First they came for the Socialists.....

[James Riley]

Consider that if you were all alone, you would have no audience.

He says as he types a post from god knows where and sends it out into a world of 7 billion people.

 

[hank4elk]

When is moonbat season over?

2 yrs? 4yrs?
Speedy trials for traitors I say.

 

[James Riley]

Big business, and the corrupt politicians funded by same, being the "they" you're referring to?

Mic drop.

 

[onpoint]

Liberal, conservative .....love this stuff......
Taken in the context of living in MT - I am probably considered a environmentalist flamin' liberal.
Move me to a large coastal population center and I'd be considered a gun totin' welfare hatin' conservative.
It's probably very comfortable to have a simple mind.
Think I'll clean some shotgun tubes today after getting a Double Americano from my local barista.....

 

[hank4elk]

Most Americans glean their definitions from suspect sources. Thus, "liberal" is not understood in the classical, or as I would call it, the correct, or traditional sense. Conservatives, like Newt Gingrich, endeavored to make "liberal" a dirty word. And, among the stupid people, he was very successful. There are a lot of stupid people. In fact, they outnumber the smart people. Even some liberals bought into this and searched for another term (progressive?) to call themselves.

You, MTGomer, obviously are not stupid and you understand the true meaning of "liberal." You must have gone to school or read, or paid attention. It's refreshing.

Anyway, I cannot answer your question. If there is a liberal out there in public office, his or her counsel is lost in the din. Part of it could be my fault, in that I do not actively seek out good people. They generally don't have a chance anyway, until such time as things force their hand. Then they rise to the occasion (if we are all lucky).

For anyone else who is interested, and for simplicity, imagine a circle. On that circle is a conservative who likes things they way they are. To his left is a moderate, who would like to move forward into the future, with trepidation/caution. To his left is a liberal, who wants to go boldly into the future/change. To the left of him is a radical who wants to upset the apple cart. If you go left of him, you find the anarchist.

If you go right of the conservative, you find the reactionary. He wants to go back to the way things used to be. To his right you find the anarchist and you've gone full circle. Once you reach anarchy, it no longer matters if you came from the right or left to get there.

These stations are actually not people. Rather, they are positions. So each person can be on any one of those on one issue, and another position on a different issue. You also have to consider the baseline and location. For instance, some would call gun control a liberal position. But it is actually a conservative or even reactionary position. The idea that any man could arm himself is and always has been a liberal, even radical idea.

Anyway, the din of the stupid people can indeed create change. A term like "liberal" can be watered down to the point that it must be qualified with terms like "classic" or "true" or "traditional". And people can create new words to define themselves, like "progressive" and whatnot. In the end though, I refuse to let others dictate the terms of debate or provide the definitions. I'm conservative that way, even reactionary. I want to go back to the days when Liberal Arts meant something. You know, like our founding fathers, all steeped in the liberal tradition, the Enlightenment, philosophy, languages (Latin, Greek, etc.), history, etc. The smart people. Oh well, like my D.I.s used to say, "Shit in one hand and want in the other. See what you get."

A shit sandwich. Remember it well. Pretty much spot on.
A illiterate local jerk made the big mistake of calling me a commie the other day.Because I am not from here & have seen a few of life's real lessons. Deputy buddy stepped in before the ambulance was needed.

 

[James Riley]

Think I'll clean some shotgun tubes today after getting a Double Americano from my local barista.....

My favorite bumper sticker ever: "Can't go to work today; the voices said 'stay home and clean the guns.'"

 

[onpoint]

My favorite bumper sticker ever: "Can't go to work today; the voices said 'stay home and clean the guns.'"

One of my favorites, "Don't believe everything you think". Right next to "If you want birds, hunt with an ugly dog".

 

[James Riley]

That is OK I didn't expect you to consider it, after all I am almost certainly one of the stupid people. Now I went and proved it by participating in this thread.

Actually, you proved something more insightful: Contrary to my use of "smart" and "stupid" people, these really aren't people. Like "conservative" and "liberal", etc. these are positions on a given issue, not people. We are all smart here, and stupid there. I'm merely being intentionally stupid (lazy) in applying the terms to people in the same way Gingrich would use the term "liberal" with a sneer.

Interesting the faith our founding fathers had in the "common" man on some occasions, and not on others. Interesting too is the trust the "common" man had in our founding fathers regarding some issues and not others. But I think they had a better marriage back then than we have today.

I think the smart people are dumber than they were back then. And I think conservatives like it that way. ;-)

 

[antlerradar]

Consider that if you were all alone, you would have no audience.

Or no one to help