A simple question for everyone: Regardless of your political persuasion or ideology, regardless of where you live, regardless of your religious or personal philosophy, what do you think the odds are of the U.S. government doing what YOU believe is right, in your lifetime?
If you are liberal, do you honestly think the U.S. will stop fighting wars in oil countries? Consider the fact we have the most liberal president since Jimmy Carter in office now, and we are STILL in Afghanistan and Iraq. LBJ's "military-industrial complex" is alive and well, and will continue to be around for the rest of our lives.
If you are a social conservative, do you honestly think you will see a legal ban on abortion? Until Roe vs. Wade is overturned, it is not happening. You will never get enough votes for a Constitutional Amendment.
If you are a fiscal conservative, do you honestly think the U.S. government will ever show any kind of fiscal responsibility? Sorry to dash your hopes, but as long as there are sheep who will vote for any buffoon who brings home the pork, the government punch bowl will continue to overflow with other people's money, including yours. As long as we have a Federal Reserve which will happily enable our legislative spending habits, the party will continue, and you and your children will pay the tab.
If you are a civil rights liberal, I have one word for you: Guantanamo. And I bet you are loving the prospect of people being jailed for not having health insurance! I have some more news for you: These violations will not end, as our federal government gets more power.
If you are a socialist, you may get your dream of universal health care, but it will look more like Britain than some of the smaller European countries, simply because we don't have enough health care providers to take care of 300 million people. So you will get higher taxes, long waits, and STILL have poor quality health care. Since the wealthy will go outside the system for their health care, you STILL won't have "equality".
Frankly, unless you long for the good old days of the old Soviet Union, odds are you are not happy about something the U.S. government is doing. You can expect to be that way for a long time, because no matter what you want, there is someone else who doesn't want it. THAT is why state's rights are important.
THAT is why secession from the union is more important now than ever before.
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5 comments:
Ed. It's over. Either secession or revolution - those are the only options for the folks who want to save the American People from the American oligarchy.
I'd gladly move to Texas or a number of other states, renounce my U.S. citizenship, and become a citizen of a true state Republic if the option were open to me.
Ed. We've been going back and forth on this topic for years now. You've "grown" over time and as I wrote above, while you still instinctively recall from the coup/revolution idea, you have shown an appreciation for the concept of secession.
Ed. From this morning's Drudge:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/19/AR2009111900904_pf.html
Follow the link. Here's the last line:
"He got a huge cheer when he told them he was increasing military pay. "That's what you call an applause line," he said, before boarding his jet and taking off at 4:11 p.m."
You're an amateur historian. Does this sound like traditional American "politics" to you or does it strike you as a technique as old as civilization itself where "the state" or whoever is in control of the levers of power uses "gold" and other enticements to keep the military loyal?
Scary $hit, Ed.
BILL
Bill, that actually begs a question: If you were in the military, and the president told you he was increasing your pay significantly, but you might have to fire on American citizens who are involved in "illegal activities" (or some other such similar phrase), would you do it?
While you and I might say definitively "no", what do you think the average soldier would do? THAT is the truly scary shit.
"If you were in the military, and the president told you he was increasing your pay significantly, but you might have to fire on American citizens who are involved in "illegal activities" (or some other such similar phrase), would you do it?"
OK. Two points:
1) As a member of the military (or police for that matter) if I were given what I recognized as a LEGAL order to use deadly force on "demonstrators" I would do so.
By "LEGAL" I'm referring to circumstances far beyond legal and legally protected civic protest. I'm referring to violent rioting where the rioting was causing property damage and presenting obvious threat to innocent life.
So sure, Ed... I'd shoot down a "demonstrator" with a Molotov cocktail or even fire into a crowd if there was clear danger of the "safe zone" being overrun with resultant threat to innocent life and limb.
If on the other hand I felt the order was "ILLEGAL" (shoot into a peaceful crowd... pick your own scenario) I'd refuse to obey it.
Finally, IF I felt that the order was actually treasonous to the Constitution (again... pick your own worst case scenario) I'd turn my weapon AGAINST those in authority issuing what I considered to be illegal and unconstitutional orders.
2) NONE OF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH PAY.
Do you understand that, Ed...??? The way you phrase the question is absolutely ridiculous - as if I were Mary Landreiu or some other corrupt politician willing to sell out my principles. It's offensive!
And NO, Ed... I'm NOT of the opinion that the average American soldier, sailor, marine, or airman is or would be inclined to "sell" his or her loyalty or principles to the highest bidder.
Jesus, Ed... the "bad guy" here is Obama and the "stupid guys" here are our elected representatives. The average American serviceman or servicewoman is a patriot regardless of compensation.
BILL
Bill, I brought up the issue of compensation because the leaders of banana republics frequently make sure their military is well-compensated, even as their people live in poverty.
Picture this: Let's say the American economy tanks worse than it has yet. Even worse than the Great Depression. Now look at the question I asked about military pay under those circumstances.
You see my point now?
OK, I hear ya...
BILL
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