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America Needs Virtue before Prosperity: A Response to Tucker Carlson
National Review ^ | 01/08/2019 | Ben Shapiro

Posted on 01/08/2019 8:27:18 AM PST by SeekAndFind

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Correction to the above quotes: The first two are from Benjamin Franklin, the last one from Thomas Jefferson.

I remembered that Adams had a similar quote, so I googled “virtuous people” with “Adams”.

Internet search engines have their limits. *HARUMPH*


21 posted on 01/08/2019 8:55:37 AM PST by Simon Foxx
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To: Mariner

But what is virtue? Is it purity of intent and deed? But politics must address having to do evil sometimes to save a nation in an emergency: wars, insurrections, fighting corruption and stopping invasions by immigration. So virtue for national leaders must require that leaders sometimes do bad to bring about good (ex: Truman dropping A-bombs on Japan). But in all other matters, like raising children, conventional religious morality should prevail.

Someone has to do the murdering, lying, betraying, coercing and scorning for us, whether it is cops, politicians, soldiers or others so that we, and our children, can remain innocent. We are all complicit in original sin. But leaders must refrain from using gratuitous (self serving) evil, such as Hillary Clinton enriching herself with her Clinton Foundation to accept bribes from foreign nations in a pay to play scheme.

Thus, virtue is bravery, boldness, action more than words, valor, skill, cunning, bad-mouthing to protect the state; and acting generously, with piety and compassion can be detrimental to the nation (ex: Jimmy Carter). A virtuous leader is one who will risk their soul and their virtuous reputation for the nation, not some pious person who cannot stand up to evil. Thus, political virtue contains an element of willingness to sacrifice one’s soul and reputation. That is what Christianity is about: taking on the sins of the world.

Virtue is fine for one’s family and church but not for running a state.


22 posted on 01/08/2019 8:59:55 AM PST by WLusvardi
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans
Shapiro tries on ideas like they're a fashion statement of the moment... then tosses those ideas just as quickly.

Tucker's right on this issue - Shapiro doesn't understand what Tucker's saying... it's not a warmed over Bernie - it's an underlying truth.

23 posted on 01/08/2019 9:00:54 AM PST by GOPJ (Whole towns in flyover died when jobs left for China. DC didn't gave a damn-now they want OUR tears?)
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To: SeekAndFind

Shapiro has lived a quite sheltered life. Tucker’s comments reflect the people of America who make America work.

Shapiro’s commentary is from the textbook. He is wooden and is incapable of seeing a shade of grey.


24 posted on 01/08/2019 9:05:44 AM PST by Otto Lidenbrock
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To: GOPJ

Shapiro offers no solutions to the gutting of Middle America. his brand of conservatism is an abject failure. He has billionaire backers also so he doesn’t need to worry about prosperity.

Shapiro should be shunned and rejected wholeheartedly.


25 posted on 01/08/2019 9:05:49 AM PST by ground_fog ( My God this was from today!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Shapiro is an Israel-firster, open-borders neocon, and a coward.

Some folks here have been bamboozled by this controlled-opposition fraud. They need to do research on this chicken-hawk.


26 posted on 01/08/2019 9:07:21 AM PST by bkopto
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To: ground_fog
Shapiro offers no solutions to the gutting of Middle America. his brand of conservatism is an abject failure.

You're right about Shapiro - BUT unlike George Will and Goldberg he's still young - and might be able to turn around... take a saner position. But yeah, right now he's clueless - and a jerk.

27 posted on 01/08/2019 9:14:06 AM PST by GOPJ (Whole towns in flyover died when jobs left for China. DC didn't gave a damn-now they want OUR tears?)
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To: bkopto

RE: Shapiro is an Israel-firster, open-borders neocon, and a coward.

1) If he were an open-borders guy, explain to me why he supports Trump on the Border Wall.

2) If he were a Coward, explain to me why he goes on hostile college campuses to debate liberals even when he gets threats from the left.

3) Yes, he supports Israel, but so does Trump.


28 posted on 01/08/2019 9:15:05 AM PST by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it will)
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To: SeekAndFind

Donald Trump is Harry Callahan(Dirty Harry).

Flawed but HONEST. Wanting the right things. Willing to do what he has to be done.

The forces of corruption are arrayed against him. Times are more desperate than folks realize.

I support him to do what is necessary to save the republic.


29 posted on 01/08/2019 9:15:20 AM PST by LeonardFMason
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To: Flaming Conservative

” Like William Krystal, he’s making sausage by using adulterated logic. “

Yep

He doesn’t have to ‘splain’ what Tucker meant.

I can understand without his help.


30 posted on 01/08/2019 9:16:17 AM PST by aumrl (let's keep it real Conservatives)
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To: SeekAndFind

All of this article sidesteps the fact that our country as founded was morally connected to religious freedom. The current situation is that the denominational religions, Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, etc., along with non denominational churches, have been subverted by non virtuous, non religious, non God believers. Universities that were founded by denominational churches have been so diluted over the years as to be unrecognizable to their faithful supporters. There is still the natural law that human beings are born with, the inborn and instinctive knowledge of right and wrong. Many of us just ignore that instinct and substitute our own interpretation of virtue as being flexible. As all of this pertains to Donald Trump, the current national peril America faces is not theological confusion but a tangible fight to the death for the survival of this Republic. It is immediate and Pres Trump in leading this fight must combat the forces of hell that are against him and this Republic.People can dissect his behavior and the depth of his religious convictions but he is obviously very high above his antagonists when it involves fighting to save this country. God bless and protect Pres Trump


31 posted on 01/08/2019 9:27:48 AM PST by mountainfolk
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To: SeekAndFind

https://thezman.com/wordpress/?p=13963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwf6FWEtX5Q&t=7m24s


32 posted on 01/08/2019 9:33:38 AM PST by bkopto
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To: SeekAndFind

Oh, I am well aware of his sorta flip flop on the matter. Its “sorta” since he thinks making it not about religion is what makes it nice and kosher again, despite his own hardcore Zionism and distaste for Muslims.


33 posted on 01/08/2019 9:34:20 AM PST by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: Mariner

“Shapiro and NRO are never-Trumpers and their links should not be allowed on this site.”

ROTFLOL!!


34 posted on 01/08/2019 9:35:22 AM PST by Valk Rider
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To: SeekAndFind

You’ve been listening to Shapiro only since the election then.

Listen to his stuff during the primaries.


35 posted on 01/08/2019 9:36:10 AM PST by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Tucker is definitely not the sharpest knife.


36 posted on 01/08/2019 9:37:29 AM PST by aquila48
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To: lurk

No, Shapiro was straight up contradicting his own stated positions to attack Trump. You don’t go all high minded about Muslim bans, decrying attacks against people because they are Muslim, when you are on record supporting ethnic cleansing.


37 posted on 01/08/2019 9:38:00 AM PST by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I believe this article totally misrepresents Tucker Carlsons words and beliefs.

He was simply positing the idea that the way taxes and regulations are configured to maximize money, and minimize the nuclear family are wrong. Instead of directly paying Mothers to stay at home and raise children, while the Father works. American society encourages both parents to work, and the State raises the children.

One could argue that open borders, and importation of workers is a large part of the drop in wages that makes it nearly impossible for one person to provide for his family.

Of course I disagree with his idea that you must fund a College for your children. The idea of a “manufacturing plant” you send your kids to for 2-4 or 6 years, to have a chance at prosperity is ridiculous. There is nothing that teaches like hard work, and any book learning necessary should have taken place by the 12th grade anyway. Few are the trades and professions that require a degree. In the “Wizard of Oz”, the Scarecrow is seen to become well educated when he is given a diploma. That is exactly what our Colleges do. They hand out diplomas, and the receivers are then deemed worth of hire.


38 posted on 01/08/2019 9:44:46 AM PST by Glad2bnuts (If Republicans are not prepared to carry on the Revolution of 1776, prepare for a communist takeover)
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To: WLusvardi

All this philosophy and sophistry about free markets and virtues are BS to me. You can’t buy or sell anything without a burden. You can’t own property without a burden. You can’t earn an income from your labors without a burden.

There is no private property.
There are no free markets.
Virtue is a word that means many things to many people, from the greeks to the puritans, it can practically mean the opposite.


39 posted on 01/08/2019 9:45:29 AM PST by z3n
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

RE: You’ve been listening to Shapiro only since the election then.

He was on our drive time radio only after the elections. You have to tell me why his support for Trump’s policies AFTER the elections somehow makes him a NeverTrumper.

THAT makes no sense.


40 posted on 01/08/2019 9:45:50 AM PST by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it will)
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