Posted on 09/28/2010 3:13:02 AM PDT by Scanian
I recently caught the last five minutes of Rocky, the classic movie starring Sylvester Stallone. During the finale, Championship Boxing Exhibition, Rocky, the extreme underdog amateur, was knocked down several times by powerful punches from the reigning champion. Upon being knocked down yet again, Rocky's coach instructed, "Stay down!"
I thought, that is exactly what many family and friends, who love us, advise when the goin' gets tough: "Quit. Give up on your dream." Like such family and friends, Rocky's well-intentioned coach did not get it. Instinctively, Rocky knew he had to get back up, or he would never be able to look at himself in the mirror again. Even after seeing the scene for the gazillionth time, when Rocky struggles to his feet and battles the champion to the final bell, I still get a lump in my throat.
Rocky strikes a universal chord. I was in college when the movie was first released in the '70s. Several of my fellow black friends were militants running around touting "Black Power" with raised fists. And yet they were crazy about the Italian Stallion, Rocky.
Rocky is universally loved because he tells us that no matter how much life beats you down, if you can find the strength to pick yourself back up, you are a winner. Rocky also tells us that certain things are worth fighting for -- risking losing for the dream of winning. Rocky epitomized the American Spirit.
And then, along came the Obama administration. In fairness, while no other president has promoted entitlement and American unexceptionalism more than Obama, we have been traveling down this entitlement road for quite awhile.
Like Rocky's coach, but for sinister reasons, Obama and liberals advise Americans, "Stay down! Striving for personal success is evil. You're entitled to the fruit of the labor of someone else. Illegal immigration is fine. Enforcing the law is insensitive, heartless, and racist. Competition damages self-esteem. Capitalism is unfair. Expecting immigrants to learn English is cruel and racist. We expect very little of you."
In keeping with their constant appealing to our lower nature and "don't strive for excellence" mindset, liberals coach minorities with messages like "You're victims of American racism. You deserve handouts. America is controlled by rich white people." Much has been written about the Left's "bigotry of low expectations" in regards to minorities.
No longer do we celebrate the "Rockys" of America -- folks who sacrifice, take risks, and struggle to achieve a better life for their families and themselves. Obama and company demonize achievers, calling them selfish and greedy exploiters of the poor.
In the name of "social justice," King Obama has begun confiscating and redistributing the wealth of Americans who were knocked down by life several times but courageously kept struggling to pick themselves back up and became winners. Reading the biographies of the wealthy will confirm that most of them took risks and experienced failures; many faced bankruptcies, lost marriages, and tremendous sacrifices and struggles. But they kept getting back up.
Not only has Obama vowed to confiscate the wealth of these "American Rockys" -- and in his own words, "spread it around" America -- but he intends to redistribute their hard-earned money around the world.
Some say the American Dream is dead. Nobody wants to work hard to achieve a goal. They believe liberals have successfully divided Americans into various victimized groups, all believing they are entitled. These fatalists say far too many Americans would rather sit on their butts and wait for whatever entitlement crumbs the government throws their way.
I do not believe we have reached such an ugly un-Rocky/un-American critical mass. Traveling on the Tea Party Express, I have attended hundreds of Tea Parties across America. Rocky is alive and well in the hearts and minds of millions of Tea Party patriots who still celebrate ambition, courage, and personal achievement. These folks are downright repulsed by the idea of government controlling outcomes, dictating who wins and who loses.
Daily assaults by Obama have severely beaten down the spirit of America. He proclaims that the U.S. is no longer -- nor should it be -- the world economic leader. So how many more Obama brutal punches can the spirit of American exceptionalism endure? Will it survive the Obama regime?
Yes, it will. No matter how many times the American spirit is knocked down, it always gets back up. Tea Party patriots have declared, "King Obama, you're dethroned! We're taking back America!" Adriannnnnn, I LOVE YOU!!!
The Free Market is down and out and in need of CPR. The Federal Government has smothered it and it is needing Liberation. Two more years of Obama...Doubt it.
A couple of episodes of Jack Bauer topped off with any Rocky flick and America is gooder to go !
He will have his wings clipped.
Seriously.
And, while two years is long, it will go quickly--relatively speaking. Take it from me.
Hang in there. We all hang together, or we hang separately.
Is it any better in Tokyo?
Americans have an almost genetic sense that we would rather “die on our feet than live on our knees”. Zero currently is able to run amok due to confusion among the folks but as that confusion ends and just what he is is becoming clearer by the hour the folks are turning on him in droves. As dark as it seems just now a new dawn is coming that will really show the world something. IMHO. We are Americans, the folks who showed the world time and again. At Lexington, Yorktown, Tripoli, Iwo, Normandy, you name it. We have repeatedly driven straight through the grim opposition to our success and will continue to do so. “Americans love a fight.” Gen George Patton. ‘Nuff said.
Hi AIT.
C’mon guys. Stay with us. We’re gonna win this fight.
Does Rocky have to deal with a crooked referree when it’s time to declare a winner?
Rocky is good, though.
Will the american spirit survive 0? Those who voted for him already lost it, or more likely never had it to begin with. The american spirit has to do with independence and a strong work ethic. The 0 spirit is “when’s someone gonna help us?” as typified by the natural born 0 votes whining on the national news after Katrina
Well I think America is splitting into two cultures. One is the traditonal American culture, epitomized by perhaps Rocky but more so by hardwoking, vituous self-reliant people. This is the culture that built American greatness.
The other, newer culture is epitomized by Obama’s aunt - opportunistic parasites who want to enjoy the wealth created by the old culture and who expect the “system” to take care of them. As America is overrun with immigrants (and some native-born) with this expectation (just as the Roman Republic was) it will be increasingly hard to maintain he old culture.
If the Left is thrown from power after this November, there is a chance. If not, then IMHO the answer is “no.”
Absolutely it will survive.
LLS
DAMN RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LLS
Excellent video.
Was sent to me this a.m.
Think I’ll post it on every thread;)
If we can survive Jimmy Carter (which in some ways was worse than Obama—remember the shockingly high inflation and prime lending rates?), we can survive Obama. I still remember Carter’s infamous “malaise” speech that effectively doomed his Presidency from 1979.
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