Thomas Jefferson “A little rebellion…”
Here’s our own Veritas Omnia Vincit, with some thoughts about Thomas Jefferson, and how things may have gone astray from his intent. Some are striving to change the course and this is met with stiff resistance by those grown too comfortable with the status quo.
Enough from me, here’s VoV:
Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem
Societies exist under three forms sufficiently distinguishable.
1. Without government, as among our Indians.
2. Under governments wherein the will of every one has a just influence, as is the case in England in a slight degree, and in our states in a great one.
3. Under governments of force: as is the case in all other monarchies and in most of the other republics.
To have an idea of the curse of existence under these last, they must be seen. It is a government of wolves over sheep. It is a problem, not clear in my mind, that the first condition is not the best. But I believe it to be inconsistent with any great degree of population. The second state has a great deal of good in it. The mass of mankind under that enjoys a precious degree of liberty and happiness. It has it’s evils too: the principal of which is the turbulence to which it is subject. But weigh this against the oppressions of monarchy, and it becomes nothing. Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem. Even this evil is productive of good. It prevents the degeneracy of government, and nourishes a general attention to the public affairs. I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. – Jefferson to Madison, January 30, 1787.
What does Jefferson mean by a “dangerous freedom”? I suspect we all have some slightly different ideas. I’ve always felt that he meant true freedom was the freedom that didn’t protect you from yourself, freedom that allowed your decisions to result in your demise or your success. The kind of freedom that kept the government out of the affairs of the governed until such time as there was a victim. Then the general welfare of the public kicks in and the government attempts to address the actions of that individual who created a victim. For Jefferson there was no crime without damage to a person or his property. He felt you should be free to live on your property in whatever fashion suited you until such time as your actions created a victim of your neighbors or their property.
That’s a fairly libertarian viewpoint, that you can do what you want with yourself on your property free from government interference. That the government had no business making laws where there not only wasn’t a victim but the sole function of the law was to force people to behave or act in a certain manner. That government is anathema to Jefferson’s view of good government. He considered those Republics as governments of force. I would be interested to hear his take today on our government which has very much become Jefferson’s third definition over the last hundred years. Our government today is nothing if not a government of force.
We now have hundreds of laws on the books that have no individual as the victim but merely the state as arbiter of what you are allowed or not allowed to do. Laws making it illegal to collect the water falling from the sky on your own property fall in this category, as do laws dictating how you must construct a window opening if you wish to change the size of the window openings in your home. Laws that mandate the wearing of safety equipment to ride a bike, or skate in a park, or drive a car. Once we decided we were okay with the government protecting us from ourselves the government was only too eager to jump in and direct every aspect of your life to keep you safe. We now have laws telling manufacturers of toasters that they must include labeling that indicates using the toaster in the bathtub or sink might kill the person making toast otherwise the dead moron’s family can sue the manufacturer out of business. In the name of safety we’ve given up most of our freedom to a government that doesn’t view you as a citizen it views you as a commodity resource to be exploited for as long as possible and in as many ways as possible.
We’ve even convinced our fellow citizens they are in fact sheep, and the LEOs who protect them are the beneficial sheepdogs protecting the flock. It’s a disgusting analogy when you consider the economics behind the analogy. What are sheep really? They are a commodity resource exploited by the farmer until they can’t be exploited anymore at which point they are slaughtered and eaten. The sheep have no say in their existence or death and the sheep dog isn’t their friend he’s a tool of the rancher whose only purpose is to safeguard the resource for the farmer’s economic benefit not for the benefit of the sheep that’s simply a lucky coincidence for the moment because once the farmer decides a particular sheep has lost its value the farmer no longer cares if the dog protects it or not.
The sheep are kept where the farmer wants them, not where the sheep want to go, they are moved around as it suits the farmer not the sheep. The sheep has zero say in how it lives its daily life, but that’s the analogy the government has masterfully foisted on an ever less intelligent public. Sadly, more than a few LEOs also have bought into the analogy thinking they are protectors of the flock and not considering the reality of the analogy. Hell they’ve even put the idea on T-Shirts to sell it to the masses…Sheep are slaves to the rancher, in a free republic the government is supposed to govern with the consent of the governed. Sheep can’t refuse to obey rancher’s commands, in much the same way as we the people lack the ability to refuse to now obey our government.
This brings me to the CinC again, people are tired of being compared to sheep and tired of being told to what to do by politicians pretending to be acting to protect the citizens. Even though I’m not a big Trump fan I understand the appeal, more so with each passing day. Trump disrupts the operation of the tax farm, he’s screwing with the status quo, he’s making the power structure really uncomfortable. Trump is the first of “a little rebellion” that Jefferson talks about in his letter. Trump wasn’t elected to be a peacemaker, he wasn’t elected to make people happy and comfortable he was elected to be a disruptor, to break things and piss people off.
The interesting part is that so many on the left have become so very comfortable wearing the yoke of “safety” that they can’t stand Trump disrupting the status quo. When the Cool Black Guy was running the show the left was only too happy to stop all their protesting and become completely subservient to the government. Who knew it would be conservative evangelicals who would say it’s time to blow it all up?
In any event here’s hoping we see a little more rebellion and a lot less status quo over the next ten years. The government is not now and never has been our friend or benefactor. Thomas Jefferson knew it almost 250 years ago, we should all heed his words and know it today.
If we’re going to fight for our freedoms it isn’t some third world fundamentalists who are the biggest threat, and it’s time we stop pretending they are and foment a bit more of Trumpian style rebellion.
I’ll leave you with a couple of thoughts from another favorite writer of mine, H. L. Mencken; 1) The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamoring to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary….and 2) All government, of course, is against liberty.
See you in the funny papers,
VoV
Thanks again, V, for a couple reasons we discussed. Keep ’em coming; looking forward to your next offering.
AW1Ed
Almost forget, Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem-
“I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery”
Category: Guest Post, Historical
I think one of the worst things that can happen to a representative democracy is that the government and elected officials no longer fear the citizenry.
That has been the state of America since the late 19th century.
Republic, C. Big difference.
Yuge difference. And elected officials only fear NOT being re-elected.
This is true and in an age of very precise computer generated gerrymandering using massive database of voter preferences our elected officials get to choose their voters rather than voters choosing their representative. This insulated them from political accountability because as long as they are not primaried by their party or abandoned by their donors the voters cannot dislodge them from office.
So our “representatives” are more loyal to their party and to donors than they are to their constituents.
And Power to the People. Right on, Comrade Commissar. Forward!
ALL HAIL POODLEDICK!!!!
A Republic is a form of representative democracy. So not sure why you are claiming there is a big difference.
Well, gee whiz, must we actually explain it to you? Apparently so.
While republics may be a form of representative democracies, not all representative democracies are republics. Using a subset of a category interchangeably with the main category is just wrong, but it can also be intentionally misleading. The latter is more likely in this case as well as in many of your “arguments.” You tend to conveniently forget that words have specific meanings and then castigate others for failing to properly guess what you mean when you use a word incorrectly.
Or you could just be so lazy and/or dense that it doesn’t matter to you.
I seem to be having issues with the English language, at the moment:
On a certain (ideological) level, I do not want to defend Commissar because I do not agree with his ideology… on a different (though equally or more ideological) level, a difference in opinion doesn’t necessarily mean eternally incorrect.
While “representative democracy” does not refer exclusively to a republic, his statement:
“I think one of the worst things that can happen to a representative democracy is that the government and elected officials no longer fear the citizenry.”
…is one of opinion but does hold some potential merit.
You even acknowledge that “republic” may be a subset of “representative democracy.” If so, then logic dictates that his broader generalization still applies to its more acute elements.
Ultimately, and with all due respect, I don’t understand the vitriol in your response.
yeah, I believe that. and I’m sure you never will.
the difference between a republic and a democracy is big enough, but our system of governance is more different still, and set up precisely to avoid mob rule or make our government the tyrannical countries we sought to avoid. we are not, never have been, and God willing, never will be, a democracy. ever. the only accurate thing you’ve written on this so far is as follows: “This is true and in an age of very precise computer generated gerrymandering using massive database of voter preferences our elected officials get to choose their voters rather than voters choosing their representative.”
and this practice needs to stop.
You are quite chameleon-like, changing colors as you do. In one thread, you use overnight poll results as evidence of tyranny and contrary to democratic majority rule, and in another you talk about representative democracy. My guess is that you are merely a weasel in a chameleon’s skin. Because we have many new visitors, I want to ensure that they at least hear that you are a commie at the socialist stooge who has repeatedly called us Nazis and fascists.
My comment above was directed at the “Commissar” who has had more screen names than Carters has liver pills.
There is nothing chameleon about my position.
The majority of Americans do not support the shutdown over the wall.
The majority of Americans also do not support the wall.
So the fact that there is a shutdown over the wall is proof of the lack of political accountability and genuine representation of the will of the American people.
You find that difficult to reconcile because you have convinced yourself you are a member of a “silent majority” that wants things the actual empirical majority do not want and are willing to do whatever it takes to get it.
“…the government and elected officials no longer fear the citizenry.”
So what are you saying, Squirrelbait? We should take arms against a sea of troubles, such as too much government oversight, and by so doing, end them?
Hey, I have a GRE-A-A-A-T idea! Just repeal all laws and go with the Constitution. That should be sufficient for our needs, because after all, the more laws you have, the more duplications of previous laws, and the less people pay attention to them. There’s a law in all 57 states against robbing banks, but that didn’t stop anyone like Dillinger or Baby Face Nelson, one of Chicago’s nastier little basterds, from robbing those banks. Dillinger bragged about it.
And gun laws? There are enough on the books already to choke a Missouri mule, but people want MORE AND MORE AND MORE, as if they think that’s the ticket to safety and security.
So why not just have a little revolution, fire all the politicians right now, and start fresh??
Oh, and make it all voluntary, too. If there’s no money it, I doubt anyone will want that kind of job.
I would be very cautious conflating the terms “the majority of Americans” and “the majority of respondents in carefully worded polls”.
you also seem to misunderstand – again – how our government works. it is not difficult. seriously dude, lose the smug condescension and begin the process of learning American civics.
I wonder how many people polled actually vote, cause if you don’t vote, you don’t have much of a leg to stand on to complain. They’re always polls of “likely voters” at best.
Polls are also all self-identified. There’s no challenging what people say they are.
Majority of Americans don’t like being overrun by illegal aliens in their own country.
Oddly, neither do people in Europe or the UK. And in Switzerland, you have to meet SWISS standards if you wish to take up residence there, period. No exceptions.
And don’t pull some nonsense about the majority of American wanting border security. The majority of Democrats even want border security. But this is about using money for a wall which has little to do with an effective border security and policy.
No you don’t; you and your ilk want more third worlders to invade so that the D-rat/crypto commie party will be in perpetual control of the population. You are all hoping for overwhelmingly outnumbering and replacing of the citizens who believe in freedom of the individual and don’t want to join the FSA.
As usual, the point escapes you. Commissar. You see, in a representative democracy, as opposed to a direct democracy, tyranny of a majority and a minority enjoy protections from the whims of a few. The polls you rely upon reflect a snapshot, a moment in time that mimic direct democracy. You took (and take) that moment, place it against a government action, and conclude that the inaction represents tyranny. In doing so, you mistake direct democracy for representative democracy, the latter you claim to support. That is your chameleon-like color change.
The majority of Americans do not live on the border, do not work on the border, and do not see the change that has happened on the border since the construction of the wall. The majority of Americans do not understand that the wall is not a panacea but is a very important tool in securing the border. I base my opinion not on the empirical data and polls that you worship, I base it on what I have personally seen before and after the construction of a wall in my area. I also base it on what I no longer see. I no longer see “rape trees”, piles of backpacks dropped by crossers, piles of trash, I no longer see military ranges calling emergency cease-fires because illegal aliens are in the impact zone, I don’t see hospitals running into financial dire straits halfway through the fiscal year due to illegals not paying for care. Sensors, drones, and video surveillance systems are fantastic tools, but there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all measure. Use all of the tools available, and a wall is one of the best.
Lived in Hell Paso once… drunk-driving, uninsured illegal alien hit-and-runs (often involving local resident fatalities) are a daily occurrence– Democrats fight for illegals’ right to inebriated vehicular mayhem!
“But this is about using money for a wall which has little to do with an effective border security and policy.”
Did you actually type that without laughing?
“Did you actually type that without laughing?”
Either that or stoned
Come on Larsie – you don’t want border security because you need someone to do all of that “trivial work” (cooking, cleaning, laundry, taking out trash, etc.) so you can concentrate on making socialism work “the right way”.
There’s got to be a “lower class” to do all of the dirty work for you and your socialist/communist “elite”…
“I think one of the worst things that can happen to a representative democracy is that the government and elected officials no longer fear the citizenry.” ~ Commissar
It’s proven to be kinda a bad thing in Communist countries as well, but I’m no grad student.
“elected officials no longer fear the citizenry”
Amendment the Second?
Only effective if the citizens get access to the same weaponry as the military and police. Why should they fear a couple of guys with an AR if they’re sitting in an MRAP and can respond with machine guns and grenades?
And yes, I know this means that I’m arguing that citizens should get be allowed to own tanks, bombs, etc. but how else are you going to defend yourself against a vastly better equipped and trained enemy? If the second amendment is meant to allow us to defend ourselves against a tyrannical government, then we need to be on equal footing with their enforcers. Otherwise, it’s just lip service, bread and games to placate the masses.
“Hook me up a new revolution
Cause this one is a lie
We sat around laughing and watched the last one die”
~ Learn To Fly, Foo Fighters, 1999
I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
Don’t get fooled again
No, no!
The Who
“Won’t Get Fooled Again”
June 1971
Some things never change.
Was singing this as I typed my other comments. My all time favorite R&R Band and my all time favorite song. I have it on poly vinyl carbon, cassette, and CD. Saw ’em live a number of times, latest was at Veterans Stadium in Jacksonville for the 50th Anniversary Tour. It rocked the house.
You did leave off one line that would pertain to most recent presidents till dTrump; “Meet the new Boss, Same as the old Boss.”
Still at it.
Tanks for this post Bro. Poe’s article rinsed the dust out of my eye lids.
Running this thru the premium headphones got the dust out of the ‘phones, my ears, and my head. Now if I can just figure out how to stream it from this ‘putor, thru my blue ray onto the big screen and the sound bar.
You da man.
So which was the greatest Rock and Roll band of the 70’s ???
Tight race between Led Zeppelin and The Who.
I saw Led Zeppelin at the Kingdome in Seattle but never got to a Who concert.
Still, one of the greatest in history.
Which one do you still listen to? The answer is easy- both.
In all fairness, Learn to Fly.
Nicely said, VoV.
Have long since forgotten where I read it or the circumstances (maybe a history class many years ago?) but the founders had no real expectation that the republic would survive more than 200 years or so. Remember thinking about that as we celebrated the bicentennial in 1976.
I remember the same from somewhere. even more chilling is this dire warning from Alexis de Tocqueville:
“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.”
And that is exactly what Congress has done over the years, primarily with its members who have or had a “D” after their names.
Fire them all and start over, and pay them no salaries.
Nah, they gotta be able to live Ex, give em $1 over the poverty line… that sounds fair..
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/815/815-h/815-h.htm
That is a direct link to Democracy in America. I have a paper copy somewhere around here bu will use the link to re-read that classic. If, like me, you haven’t read Democracy in America in many years, I invite you to take another look. And if, by stroke of bad luck and lousy History teachers, you never read that masterpiece, have at it. You won’t regret it.
Thanks for the reference, jim h.
Afraid that rereading it would now just make me very sad. Way back when, it was a good experience. And filled with hope, and filled us youngsters with hope and dreams.
OK. It’s still worth another look. Unfortunately, that one as well as my other original textbooks were lost in a flood.
It’s always seemed to me Jefferson was in favor of the least amount of government possible. Normally this would involve just those things that needed to be agreed upon to reach a consensus. It’s not only the idea of providing for a common defense and promoting the general welfare, it’s specifically how you go about reaching those goals. Even Jefferson’s example of the first type of government, a tribal one, has the same kind of needs. They’re just less formalized. If a society needs to communicate, for example, it might be necessary to figure out how a post office should work.
I’m not sure I agree with the sheepdog example. As discussed before on TAH, the sheepdog metaphor relates more to the idea that “people are able to sleep soundly in their beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” It’s a matter of how society selects its own apex predators to protect itself from other apex predators wishing to do it harm. In that sense, the sheepdog is protecting both the farmer and the flock.
It’s probably also useful to consider that Jefferson himself was a farmer and likely would have considered the current class of professional politicians to be a very bad thing. If you start checking the biographies of some of our most prominent politicians now, Nancy Pelosi among others, it’s remarkable how many have never held another job except in government.
Given the existence of so many career politicians, it’s probably fair to say that such a person could easily see himself as a ruler, and not someone who leads at the discretion of the electorate. Nor is such a thing new. It probably goes back at least to the bread and circuses used in campaigns for the Roman Senate.
George Washington in his Farewell Address warned against factions(political parties). Then his two closest advisors, Jefferson and Hamilton went ahead and founded what we’ve got today. Maybe George should’ve knocked both their heads together…
Somebody’s just gotta be the kid with the most sand in the sandbox.
[img
[/img]
bah, that didn’t work. here’s the direct link:
Just like the Commissar and his parents, by his own admissions. This reminds me of when Michelle Obama told a bunch of government workers in DC that they were the people that made this country great. I think she and King Putt really believe that
Just like they also believe there are 57 states and Barack’s home country is Kenya.
Perry, your rough men analogy is one I can get behind all day because it simply states that some people are more suited to the role of warrior/protector without diminishing those who are not to the role of economic resource.
Any analogy that separates or divides LEOs from the people themselves as fellow citizens is a terrible analogy in my mind and speaks directly to the concept that the government gets to decide how much of your freedom you’ll be allotted today.
There’s a great meme on the internet that speaks directly to that concept, an LEO has a tape measure is checking the ride height of a teenagers truck, the caption reads “You’ve exceeded your allotted freedoms today by one inch kid” …
Some things, while seeming ridiculous on the surface, actually have a valid public safety concern.
It may seem arbitrary for bumper height to be something needing regulating, but ensuring uniform bumper heights is to protect people in crashes. If there wasn’t a mandated bumper on the back of tractor trailers for example, even a relatively minor crash would result in the rear ending driver being decapitated.
A lot of libertarians also speak out against seatbelt and helmet laws. They are to protect you against yourself, but also to safeguard the state against having to pay for care and medical bills when you turn yourself into a quadriplegic.
Which again speaks to what kind of freedom do you want?
Freedom dictated by legislation from on high? Or freedom dictated by your actions in producing a victim?
Once you start down the path of legislation for my own good, you can easily start to legislate virtually every aspect of a person’s daily life which is about where we are now.
Public safety as a general term means what exactly? That a taller vehicle striking a smaller vehicle causes harm? Why not simply legislate all vehicles to look like a Prius and be sized accordingly….if we’re all legislated into the same vehicles for our own safety we’ll be inherently safer than if we all have different vehicles with some weighing significantly more than others.
Most people agree with you, they care more about the illusion of safety than having any actual freedoms. That’s fine, but it’s not quite what the founders meant by freedom.
Getting real close to the time to water the tree of liberty with the blood of tyrants and patriots alike.
VoV, spot on again Bro. The professional politicians on both sides of the aisle are terrified that dTrumpster is going to drain the swamp. Like the clowns in Blazing Saddles, they are trying to justify their phony baloney jobs. They have no concern at all for the people, the Republic, or the Constitution, only for re=election and their power base. It is way yonder past time for a Revolution at the ballot box. The pols are using the news media to stir up everyone against everyone else. Make the white man fear the black man, fear the brown man, fear the yellow man, fear the Christian, fear the Buhdist, fear the muslim, fear the Hindu, fear the Jewish ect ect ect. Pay no attention to the fact that we are screwing the hell out of you everyday and would love to have a nice little war going on the keep you even more distracted. We are Borg! Resistance is futile! You will be assimilated!.
The 1984 Animal Farm is here and those pigs are more equal than us pigs.
The primary cause of the last “civil war” in the country was the fault of politicians. The cause of the next “civil war” in this country will be the politicians.
If there is to be another War Between The States it should be the 50 States against the District of Columbia. I think we would win this one without having to fire a shot.
Change those numbers just a tad, will you?
Make it 48 states vs. CA/WDC/NYC (a state until itself), and it will work better.
If you need a camp cook, holler!
Glad you distinguished bewteen the upstaters in NY and the party members in NYC. The upstaters are very sensitive about such things. I would throw Conn, VT, Mass, and most of Jersey in that DC camp. I was so hoping CA would divide itself. Because that failed, I have to hope that it is physically divided by the Big One and floats off into the Pacific.
I had to include all the states. Just as in the 1st Revolution we had Patriots, Quakers, Shakers, Natives, and Tories in each state. In the 2nd we had Carpetbaggers, Scalawags, Copperheads, Damned Insurrectionists, Johnny Rebs, Damyankees, Union Men, and cowards everywhere. I have met Patriots from every state in the Union. There are probably more true Patriots out there than we would think. They aren’t counted in the polls because….well you know. Even Commiefornia may surprise you, if for no other reason we’ll need the vineyards. We will need a Camp Cook(s). I saw more your position as Head Chef Supervisor and Cat Herder. Don’t won’t the smoke getting in your eyes. Somebody has to keep an eye on that Hardin Boy. I haven’t worked out the total initial staff requirements, or who all will be in the Cabinet. Some of that is a work in progress. We’ll use most of the staff for TAH WW HQ that’s in place. AnotherPat as my Aide-de-Camp, 2/17 AC & Poe for the Air Assault Group. MCPO USN Ret for Surface Fleet, AW1Ed moved from TAH Staff to Chief Naval Aviation, Claw will handle S4 and related POL items, TSO contracted to do JAG Detail. 26Limabeans for comms, Rgr-69 & 78 covert inserts (landside), Graybeard will be drafted for Training Officer (precursor to taking over Dprt of Ed.) Doc Bones and IDC SARC to handle the dispensary. Dave Hardin will be in charge of Class VI supplies (yea fox/hen house, it’ll be OK) and he will be morale officer. Monkey Code Hippy Chick will be added on contract as needed. VoV PIO and sock puppet repeller. This can be tweaked and fine tuned as needed. Again, I really think we could do this without firing a shot, but if need be, we should be prepared to charge thru the gates, fight till hell freezes over and then fight ’em on the ice. The future of our Republic and our Grandchildren is at stake. The Sons and Daughters of Bitches that are ruining this country now, will totally destroy it to stay in… Read more »
Sign me up, I’ll take damn near any job! Except shit burning. Makes my asthma kick up.
Excellent…A promotion is upcoming. You will become the FIRST Command Sgt Maj of the Save our Republic Drain the Swamp Forces. FIRST thing you will need to do is show GDContractor how lording over is done.
Dibs on the well woman checks!
Hired! Careful what you wish for. Well woman checks include the skanks and comfort women. Hitlery will require a thorough exam before sentence is carried out.
Yo, what should I do??? I’ll help IDC SARC with the well wimmins checks!!!!!
Thanks for volunteering. Best of luck working with the ‘SARC. I’m sure he’ll divide the duties equally.
NYC can encompass a lot of area, like north Jersey and Maryland, Boston, and some parts of New England (not all of them). The borders were less structured 240 years ago.
If i could send Chicago into that enclave, as well, that would be a good thing.
“..why look you, I am whipped and scourged with rods. Nettled and stung with pismires, when I hear of this vile politician Bolingbroke”
Hotspur, Act 1 Scene 3, Henry IV Part I
The word “politician” appears to have been considered derogatory since the early 16th Century(Merriam-Webster). Good to see nothing has changed
Nailed it, Sir.
VOV: My sincerest compliments on your piece. It’s quite excellent and, as you know, I’m a harsh critic. It really ought to receive wider circulation. If I look really hard, I might find something in there with which to disagree, but I doubt it.
I always preferred the translation of “tumultuous freedom” as opposed to a “dangerous” one, as the alternative is much more calm but no less safe. Very, very minor quibble, and I am most-likely misguided in such.
I agree. Great piece.
Indeed the other frequent translation that I also like Mike is, “I prefer the tumult of freedom over the quietude of slavery”
It still means freedom is raucous and loud and often uncomfortable but it beats the shit out of being owned like a sheep….
Not a Trump fan. But like VoV I also can see the appeal. I’m also not blinded by hate for the Trump that I will be fair to him when I think he’s done good I’ll say so. If not, we’ll you get the gist. I could go into a whole litany of things I don’t like about him. But what would that serve ? Only to inflame the passions of his supporters here. Trump may be a disrupter but I’m not. It’s their right to support him and that’s part of living in a free society. It’s hard enough for me dealing with my physical and mental issues and trying to keep it between the lines. In my own life than to tell others what they can Or cannot believe in. I respect you guys too much for that. In this life I’ve had the pleasure of knowing one of JFKs closest advisors. Two speechwriters for Obama. And some of this Nations well known and not so well known heroes in uniform. Who believe me , are very conservative. To paraphrase Edward R Murrow I do not consider agreement as a condition of friendship. Like many of you, I’m disgusted with the state of our media. And the rise of far left socialist ideas. And though it seems sometimes like many here seem to embrace a more far right leaning. I’ve never felt uncomfortable in engaging with you guys as a centrist independent. Guess that’s the beauty of this blog. Something very unique that Jonn started and I’m glad is still , if I may borrow a term from the younger generation “ safe space for veterans of all stripes. Thanks
I like the extreme tension in gov’t in 2019. I like the unmasking of the media. In fact, I celebrate these things.
^This^
It needed to be done. dTrump has been the catalyst for it.
Should have happened sooner, but – well, you can’t have everything all at once.
H.L. Mencken is the bomb.
He is vilified by the Left, and he was dropped like a hot potato years ago by none other than the Baltimore Sun itself. Why? -isms.
Indeed the left reveals itself regularly with its inability to tolerate dissent.
In those moments they reveal their true nature and it’s a nature we should all find despicable and inappropriate for any freedom loving Americans.
Since this is a popular thread, I’ll let everyone know that my Baby Girl got through her surgery today and is doing well.
Thanks to those that held her in their thoughts and prayers.
There are some things that transcend all barriers, children that are also Disabled Veterans is one of them.
Thank you my friends.
Glad you’re daughter is doing well Thunder. That’s good news.
Hey, great news! Thanks for the update, a lot of folk here were pulling for her.
Nice, very nice
Victory!
That’s great news! Prayers to you and your daughter for a speedy recovery and strength…
That’s awesome news!! We will be praying for a speedy recovery for her!!
Great!
Please let her know that we are all with her. And there are a bunch of us!
Good to hear, Sir. Recovery is often the hardest part of it. She is lucky to have you.
Good to know she is doing well.
“His wonders to behold” Thanks for the update T/S. We’re still here for y’all.
Outstanding! She’s got a ton of support here.
Very good news indeed!!
Here’s wishing a speedy recovery and quick return to full health.
Great news Thunder, thanks for the update!
“Duh, our government would totally lose against citizens with guns, just look at Afghanistan.”
Well, yea: Afghans are willing to strap bombs to their children, kill their own family to save themselves and lay IEDs on roads they know their friends are going to drive. Would Americans do that? No, no they wouldn’t. Fucking morons that compare modern insurgencies to American landscapes.
Indeed your friends are more likely to be Good Germans and turn you in than plant a bomb in the roadway.
Most Americans are happy government boot lickers today, content to be fat, happy, and stupid in their social media selfies and photos of their lunch shared with friends.
We are so soft as a nation today our 18-22 year olds need counseling after seeing a white boy with a MAGA hat smiling at a Native American asshole. The red hat frightens them.
Less than 1% of Americans serve today, the rest are often lazy, selfish overweight slugs serving as tax slaves to their government overlords, and gladly serving in that capacity.
We the people of the United States don’t have anywhere near the stoic resolve of our opponents in a third world shithole.
Our Republic won’t end with a bang, but a whimper of fright echoing throughout the night as the last of the dissenters learns first hand what Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn tried to teach us so long ago.
Sadly true…..For myself, I will go down fighting.
I’m afraid that you are probably correct, VOV…
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Georges Santayana.
“You got to change your evil ways, baby” Carlos Santana.
Both quotes are appropriate.
As an exclamation point to this article the pre-dawn raid by an FBI SWAT team to pick up Roger Stone for telling some lies to Congress should make it quite clear what the government thinks about its citizens.
A dozen guys with machine guns to pick up an old man for lying….is this really how we want our government to conduct its affairs?
I’m not talking about some protocols developed by the government, I’m talking about WE the people of the United States and what WE want not what our government or its members whose sole purpose is the use of force against American citizens.
Do we really need that level of force to arrest a non-violent offender for telling lies? One Barney Fife could have brought Stone in without incident and while leaving his one bullet in that front shirt pocket.
Barr should shitcan Mueller and end this nonsense. Force the Democrats to re-open it and tie around their necks like the albatross it is.
Lying to the government should carry no more penalty than the government lying to the people which apparently carries no penalty at all.
The completely over the top raid by Fibbies in full battle rattle, at 0600, was meant to terrorize. A show of overwhelming and unnecessary force designed to show the nation what will happen if one steps out. Disgraceful, and certainly not the first time.
Dershowitz was on Fox this morning with a good explanation of how this is an intimidation tactic for the prosecution. To show power so he can flip him.
Police do this sort of thing all the time though, usually against the unsavory elements of the community (drugs and gangs).
Dershowitz, like Lieberman, are what I call rational Dems. While definitely left of center, they uphold the constitution and want the country to prosper.
Therefore they’re an anathema to the far left loons.