tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post2964572136594350893..comments2024-03-28T14:52:13.218-05:00Comments on Stonekettle Station: FearJim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-69757748081226853362008-06-10T15:01:00.000-05:002008-06-10T15:01:00.000-05:00A smidgeon.A smidgeon.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18275812152895151542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-56448954238260594582008-06-10T11:01:00.000-05:002008-06-10T11:01:00.000-05:00Eric, do I detect just a bit of sarcasm? ;)Eric, do I detect just a <I>bit</I> of sarcasm? ;)Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-27620957543682851672008-06-10T10:58:00.000-05:002008-06-10T10:58:00.000-05:00Of course the flag-waving patriots aren't bothered...Of course the flag-waving patriots aren't bothered. They have nothing to hide. And if the President, who is clearly a God-fearing, patriotic American with balls (unlike those pansy, appeasement-happy liberals) wants to shred a few documents for our own good, they have no beef with that. If we needed to know, he'd tell us, because he's a good man.<BR/><BR/>Americans, by and large, are ignorant of history, and a distressingly large number of the ones who proclaim themselves patriots and conservatives are <I>proudly</I> ignorant. A more humble and well-informed American might remember the famous words of a German clergyman:<BR/><BR/><I>"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;<BR/> <BR/>And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist; <BR/><BR/>And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew; <BR/><BR/>And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."</I><BR/>(attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller)<BR/><BR/>--but since those words weren't spoken on Fox News last week, you know, who cares? I mean, you're going to listen to some dead European intellectual when <I>Europeans</I> are ungrateful sods who don't appreciate everything America has given them and <I>intellectuals</I> are snobby elitists who'd rather sit around talking in their ivory towers until the terrorists have blown everything up.<BR/><BR/>America's the greatest country on Earth, and therefore whatever we do is right. You didn't know we were perfect and pristine? Anyone who can't accept that ought to just pack and leave.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18275812152895151542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-36442421183276826212008-06-09T22:42:00.000-05:002008-06-09T22:42:00.000-05:00Hmmm... if conservative, liberal and libertarian w...Hmmm... if conservative, liberal and libertarian were three different but mutually intersecting axes, I'd probably be wandering around cluelessly somewhere around the mid point.<BR/><BR/>I am a fan of neither strong state nor federal government, but in the minimum government necessary. What is the definition of necessary? That's where the devil is in the details.<BR/><BR/>I love Heinlein's concept of rational anarchy. I'm not sure it would work - humans are too contrary - but idealistically, I like it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-91050727879870426922008-06-09T21:10:00.000-05:002008-06-09T21:10:00.000-05:00May I recommend the book "The Prosecution of Georg...May I recommend the book "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder", written by Vincent Bugliosi? You may remember him as the prosecutor in the Charles Manson case, as well as the author of a number of bestselling books. It's a very powerful book.vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16955307244053931069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-40764002203286278492008-06-09T17:54:00.000-05:002008-06-09T17:54:00.000-05:00Jeri, I don't consider myself a liberal, per se. I...Jeri, I don't consider myself a liberal, per se. If I were to label myself, I'd probably say I tend to middle of the road conservative. Neither label fits me very well. If anything I am probably a Jeffersonian Constitutionalist - though unlike Jefferson, I think there is a real need to have our rights spelled out specifically. For exactly the reasons that prompted this post.<BR/><BR/>Nathan, absolutely. I'd think that conservatives would be the ones screaming the loudest. But I think they're embarrassed by being hoodwinked by the hysteria surrounding 911 and are too far down the road to change. I also think they fear the "Liberal" label more than anything else, and will go along with dammed near anything the GOP says in order to avoid being labeled as such even slightly.Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-18872119618476600132008-06-09T16:44:00.000-05:002008-06-09T16:44:00.000-05:00I would actually think the flag waving patriots wo...I would actually think the flag waving patriots would be the ones most incensed by all of this.<BR/><BR/>It's just so fucking Un-American.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-27047860548501536002008-06-09T16:04:00.000-05:002008-06-09T16:04:00.000-05:00I am not nearly as liberal as you, and yet I say a...I am not nearly as liberal as you, and yet I say amen to your statement:<BR/><BR/><I>"I am disgusted that, as Americans, our perspective is so skewed that we would impeach a President for getting a blowjob in the oval office, and yet tolerate and even encourage a leader who enthusiastically advocates and engages in the abject violation of basic human rights."</I>Jerihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02473415569376925543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-67126974781512782792008-06-09T14:49:00.000-05:002008-06-09T14:49:00.000-05:00Right on and well said! Woot! Good job. For more o...Right on and well said! Woot! Good job. For more on our tyrannical govment:<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.boingboing.net/2008/06/09/tsa-outlaws-flights.html" REL="nofollow">http://www.boingboing.net/2008/06/09/tsa-outlaws-flights.html</A><BR/><BR/>TSA outlaws flights to those who refuse to show ID<BR/><BR/>"This new rule seems to only apply to terrorists that are unable to lie, while at the same time, massively cutting into the rights of passengers."Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15278869900081036989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-11786218970362088742008-06-09T12:38:00.000-05:002008-06-09T12:38:00.000-05:00I thought you were at a training seminar? You surf...I thought you were at a training seminar? You surfing the interweebs on company time?Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-11941434386541625712008-06-09T12:36:00.000-05:002008-06-09T12:36:00.000-05:00What he said.What he said.Janiecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14190655869710465713noreply@blogger.com