we have a large, vocal minority who wants to revise history, and take that Christian equation out of our culture. They would like to deny Chrisitanity's very existence, and they either mock or shun everything that references our very heritage --- and there's no doubt who they are
their enemy has become your enemy On Jan 2, 11:41 am, Keith In Tampa <[email protected]> wrote: > There's no "religious war" about it PlainOl, but you cannot deny the fact > that our very society; our culture, our every day way of life and what we > have become in the United States and Western Europe has been shaped by > Christian ideals, principles and tenets. > > Today, we have a large, vocal minority who wants to revise history, and > take that Christian equation out of our culture. They would like to > deny Chrisitanity's very existence, and they either mock or shun everything > that references our very heritage. > > Couple that with an *dar-al-Islam* movement that wants to see the end of > Western civilization as we know it, and then, sprinkle in a bunch of > crackpot Ron Paul supporters who are misinforned, and cannot see the forest > for the trees. > > All of this could speill a potential disaster if we are not ever vigilent. > The old adage comes to mind when dealing with folks like you: "Either > Lead, Follow, Or Just Get The Hell Out Of The Way!" > > On Mon, Jan 2, 2012 at 11:15 AM, plainolamerican > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > > > good luck with your religious war > > > On Jan 2, 10:03 am, Keith In Tampa <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Once again.....How naive of you PlainOl...... > > > > On Mon, Jan 2, 2012 at 10:10 AM, plainolamerican > > > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > his views on national security are asinine > > > > --- > > > > leaving the jews and muzzies to fight their own war is hardly asinine > > > > > choose sides carefully > > > > > On Dec 31 2011, 2:57 pm, GhostOfAdams <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > No thanks. I love his interpretation of the constitution, But his > > > > > views on national security are asinine and his expectations about > > what > > > > > a president can actually move forward and accomplish are wholly > > > > > unrealistic. > > > > > Again, No thanks. > > > > > > On Dec 31, 12:43 pm, MJ <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Why Conservatives Should Support Ron PaulFriday, 30 December 2011 > > 11:33 > > > > > > Dennis Behreandt > > > > > > As Ron Paul has surged over recent weeks becoming a front-runner > > for > > > > the Republican nomination despite mainstream attempts to derail his > > growing > > > > popularity, among some conservatives, concern is growing. > > > > > > Specifically, among those conservatives most concerned with foreign > > > > policy, Ron Paul is viewed with skepticism, if not disdain. Support > > for the > > > > Texas congressman, they say, will mean weakening America’s position in > > the > > > > world, leaving Israel weak and undefended, and giving Iran a free hand > > to > > > > go nuclear. On the basis of these concerns, Paul’s conservative critics > > > > say, he would be bad, and possiblydangerous, for the country as > > president. > > > > > > Nothing could be further from the truth. Not only would a Ron Paul > > > > presidency help the country become economically stronger and militarily > > > > more secure, it would reinvigorate the conservative cause. > > > > > > To begin, it is necessary to put Ron Paul and the movement that > > > > supports him into contextvis-a-visthe modern conservative movement at > > > > large. Much continues to be made of Ron Paul as alibertarianrather > > than a > > > > conservative. But while there may be some utility in considering Paul > > and > > > > his supporters as libertarian, for some certainly are, it is more > > useful to > > > > consider Paul an outgrowth, or an example of, American orthodoxy. > > > > > > There is a subtle but important difference between an orthodox > > > > political movement and a conservative political movement. In a broad > > sense, > > > > those of a conservative mindset seek to save and preserve institutions > > > > because they view those institutions as having demonstrated some > > > > utilitarian value to culture and society simply by the virtue of their > > > > existence. This was a theme explored by historian Jerry Z. Muller of > > the > > > > Catholic University of America in the introduction to his > > bookConservatism: > > > > An Anthology of Social and Political Thought from David Hume to the > > Present. > > > > > > According to Muller, “The conservative defends existing > > institutions > > > > because their very existence creates a presumption that they have > > served > > > > some useful function, because eliminating them may lead to harmful, > > > > unintended consequences, or because the veneration which attaches to > > > > institutions that have existed over time makes them potentially usable > > for > > > > new purposes.” > > > > > > Because existing institutions vary from nation to nation, > > conservatism > > > > likewise varies from nation to nation. As a result, conservatives have > > > > sought to save and preserve many things over the years in many > > countries. > > > > Soviet conservatives sought to preserve Soviet institutions, for > > example. > > > > An American conservative would look askance, for instance at an > > attempt to > > > > paint the Soviet planning agency GOSPLAN as a vital and important > > > > institution as it would violate the tenets of free enterprise most > > American > > > > conservatives hold dear. Yet it would not be surprising to find that a > > > > Soviet conservative might think that GOSPLAN should have been > > preserved. > > > > > > In the United States, the institutions that tend to be of interest > > to > > > > conservatives are of broadly two types. The first are those explicitly > > > > created by the charter of government that brought the nation into > > being. > > > > Therefore, American conservatism tends to be supportive of the > > separation > > > > of powers among the branches of government. As a consequence of this, > > for > > > > example, American conservatives often lament the prospect of judicial > > > > tyranny or the tendency of modern presidents to rule by executive > > order, > > > > which many see as infringing upon and diminishing the Constitutional > > role > > > > of Congress. This also explains the seemingly contradictory position > > some > > > > conservatives take of actually supporting the idea of a > > powerful,unitary > > > > executiveas they see the Hamiltonian ideas of a more powerful > > presidency as > > > > of central importance. > > > > > > Second, American conservatives have generally been supportive of > > the > > > > cultural institutions that they see as existing prior to the state. > > Among > > > > these are defense of traditional values, defense of the family, and > > defense > > > > of the idea of the common law. In both areas among conservatives these > > > > things are valued primarily for theirutility. Because they exist, they > > must > > > > therefor perform a useful function and we tamper with them at our own > > risk. > > > > > > In contrast to the conservative point of view, the orthodox outlook > > > > says that a given institution exists because it is in alignment with a > > > > transcendental truth. Says Professor Muller: “...the orthodox defense > > of > > > > institutions depends on belief in their correspondence to some ultimate > > > > truth.... The orthodox theoretician defends existing institutions and > > > > practices because they are metaphysicallytrue: the truth proclaimed > > may be > > > > based on particular revelation or on natural laws purportedly > > accessible to > > > > all rational men....” > > > > > > It is from this latter point of view that we must understand the > > > > phenomenon of Ron Paul. In the introduction to his bookLiberty Defined, > > > > Paul places himself firmly within the orthodox American tradition by > > > > acknowledging that he believes in natural rights that precede the > > > > foundations of government. He writes: “The definition of liberty I use > > is > > > > the same one that was accepted by Thomas Jefferson and his generation. > > It > > > > is the understanding derived from the great freedom tradition, for > > > > Jefferson himself took his understanding from John Locke (1632-1704).” > > Put > > > > succinctly by Jefferson, this is the idea “that all men are created > > equal, > > > > that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, > > > > that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These > > > > are, to put it as Muller did, “natural and accessible by all rational > > men.” > > > > > > There is a substantial nexus between the orthodox American point of > > > > view represented by Ron Paul and the modern American conservative > > movement. > > > > The orthodox view holds that the rights enjoyed by individuals, > > including > > > > to live, to build a family, to own property, to speak one’s mind, to > > > > associate with whom one wishes, etc., are inviolate and that > > governments > > > > lack any legitimate interest in legislating in these areas. Meanwhile, > > the > > > > conservative simply sees the outcomes of the exercise of these rights > > as > > > > the institutions (the family, for instance) as worth protecting > > because of > > > > its utility. But both the orthodox American and the conservative > > American > > > > can agree on the value of the family and other such institutions. > > Moreover, > > > > the explicit political institutions brought into being during the > > founding > > > > era were created largely by orthodox American thinkers. In defending > > these > > > > institutionsbecause they now existconservatives find themselves in > > > > agreement with orthodox Americanists who defend them because in their > > view > > > > it is morally right that they existedin their proper formin the first > > place. > > > > > > Because there is a nexus of interests between the American orthodox > > > > outlook and the conservative outlook, there should be a natural > > affinity > > > > between the two. And while this has not necessarily been the case at > > least > > > > since the 1950s, with both sides tending to look askance at one > > another, > > > > the opportunity now exists for the two movements to work together for > > the > > > > same goals. Consider some of the outcomes that are possible:Foreign > > > > Affairs: Conservatives want the United States to be the preeminent > > power in > > > > the world, both economically and militarily. > > ... > > read more » -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
