Comments on: A partisan America is not a real America http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/20172 The oldest political news site on the Internet Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:30:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: griff http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/20172/comment-page-1#comment-54943 griff Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-54943 Okay Doug you've finally managed to piss me off. You're still riding in November? On winding mountain roads? Damn you Doug Thompson! Your blog reminds me of a conversation I overheard outside the bar the other night. A middle-aged man of about 50 was explaining the difference between Democrats and Republicans to a lady he was clearly trying to impress. It was all I could do not to scream, "don't listen to that a@&hole!" It seems that politics is no different than football or baseball. Personal empowerment is found only by being associated with the winning team, not by any intelligent assessment of facts or reality. Independence and intellect are frowned upon, considered alien and outlandish. You certainly can't have a game with three or more teams, you must support one or the other. We need to keep things simple and tribal. Unga-Bunga! Me Democrat! Me Republican! Mmmm. Feel good, be stupid. Me like being sheep! Eeeaaazzzyyy. American? We don't even know what that means anymore. We just do what we're told. "Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them." - Joseph Story "Man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the spot of every wind. With such persons, gullibility, which they call faith, takes the helm from the hand of reason and the mind becomes a wreck." - Thomas Jefferson "Nothing is more certain than that a general profligacy and corruption of manners make a people ripe for destruction. A good form of government may hold the rotten materials together for some time, but beyond a certain pitch, even the best constitution will be ineffectual, and slavery must ensue." - John Witherspoon Okay Doug you’ve finally managed to piss me off. You’re still riding in November? On winding mountain roads? Damn you Doug Thompson!

Your blog reminds me of a conversation I overheard outside the bar the other night. A middle-aged man of about 50 was explaining the difference between Democrats and Republicans to a lady he was clearly trying to impress. It was all I could do not to scream, “don’t listen to that a@&hole!”

It seems that politics is no different than football or baseball. Personal empowerment is found only by being associated with the winning team, not by any intelligent assessment of facts or reality.

Independence and intellect are frowned upon, considered alien and outlandish. You certainly can’t have a game with three or more teams, you must support one or the other. We need to keep things simple and tribal.

Unga-Bunga! Me Democrat! Me Republican! Mmmm. Feel good, be stupid. Me like being sheep! Eeeaaazzzyyy.

American? We don’t even know what that means anymore. We just do what we’re told.

“Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” – Joseph Story

“Man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the spot of every wind. With such persons, gullibility, which they call faith, takes the helm from the hand of reason and the mind becomes a wreck.” – Thomas Jefferson

“Nothing is more certain than that a general profligacy and corruption of manners make a people ripe for destruction. A good form of government may hold the rotten materials together for some time, but beyond a certain pitch, even the best constitution will be ineffectual, and slavery must ensue.” – John Witherspoon

]]> By: Sandra Price http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/20172/comment-page-1#comment-55000 Sandra Price Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-55000 Nice Rant, Doug. I spent 3 days with 700 Americans at a Conference in Seattle where politics was not the subject of any discussion. It was refreshing to me to not have to explain whether anyone was a conservative or liberal. Our discussions were based on "Reason" over "Obedience" of any government position. I got home last night late and decided to ignore my unread emails and head back to CHB. Thank you Nice Rant, Doug. I spent 3 days with 700 Americans at a Conference in Seattle where politics was not the subject of any discussion. It was refreshing to me to not have to explain whether anyone was a conservative or liberal. Our discussions were based on “Reason” over “Obedience” of any government position. I got home last night late and decided to ignore my unread emails and head back to CHB. Thank you

]]> By: peedee http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/20172/comment-page-1#comment-55084 peedee Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-55084 Doug you are so right. In my job(regulatory) I call on convenience stores in 5 counties in NC. In my estimations I would say that over 75% of the privately owned stores are owned by foreigners. They range from Koreans, Vietnamese, Chinese, East Indians, South Africans, Egyptians, Morrocoans, Congolese, Salvadoran, Mexican, British, Canadians, Ghanaian, and Americans. Before Obama was elected my father-in-law told me that the muslims and foreigners were going to take us over and that I had better watch out. I explained that the foreigners were more courteous and appreciated the fact that I was there than some Americans. He then said "They are being nice cause they are gonna get you". Talking with these people have given me a new prespestive on the world. Most people in the USA have never been out of the country let alone talk with a foreigner and they think the world revolves around us. I come in contact with Canadians each winter as they come and go to Florida. I have yet to find one that did not like their health care, but to hear some people at church talk they don't like it even though if you ask if they have talked with anyone from Canada they say no. All I can say we as a nation are much more ignorant about the world than what the rest of the world knows about us and we are much less tolerant. Doug you are so right. In my job(regulatory) I call on convenience stores in 5 counties in NC. In my estimations I would say that over 75% of the privately owned stores are owned by foreigners. They range from Koreans, Vietnamese, Chinese, East Indians, South Africans, Egyptians, Morrocoans, Congolese, Salvadoran, Mexican, British, Canadians,
Ghanaian, and Americans. Before Obama was elected my father-in-law told me that the muslims and foreigners were going to take us over and that I had better watch out. I explained that the foreigners were more courteous and appreciated the fact that I was there than some Americans. He then said “They are being nice cause they are gonna get you”. Talking with these people have given me a new prespestive on the world. Most people in the USA have never been out of the country let alone talk with a foreigner and they think the world revolves around us. I come in contact with Canadians each winter as they come and go to Florida. I have yet to find one that did not like their health care, but to hear some people at church talk they don’t like it even though if you ask if they have talked with anyone from Canada they say no. All I can say we as a nation are much more ignorant about the world than what the rest of the world knows about us and we are much less tolerant.

]]> By: Kent.Shaw http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/20172/comment-page-1#comment-55118 Kent.Shaw Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-55118 I spent a month in Bahrain a few years back. I found the Arabs to be friendly, courteous and with great senses of humor. All I met were very very nice people. And, how odd, many spoke English. How else could I have talked with them? I, like 99.999999% of other U.S. citizens don't speak a word of Arabic. Hmmmm... Kent Shaw I spent a month in Bahrain a few years back. I found the Arabs to be friendly, courteous and with great senses of humor. All I met were very very nice people. And, how odd, many spoke English. How else could I have talked with them? I, like 99.999999% of other U.S. citizens don’t speak a word of Arabic. Hmmmm…

Kent Shaw

]]> By: woody188 http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/20172/comment-page-1#comment-55140 woody188 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-55140 I get called a Republican or Conservative when a Democrat is President and Democrat or Liberal when a Republican is President. Seems I don't often agree with what the President does or says regardless of party and folks rarely look to my reasoning and only see that I don't like what their boy is doing and go on the attack. Truth be told I consider myself a Jeffersonian Liberal but I guess today that is considered Conservative. Of course this means I'm Independent as no party really represents Jefferson's views any longer. I get called a Republican or Conservative when a Democrat is President and Democrat or Liberal when a Republican is President. Seems I don’t often agree with what the President does or says regardless of party and folks rarely look to my reasoning and only see that I don’t like what their boy is doing and go on the attack.

Truth be told I consider myself a Jeffersonian Liberal but I guess today that is considered Conservative. Of course this means I’m Independent as no party really represents Jefferson’s views any longer.

]]> By: issodhos http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/20172/comment-page-1#comment-55147 issodhos Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-55147 Obamans have become the new Bushies. No surprise there.:-)) Unfortunately, if one holds to the same position while the sister parties and their Useful Gullibles temporarilly exchange seats, one continues to remain the odd man out. Kinda tells ya something about the two sisters.;-) Yours, Issodhos Obamans have become the new Bushies. No surprise there.:-))

Unfortunately, if one holds to the same position while the sister parties and their Useful Gullibles temporarilly exchange seats, one continues to remain the odd man out. Kinda tells ya something about the two sisters.;-)
Yours,
Issodhos

]]> By: issodhos http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/20172/comment-page-1#comment-55148 issodhos Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-55148 Begging the question, what is "a real America".:-) Yours, Issodhos Begging the question, what is “a real America”.:-)
Yours,
Issodhos

]]> By: almandine http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/20172/comment-page-1#comment-55149 almandine Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-55149 Oh I wish I was in the land of cotton... Oh I wish I was in the land of cotton…

]]> By: woody188 http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/20172/comment-page-1#comment-55153 woody188 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-55153 I think your sisters are better described as Siamese twins. Joined at the purse. :) I think your sisters are better described as Siamese twins. Joined at the purse. :)

]]> By: Zengine http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/20172/comment-page-1#comment-55176 Zengine Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-55176 I really wouldn't say that Americans are bombarded with propaganda 'from both sides of the spectrum'. Bombarded with propaganda, they are. From both sides of 'the spectrum', no. American mainstream thought, fruit from both from the Democrat and Republican trees, is actually pretty narrow in scope and in some ways rather backward compared to other industrialised western nations. There is no broad spectrum there, but a narrow band. That one could even call it a 'spectrum' indicates how successful that propaganda has actually been. I really wouldn’t say that Americans are bombarded with propaganda ‘from both sides of the spectrum’. Bombarded with propaganda, they are. From both sides of ‘the spectrum’, no.

American mainstream thought, fruit from both from the Democrat and Republican trees, is actually pretty narrow in scope and in some ways rather backward compared to other industrialised western nations. There is no broad spectrum there, but a narrow band.

That one could even call it a ‘spectrum’ indicates how successful that propaganda has actually been.

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