Free Republic

Sorry... No intention... Just the first lines of the article got me going... I apologize... and in sign of good faith will refrain from further posting.

Hello ansell2,

The fact remains that after 74 years the nation with this most perfect and wonderful constitution, was torn apart... and a federation of free states was abandoned for a centralized government...

Let’s face it, the USA of today (especially with all her judicial activisim) would be unrecognizable to the founders.

It remains a fine political document, but as with all documents it is really only as good as its interpreters.

Those interpreters have allowed for a bloated federal government, (with 1 in 4 kids on foodstamps), debased currency, wildly invasive (technologically enhanced) surveillance... and a society that has 25% of the world’s prison inmates (despite having less than 5% of the world’s population) which puts a very strange edge on “land of the free.”

Those interpreters have allowed undeclared wars, political correctness (in which - for example - mention of race vis-à-vis crime is considered taboo despite it being a prime cultural factor), uncontrolled immigration (invasion), taxation that makes old King George look incredibly benign.

I guess it might be a consolation that some places in Europe are worse off... but the American political process - this thing called democracy - has become a joke.

Did people really vote to make California (and soon Texas) Hispanic? Did they vote to send such a huge percentage of manufacturing jobs to China (and elsewhere)? Did they vote for the trillions in debt?

Makes one wonder who is really in control. As in most systems, the really important issues are beyond the reach of the people. This was true in UK and Holland (which are being heavily Islamized).

Political Correctness is the “democratic” way of despotism.

“230 years of a solid Constitution”

The Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787

The American Civil War (1861–1865)

1861 minus 1787 = 74 years

Is it unfair to say that despite being a wonderful document the Constitution failed after a measly 74 years requiring the first modern war (which despite historical revisionism wasn’t about slavery, but mostly tarriffs)?

Actually, it is through the zealous that one knows a faith. And nothing compares so dramatically as the concept of “martyr” in the Catholic vs Islamic mindset.

As all zeal (no one’s excluded) can cross the line of truth, goodness and beauty, it is important to have a final “papal” authority imposing orthodoxy. Zeal rightly directed is a wonderful and blessed thing. I often thank God for “our” fanatics... for that’s what the likes of a St. Francis or a Don Bosco were to the ben pensanti of their age: nuisances. Upsetters.

Agreed. Yet people continue to see the struggle - or the battlelines - between Capitalism and Socialism, when instead they can get along quite well... and in fact, are in cahoots.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the real battleline is Globalism (which has every reason to promote multiculturalism and political correctness and immigration and one-size-fits-all) VERSUS the more local and cultural. Only the latter is conservative in any meaningful way.

I’ve come to see that big and invasive government is also a result of big and invasive Capitalism. In any case, it is beyond shocking that a land so blessed as America, blessed with everything, resources, fertile land, science fiction technology, great universities, generous oceans and lakes, should have 1 in 4 kids on foodtsamps and people trampling each other to death in Black Friday sales.

These numbers - even if only half true - are shocking:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/50-economic-numbers-about-us-are-almost-too-crazy-believe

And at this point carping about socialist Europe only goes so far... when there is obviously another source of friction that has caused the destruction of the Middle Class and increased the barbarity of society.

And it is to be found in the unholy alliance of the MSM, Big Finance and Corrupt Govt. Another vision, and one more complicated than the simpler (and at this point resolved) diatribes of Capitalism Vs Socialism.

The economies of the world are in a turmoil because of over-lending. The toxic bond capitals of the world are NY and London... with Frankfurt and Paris coming in as far away seconds.

Some money movers are now even looking at socialistoid Sweden as the new Switzerland... a safe haven for their money.

Though socialism is a big drag, the culprit of this crisis is quite solidly Finance Capitalism in cahoots with the social planners... Bubbles, big fat juicy ones. Now one should ask why on earth ancient enemies should suddenly be ass-and-shirt (so to speak). The answer is Globalism.

It’s not enough to say Socialism, because the big fatcat Capitalists are also involved. Why be blind to it?

In my country, this unholy union is manifest. The Communist president appointed Mario Monti, international advisor to Goldman Sachs as Prime Minister. The same Goldman Sachs that was Obama’s number one contributor.

Why would the cigar chomping caricatures of Capitalism join forces with the caricatures of social planning?

History written by politicians and imposed by tribunals instead of freely discussed? No thank you! It has nothing to do with the Jews, Armenians, Russians, Ukranians, Rwandans, Chinese... etc. etc. It has to do with proper historical method and the details and context of each incidence of genocide or slaughter. And there’s plenty to go around. Detached scholarship replaced by hot and politically motivated diktat is not the way.

What you write is my own sentiment: Gingrich, but admiration for Ron Paul who takes a stand for what he believes in. And what he believes in would surely have saved America (and much of the world) the financial crisis, the spread of welfare and wars of unintended consequences (i.e. the diaspora of Christians by the 100s of thousands from their ancient homelands). Zillions of bucks to prop despots with nothing to show for it, but the Muslim brotherhood taking over.

And yes, he’s being slimed like Sarah Palin. Slimed and smeared. Probably because he actually DOES believe in something... which these days is the real and dangerous crime as opposed to going along with business as usual plus or minus a few permitted tweaks. Now they’re even throwing in the Holocaust.

A very unpretty spectacle.

No it’s not orchestrated... there’s no MSM playing Republicans like a fiddle. And anyway what’s the big deal? Ron Paul’s foreign policy has a few things in common with Jeremiah Wright... when legs were tingling with hope and change for the Democrat who had that same sage Black Supremecist as his spiritual advisor for twenty years.

Nothing orchestrated, nothing to look at.

Smear campaign. But maybe you’re too close to see it. And the whole election is gradually shifting into negative territory, where the actual issues get lost by the wayside.

The two big issues are Government (size and scope - meaning spending) and foreign policy - meaning ALSO and undeniably UNintended consequences. And there have undeniably been many. Are they worth the cost in blood and treasure? What’s the ultimate goal? Democracy in the middle east? Maintaining the status quo? Lots of inconclusive wars?

I wouldn’t even be for Ron Paul, but he’s not a madman, crackpot, racist... he’s a legitimate candidate with a legitimate following and with opinions that need to be discussed.

Concerning the FED in particular, this man whom many are now calling mad, was spot on - while everyone else was sleeping or on the take.

Unless the other candidates state what their foreign policy end game is... none is credible.

It’s a civil war with both sides (both? More like 4 sides!) considering outside forces the enemy.

Half the Christian population of Iraq had to flee, following USA intervention. Not really a success story.

Conventional logic doesn’t work with Islamic countries. Al Quaida-like entities win the Elections. There can be no nation building when the very ethos of the people involved is insane. Their natural state is at best a precarious peace maintained by a dictatorship. That’s what works and makes sense there. The USA can do it, but at the cost of a full scale occupation and complete dictatorial control. Half measures? Useless. Spreading the blessings of democracy to Muslims? An Enlightenment wet dream.

Seen from abroad, the orchestrated campaign against Ron Paul is pretty shocking. He’s insane, a racist and now he shares the same foreign policy views as Jeremiah Wright - when perhaps Thomas Jefferson (no forign entanglements) would be closer to the truth. What’s this need to demonize? Why don’t they just debate the issues? It’s obvious the man loves America and hates big Govt. For his position on the FED alone, he deserves more respect. All the other candidates were either sleeping or on the take when he was warning about the incestuous relationship between Big Money and Dirty Politics. That doesn’t mean he’s right on everything or should be elected, but it does mean that he doesn’t deserve to be demonized and likened to a Chicago Thug Preacher.

Yes that Mao ball on the Christmas tree was really something. Any political figure on a Christmas tree is wrong, but humanity’s top mass murderer was a real eye opener. Add to that the fact that saying or writing “Merry Christmas” has been banned from public places... and one can only get the sneaking suspicion that the United States of America (as opposed to her people) has started her own Axis of Evil.

How come the race of the people involved is not mentioned? It’s obviously a racial thing and yet: customers, victims, teens, shoppers, consumers customers, victims, teens, shoppers, consumers customers, victims, teens, shoppers, consumers customers, victims, teens, shoppers, consumers

What’s America afraid of? It’s like the French calling the Muslims burning the banlieues “youths”... By default, you’ll never get a handle on the problem.

Ciao Think free,

Visiting parents, you got to see the real deal, I just went on a school organized trip from Heidelberg, Germany as a tourist.

But shortly after the fall of Communism, I worked in many places in Czech Republic and even lived for a period in Slovakia so I breathed in the spirit of freedom, the happiness and also many of the troubles of the transformation. Both countries hold a special place in my heart.

The Czechs have a delightful figure called Jara Cimrman (the man who invented everything, but invariably showed up 5 minutes late at the patent office). The fictional character was voted their greatest national hero.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A1ra_Cimrman#Greatest_Czech_contest

And in the same poll, the “worst Czech” was the Communist dictator Klement Gottwald (who like Lenin was put on permanent display after his death, except they botched the embalming and he turned black!)

Merry Christmas

Vessili Vianoce (or something like that)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klement_Gottwald#After_Gottwald

To my mind it shows what sort of crazy and poetic people they are.

Hate Obama?

YES WE CAN!

I first visited Prague in 1971, just a few years after the Soviet invasion. It was like a living car museum with bat mobile Tatras... and cigarettes that could be bought singly (one at a time) and their great beer with no labels... and the churches packed... Very atmospheric... Everybody - 99.9% of Czeckoslvakian humanity - upon seeing I was a tourist - would sneak close and ask to buy hard currency (especially German Marks). Loudspeakers on the street making announcements and playing military music... pictures of Brevnev and Husak in every shop window... and (gulp!) some of the prettiest girls in the world.

Salute! Na sdravie (or something like that)

Havel wanted to appoint Frank Zappa Minister of Culture

http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/videography/Vaclav_Havel.html

His favorite album was Bongo Fury

http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/lyrics/Bongo_Fury.html

Those were crazy and heady days in Prague

What you say is true.

And anyway, I heartily welcome Protestants. Sinners and all. In many there’s a wealth of spirituality, Bible scholarship, activism and - don’t laugh - good singing... especially from the south.

http://youtu.be/UnfhQ5I937M

It’s not up to me, but wherever possible, I’m ecumenical. Especially when it comes to the major issue of abortion.

That said, I’d vote for Sarah Palin in a heartbeat regardless of her affiliation.

No Bibles allowed in a hospital? Whoa!

“....Do you think they shouldn’t be allowed to experience one of life’s physical pleasures?...”

I think it’s foolish for society to promote barren nests in the name of freedom. But I can see why THIS society doesn’t care. If I were a homosexual AND a conservative, I’d have enough good sense not to mess around with the customs, mores, laws that favor and nurture life.

Sure, it’s so innocent and even attractive (the girls are pretty and one is even “proudly defending” her country)... the perfect photo. A twinky commercial... but the real message is moral misery of the first magnitude. And even THEY know it. There’s no love in LOVE-INS and there’s nothing gay about gay-parades.