mph crowd out of office and the no speed limit crowd in. In America Newt said "A speed limit sign is a benchmark of opportunity.

It is obvious that Yankees and Euros have entirely different attitudes about government's edicts. There are darn few Americans who do not break the speed limit laws everyday.

Now we come to the Free Republic. Once a free wheeling, joyful site for news and discussion of politics, economics, philosophy, ethics and morals. I could not understand the transformation that has taken place in the last six months. Camaraderie, the sense of family, and cooperation seems to have disappeared. Are the Freepers exhibiting the same disdain for the new FR as Americans have for our government?

[TigersEye]

My wife and I (.30Carbine) give you hearty congratulations!
Yours was much more worthy to be the millenial post.

(Hats off, sweeping bow.)

[FreeTheHostages]

I'm STILL HERE and I'm NOT GOING ANYWHERE. Tomkat, are you entering or WHAT? You're so witty and all.

CONTEST, CONTEST!!! WITH ACTUAL REAL WORLD PRIZE!! CHENEY BOOK AND COULTER BOOK

Me and Mudboy Slim here sponsoring a contest in this thread. Person who wins gets me to mail them a copy of Lynne Cheney's new book, "America: A Patriotic Primer." And Mudboy Slim is adding to the kitty a SIGNED COPY OF ANN COULTER'S NEW BOOK. Gasp: can Mudboy be serious about parting with such a thing? Apparently so! Well, all I can guarantee is that I am perfectly serious about mailing the book to the winner. And Cheney’s book is a real winner. So here's all you got to do to win: Come up with the best top ten list (and be sure to ping me with it) of

TOP TEN REASONS WHY (and here you have an option of themes)
(1) I'm Still Posting in This Thread
(2) I'm Still A Happy Freeper
(3) This Thread Scares Me

Contest closes at 5 p.m. EST Saturday, winner to be announced by 10 p.m. FreetheHostages and Mudboy Slim are the judges. FreetheHostages has final say if we don't agree. But we will.

Remember, this is a top ten list contest. Humor counts.

The judges remind participants that we will accept bribes gladly. I do say, however, that bribes will not affect our judging. (To which Mudboy Slim says: “Speak fer yerself, mi amigo.”) So far, we have as entrants posts nos. 1013, 965, 954, 887, 886, 870, 764, 762, 752, 738, 736, 724, 680, and 667. FREEP ON! There is still plenty of material intermingled with these top ten list entries to give you food for thought! (Wow, is it ever. Wish they’d tone it down a little: people, people, we’re trying to run a contest over here.)

This is not an official contest of Free Republic management. It’s just little ‘ole me and, if Mudboy’s serious and I *think* he is, Mudboy too, we’re running this contest. But there *will* be a winner, publicly announced, and the prize is *real.*

No consolation prize, although I will pray for the souls of all who have posted in this thread.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

I think the highest compliment I ever got was that I was a PAID GOP shill who comes to FR daily to post slobbering threads about President Bush.

Shhhhhhhh! Don't tell 'em!! Racicot told me to keep it a secret! ; )

(Now watch a thread pop up about this on the little forum. That's where I found out I was a mod.)

[FreeTheHostages]

Re post 971: um, I'm not trying to be cute or somethin', but was that post intended to be an official entry in the contest?

[tpaine]

You got it arne!
I'm kinda partial to kevins clever "Infantile and childish FReeper anti-bitch queens" line, but the "Gang of Three" works well also.

You jealous? We could make it "Three and a Jerk" if you'd like.

[BluesDuke]

And in gratitude I give you a 20-gun salute!

[Mo1]

Gee .. aren't you a happy little camper

[tomkat]

i shot my wad on all the quality cheese in here up to now.
lemme sleep on it overnight...

how 'bout a 'best of' entry ?
like, using my incredible discernment to choose the best item from among the various entrants,
lining up the best ten and giving, of course, full credit to the author(s), and even letting them borrow my prize book sometimes ??

just a thought ...

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

I had one once that told me on a forum to "get ready to be destroyed..." and was threatening to crash my PC by sending me a fax (hence the "haxor" comment)...

Oh man...you MUST be kidding. (Hate-filled nerds are in a class all by themselves.)

[carenot]

That's my "beef" with the anti-"government" nonsense. It masks the sources of our political injury, and the steps we need to change that reality.

I agree.

That is why I refuse to encourage them by voting for the lesser of two evils.

[FreeTheHostages]

I'm a math major by education. So I completely understand. Zero works.

[TigersEye]

Unless you're intimating that this a non-smoking nico-nazi thread I say "Nonsense, fire 'em up boys!...And girls! Cigars and Guinness' all around."

[ArneFufkin]

Damn right I'm jealous. Maybe I can join and we can be the "Four Freshmen" or the "FreedomForce and a Fufkin" or the "Fufkin and Three No Names".

Aqualung, my friend, don't YOU start away uneasy.

[FreeTheHostages]

Hmm, nope.

I sole judge. With Mudboy Slim.

Me bad.

BUT I do say this: we will take lobbying and if you have a point of view on which one is overall best, we'll hear it. I just wouldn't start thinking about that yet: lots of people haven't posted yet.

[ArneFufkin]

Then you may leave the playing field in an orderly fashion. You are the weakest link. Bye bye.

[tpaine]

"Gee .. aren't you a happy little camper"


Hah! That's rich. "Personal attacks and insults" are my first and last names and inflicting pain is me game.
[that's straight from the horse's front orifice, btw]

[Miss Marple]

Top 10 Reasons Why I am still a Happy Freeper:

10. Since I cancelled the kids' Highlights suubscription years ago, this site is the closest thing I can find to "Goofus and Gallant."
9. Saves me money on newspaper and magazine subscriptions.
8. When asking myself if I am too sensitive, I can always remind myself that I am still here and haven't written an opus.
7. From time to time, I get excellent recipes and gardening tips, free of charge, from people who have become good friends.
6. Once you have been called a knee-pad wearing, statist, socialistic, empty-headed Bushbot, that guy who growls at you in traffic doesn't intimidate you anymore.
5. It's nice to know what will be on the radio talk shows 12-24 hours ahead of the programs.
4. No other group of people could have got me to stand in the rain in November on the steps of my state capitol, holding a sign and screaming "W-1!" at TV reporters.
3. Where else can I find people who know about Cthulu?
2. Everyone loves a mystery, and we always have plenty of sleuthing going on here.
AND THE NUMBER ONE ANSWER:
1. Where else can I find pictures such as these? They sure don't show up in my home town paper!!

Thanks, rintense!!

[ArneFufkin]

Tomkat, is this entire dustup about JimRob sending the credit card authorization mission to a professional service bureau?

[tomkat]

never hurts to ask ...   

[Chad Fairbanks]

Actually, I had a cig in my mouth when I posted that... :0)