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2008-11-14 Home Front: Politix
P.J. O'Rourke : We Blew It
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Posted by tipper 2008-11-14 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ]  Top

#1 Wasn't this posted a few days ago?
Posted by g(r)omgoru 2008-11-14 01:39||   2008-11-14 01:39|| Front Page Top

#2 Read it again.
Posted by newc">newc  2008-11-14 02:03||   2008-11-14 02:03|| Front Page Top

#3 Why?
Posted by g(r)omgoru 2008-11-14 02:18||   2008-11-14 02:18|| Front Page Top

#4 "I've got six sons," the farmer says.

"Are they all good little Democrats?" the candidate asks.

"Well," the farmer says, "five of 'em are. But my oldest boy, he got to readin'  .  .  .  "


licking our wounds, now just hoping that zero doesn't pour salt in them.

just another thought, Newt was talking tonight about how can we as a country be competitive in the world when we give to those who don't do anything. I can't stand this mindset.
Posted by Jan  2008-11-14 02:55||   2008-11-14 02:55|| Front Page Top

#5 An after-action report is good, time to start thinking the next election; only 30% or so voted so there are plenty of people out there to reach.

PolySci friend of mine and I were talking the other night and we agreed McCain's message was weak - the good points he made were not emphasised. What he talked about in the debate for the most part only really made sense to those who were able to check the internet often and the openings he had McCain did not take advantage of. Populist messages though correct but was his opponents game; the campaign was like watching the Raiders and Chiefs play.

Time to start thinking about the next elections - House in 2 and then the Presidency. Gotta have a distinctive message not a retooling of this last one.
Posted by swksvolFF 2008-11-14 10:31||   2008-11-14 10:31|| Front Page Top

#6 Jan, read the excerpt below and rethink that mindset issue you have, 'kay?

The problem with lefty liberals is that they think, probably because they don't DO anything themselves, that all the goodies in life grow on trees.



“Men have been taught that the highest virtue is not to achieve, but to give. Yet one cannot give that which has not been created. Creation comes before distribution- or there will be nothing to distribute. The need of the creator comes before the need of any possible beneficiary. Yet we are taught to admire the second-hander who dispenses gifts he has not produced above the man who made the gifts possible. We praise an act of charity. We shrug at an act of achievement.”

“America’s abundance was created not by public sacrifices to the common good, but by the productive genius of free men who pursued their own personal interests and the making of their own private fortunes. They did not starve the people to pay for America’s industrialization. They gave the people better jobs, higher wages, and cheaper goods with every new machine they invented, with every scientific discovery or technological advance- and thus the whole country was moving forward and profiting, not suffering, every step of the way.”

Posted by AlanC 2008-11-14 10:37||   2008-11-14 10:37|| Front Page Top

#7 Is there a moral dimension to foreign policy in our political philosophy? Or do we just exist to help the world's rich people make and keep their money?

Interesting question. After the financial glut that has taken place over the last 15 years, how can we be broke after 2 bad quarters? Where did the money go?
Posted by bigjim-ky 2008-11-14 10:43||   2008-11-14 10:43|| Front Page Top

#8 just to clarify, (whoa "'kay?" really?) but hey, it's okay because I was misunderstood.
I agree with Newt, I don't like the mindset of the zero, sorry if I was unclear in my earlier comment.
I'm working damn hard and don't like the idea of giving to those that sit on their butts expecting something for nothing. To help those in need is one thing, but to promote the masses of folks that want something for nothing is the wrong thing to do. Seeing these expectations by these lazyass folks, and that the laws promote it is what drives me nuts. Hell we have commercials telling folks how to work the system, there was one on just last night about how to get an electric scooter, all free for example. This explains how we often see many " fluffy" folks on them when in reality they would be better off walking having the exercise. I know there are folks that really need them, but have them get it through their health care provider, not by an advertisement telling them how to get it for free when it's questionable if they even really need it.
I work in a place that gives free stuff out to people whether they need it or not, most or all in the form of emergency medicaid. Housing, food, resources, to mostly illegal aliens that did the anchor baby deal. We can't afford this America needs to open it's eyes, and wake up from this dreamworld.
Also during this election year most my co-workers were for the zero, also very frustrating, mostly because of the pro-life issue. I've always been pro-birth control.
It's painful watching our country be taken over by this kind of Robin Hood "mindset".
We need to get pride back into people's hearts, promote a job well done, and to do the right thing. Not expect government to provide everything. I think it funny back when comparisons were being made of the zero to President Kennedy; remembering the "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Man what a concept huh imagine that.
Regarding Yet we are taught to admire the second-hander who dispenses gifts he has not produced above the man who made the gifts possible. We praise an act of charity. We shrug at an act of achievement.”
People forget that gift's aren't just material, to give your time, and not somebody else's hard earned money. People can work in a soup kitchen feeding the homeless, and helping those really in need is one thing. Teaching them to provide for themselves, what's that saying, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime... Many of these lefty liberals wouldn't consider giving their time, they are too busy going after the big money and have someone else give. That they are making it happen is their gift.
Instead it seems we've taught not just the homeless, but even the middle class how to work the system and get free stuff and that it's expected.
We need to get our integrity, honor and duty back in the minds of Americans. I only hope it's not too late.

(end rant, until the next article lol. It's going to be a long winter sigh)
Posted by Jan  2008-11-14 12:51||   2008-11-14 12:51|| Front Page Top

#9 Jan,

Your original "I can't stand this mindset." seems to refer to the previous sentence where you paraphrase Newt. If you meant that you can't stand the mindset of those demanding something for nothing then we just have a "failure to communicate".

The only problem with your second post is
"People forget that gift's aren't just material, to give your time, ...".

Time may not be material but it also ain't free.
If you have to work two jobs to make ends meet it is very tough to find time with which to be charitable. It is even worse when someone else demands that you spend your most precious commodity to suit their purposes.

Note, I'm not saying the being charitable with money or time is bad. However, for the enunciated reasons it is second on the value list to actually producing stuff.
Posted by AlanC 2008-11-14 13:08||   2008-11-14 13:08|| Front Page Top

#10 AlanC,
Thanks, and I agree that time isn't free. I'm currently working alot more than 40 hr's/wk, doing so will get me in a better place financially, but that's my choice to do so. My free time is very valuable to me, I definitely agree with you here.
For those that want to give using others money, they are the ones I was thinking could give of their time instead, but probably wouldn't consider it.
It is even worse when someone else demands that you spend your most precious commodity to suit their purposes.
I think the bottom line here is pointing out the difference from giving because you want to and to your choice of charity, VS being told to give to who and how.
I do like seeing community service projects, say by the Boy Scouts as an example. Teaching our youth to give back to the community is a good thing. It's the "expected" part that has me so angry.
Posted by Jan  2008-11-14 13:45||   2008-11-14 13:45|| Front Page Top

#11 Jan,

Expected? Hell these folks want to do it at the point of a gun.

Individual rights, responsibilities, rewards and consequences are what this country was founded on; and what made this country great. The fascism / groupism of the socialist left is the antithesis of individual liberty and the presence of tyrrany.
Posted by AlanC 2008-11-14 15:13||   2008-11-14 15:13|| Front Page Top

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