Saturday, September 29, 2012

The Terrorists Are Winning.


Osama Bin Laden is dead. Most of the higher ups of Al Qaida are dead or in 'Gitmo.' The war on terror is all but over and we've won...right?

Our US Consulate compound in Benghazi Libya was torched, hit with RPG's and mortars and 4 Americans are dead. Now it's finally being called a terror attack which anybody with an IQ above a Russet Potato already knew. Obviously, the war on "Terror" i. e. Islamic extreme-ism is far from over. Our government blamed a film initially. the radicals in the Middle East blamed a film and many of our own media blamed a film. We even arrested the guy alleged to have made the film who was really arrested for parole violation... nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Oh, and let's not forget the vociferous apologies from our Heads of State and the President for the hurt feelings caused by the film. Because, we all know that in the "Age of Oprah and Dr. Drew," the highest form of crime against humanity is to hurt somebody's feelings.

The UN is now considering making it a crime to offend a person or group via "blasphemy against religion" laws!

So, we blame some fool here and not the evil terrorists. What a cop out.

I think most anyone with a sliver of decency in their soul who has seen the film trailer in question, would call it tripe. By the way, I noticed that it actually poked a little fun at Christians and perhaps Glenn Beck, in the first few scenes. Interestingly enough, that has been conveniently left out of most all dialogue about this video...hmmmmm. Regardless, the film maker had every Constitutional right to make it and post it online.

People post insults about other's faiths online daily. Big deal. When it comes to the rudeness and crassness of many folks on the internet, you'd better have your big boy and big girl undies' on. It can be rough and tumble as people who would never say certain things to another face-to-face, feel no trepidation at making insulting, asinine and nasty comments while skulking behind a smart phone or computer screen.

But, here is where I'm very troubled as one who loves liberty. You see, terrorism is a "head game" played on the living, not those who are it's mortal victims. These terrorists have stabbed at the heart of our liberty; our 1st Amendment, Bill of Rights and more. And, they know it!

For example:

When we allow the TSA at airports to feel us up and look at our private places on our bodies for the sake of safety, the terrorists are winning.

When our military court plays a back and forth game with Ft. Hood terrorist Nadal Hasan over his beard, the terrorists are winning

When we arrest a man for making a bad, tasteless comedy, the terrorists are winning.

When our ambassador to the UN says the unrest in the Muslim World is because of a movie, the terrorists are winning.

When the black flag of Islam flies over our embassy in Cairo, after everyone else that was there skee-dadled, the terrorists are winning

When we boldly pin the deaths of American embassy personnel on a movie, the terrorists are winning.

When our President feels compelled to ask Youtube to review their policies on postings, apologize for a film and give a lecture about the First Amendment to a bunch of people at the UN who hate our Constitution anyway, the terrorists are winning.
When Muslims in this country as a community fail to speak out against the violence in the Mid-East, the terrorists are winning. For the record, most Muslims I have known are kindly, humble folks.

When American radio and TV stations crack down on anybody saying anything critical of the Islamic faith, perhaps for fear of being violently attacked, picketed or sued, the terrorists are winning.

When it's acceptable to trash any other faith except the Muslim faith, the terrorists are winning.

These Islamic radicals are not simply attacking our sky scrapers, military personnel or embassies, they're attacking our freedoms. This is by design. They don't like our freedoms and liberties. They don't want our type of democratic republic. They want socialistic, theocratic government in the skin of a democracy. Look what they have already established in Egypt and Iran and elsewhere.

In simple terms, we are coughing up liberties out of fear. Apparently,  these are liberties we are not willing to take lumps over or die for. I'm sure glad our Founders didn't feel that way. But, here we are, afraid to tell people half way around the world to grow up and join the 21st Century and hold them accountable for THEIR actions. Can we really value liberties we aren't willing to stand and defend...with our lives if needs be? It seems not.

And for now, the terrorists are winning.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Disenfranchised Republicans Plus, Libertarians Plus, Tea Party Equals, Third Party?

I think it's safe to say that nearly ALL Tea Party folks are not thrilled with Obama. And, from things I see posted on Twitter, Facebook, Tea Party Nation, etc. many, if not most conservatives and Tea Partiers, aren't real thrilled with Romney either. I ask this question. How much longer will Conservatives, Tea Partiers, Patriots, disgruntled Republicans and yes, even Libertarians, continue to hitch your trailer of hopes to the Republican Party? How many more times must you be disappointed? How many more broken promises? How many more Republican leaders who talk a good talk but, can't walk a good walk? How much more lip service do we get regarding our Constitution? Perhaps it's time, no, past time, that we walked away from them for good. They and the Dems have proven election after election that they are just flip sides of the same rusty coin. It's Big Government and Big Government Lite. Walk, no, RUN away.


I know, it's a scary thought. It's kind of like the time you first moved away from home. Or, maybe, the first time you stood up to a bully. Or, maybe when you drew a line in the sand with an abuser or addict and said, "no more." How much more abuse will you take from this so called two party system that has grown completely dysfunctional? Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired of a tyrannical, out of control, overreaching, overspending, rights abusing, addicted to tax money government in DC that rivals the abuses of King George and Parliament? We know what it took to resolve those issues in 1776.

Our Founders gave us two ways to overthrow oppressive, tyrannical government; the ballot box and the bullet box (2nd amendment is not just for personal protection and hunting). I am NOT suggesting it's time to utilize that right in that manner. We have not yet exhausted the ballot box, though it may feel like we have at this point. That way still works but it's time to shake up the game so to speak...unless of course you're content to just gripe and moan on and on and bathe in frustration or marinate in the false hopes of the idealism of "maybe one day...".

We repeat history because we don't learn from it. History is our rear view mirror and it is largely the record of man's mistakes and foolishness. But, every so often, it contains a shining page of real triumph. However, here's the irony about the Republicans. Do you know the story of the birth of the Republican party? Do you really know who the first Republicans were? It's a fascinating tale that came from an era eerily similar to our current one. It was a deeply, divided country with politicians who couldn't agree on much. Alas, history does repeat itself because we become poor students of it!

Without getting too deep for these pages and your attention span, here is the nut shell version:

The The United States Republican Party is the second oldest currently existing political party in the United States after its great rival, the Democratic Party. It emerged in 1854 to combat the Kansas Nebraska Act which threatened to extend slavery into the territories, and to promote more vigorous modernization of the economy. It had almost no presence in the South, but in the North it enlisted most former Whigs and former Free Soil Democrats to form majorities, by 1858, in nearly every Northern state.

With the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and its success in guiding the Union to victory and abolishing slavery, it came to dominate the national scene until 1932. (Courtesy Wikipedia)

You see, in essence, the Republican Party started as a Third Party formed from abolitionist and dis-enchanted members of two other bigger, political parties. This happened in a political landscape dominated largely by Democrats and Whigs. Now remember, this was accomplished in the horse-and-buggy era and, during a time without social media, the Internet, TV or Radio! Imagine if they had those tools! But, WE DO! They even managed to nominate and help elect arguably one of the greatest, presidents America ever produced, Abe Lincoln! Were they smarter in the early-mid-eighteen hundreds than we are today? Were they better funded? Were they more organized, galvanized, better networked, have more favorable press coverage and marketers? NO! Look what they accomplished in just six or seven years and how they helped change a nation. Yes, it took a bloody Civil War too and let's pray to God above that we NEVER repeat that portion of history again!

The point is, it can be done. With all due respect to the Conservative Talking Heads and Mouths out there in media who, in one breath preach excellence and individual achievement is do-able by you, yet, in the next breath, tell you that a Third Party is just an impossible dream. They exhort you to keep pinning your hopes on the Republican field. Don't buy their hypocrisy and blarney. Establishing a large powerful, third party can happen. It can certainly be done because it HAS BEEN DONE and by people who didn't have nearly the opportunities, resources and tools at their disposal that we do!

Where is it chiseled in stone that we can only have a two party system? Now who would benefit the most from that propaganda? Repubs and Dems? Of course, because they want to guard their political monopolies. Follow the money trail and the big lobbying groups!

Let me clearly state that I am not suggesting that the Tea Party itself become a major third party. Rather, it's that we help birth, organize and coalesce behind one that adheres to our larger values & principles. We CAN do this. We MUST do this lest we be accused truthfully of only being "Summer Patriots." who shrink when the task gets tough.

The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. How much longer will many if not most of you, continue to court and put up with a sold out party that just can't deliver? Like a co-dependent, quit trying to fix it! Get away from it and start fresh. Our Founders quit arguing with and trying to fix the British government. They eventually broke away from it and said, enough! This Tea Partier says, "ENOUGH!" Let's dump the sold out Republican Party that forgot its roots, overboard as our namesakes did with the tea in Boston Harbor. Let's put true leaders and patriots who love and obey the Constitution in Congress and everywhere else in DC, state houses, governorships, county, city governments. etc. And, let's turn the Repubs and Dems over to the Dog Catchers.



Richie L.