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?

[AAABEST]

LOL. Dood I just realized that we're on yet another one of these long, cheezy threads! You always come in them first though, I just follow you in after seeing your screenname on the front board.

[borkrules]

It's very series.

[FreeTheHostages]

I refer you to post #851 and the "why I keep posting" option. I think you'd have an interesting entry. C'mon, join the fun, give us your top ten!

[borkrules]

I gots till tomorrow at 5, right?

[tpaine]

Whatever.

I liked the bags 'colostomy' remark best though. - Good crap.

[FreeTheHostages]

Yes, indeed, sir.

[carenot]

No, politicians are ignoring the Constitution.

Good point, but aren't the polititians the ones that make the laws that ignore the Constitution?

[FreeTheHostages]

Ok, it's time for weird rule questions. Mudboy, feel free to chime in and overrule any of my commentary.

Question 1: Does spelling count? D'oh: did spelling EVER count here?

Question 2: What if I say something bad about somebody else and it turns out you like them? Ok, this is simple: I promise to hate everyone equally when judging (in the apparent spirit of this thread), but why would something bad be funny? Can't speak for Mudboy, but Three Stooges weren't ever that funny for me.

Question 3: Is this an official Free Republic contest? Nope -- sorry didn't clarify that in my original contest announcement. This is just little 'ole me and Mudboy. But the books are real and will be mailed.

[Howlin]

Well, he has been pretty busy over the years and evidently has spent much time of late trying -- with varying degrees of success -- to correct what he perceives are serious threats to a forum to which he's been quite faithful for many years.

Apparently what bothers Joe is that he's in the distinct minority on this forum now.

And now that he's outted himself as a government hater, I'd venture to say 90 percent of the people on here don't agree with him on THAT either, present company excluded, of course.

FR is quite simply what it is, nothing more and nothing less; people acting like because they have processed credit cards for a couple of years means that they can try to run this forum -- not to mention trying to get GOOD people removed for the jobs that Jim Robinsons said they were doing EXACTLY like he told them to -- is quite silly and only makes Joe look like a spoiled brat having a tantrum.

[ArneFufkin]

WHY I'M STILL HAPPILY ON THIS THREAD

1.) Beats cold calling at ten to five
2.) Shift change at "Ricks Cabaret" not till 7 pm
3.) If I go outside, government will have open shot at me
4.) Waiting for that Semi of Jethro Tull's Y2K Spaghettio overstock to arrive
5.) Victoria Delsoul and LurkerNoMore are around here somewhere
6.) Court ordered home arrest
7.) A+Bert won't stay away after promising to tell me all about Israel
8.) Deb's gonna "Bobbit" some troglodyte any minute now
9.) Clarity is going to present his "Twinkee Defense" as bold countermove to copyright infringement litigation
10.) I need to tell MUD that the Skins just really blow

[BluesDuke]

Ok the Top Ten Reasons I'm still posting on this thread..

9. I can't get enough of Blues Duke's wacky pack pictures.

Your wish is my meeting the demand...coffee, anyone?

[FreeTheHostages]

Re No. 10, is she referring to the Washington Redskins? Hmm, I'm a total fan. Are you, Mudster?

[FreeTheHostages]

Thanks for entry! Wow, first in 100 posts too.

[Mo1]

BUMP for North Carolina

[Howlin]

Synder cannot possibly win ANYTHING, much less that senate seat.

[Howlin]

See above.

[gratefulwharffratt]

Synder cannot possibly win ANYTHING, much less that senate seat.

Oh well, you can vote for Leftist Edwards then....

:-)

[FreeTheHostages]

As of now, we have 9 distinct entries. Wow.

[Mo1]

LOL .. I'm from PA .. I don't even know who Snyder is .. But I like NC .. it's a real nice state

[RJayneJ]

Can you give me a post number? };^D)