I consider myself an amateur historian. Amateur because I don't study history for profit, I study it because I find it an incredible story. I would argue that the story of America is one of the richest, most beautiful stories ever told, and stands against any work of fiction ever written. I love the National Archives in Washington. Seeing the actual Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution is a very moving experience. On the west side of the Archives, the following inscription is written in big bold letters:
The glory and romance of our history are here preserved in the chronicles of those who conceived and builded the structure of our nation.
I never fail to be moved when I read that inscription. As an amateur historian, I will tell you that I find it hard to believe the tyranny that has been forced on our nation by the U.S. Congress, by the U.S. Senate, and by the current President of the United States. I do not use the word "tyranny" lightly. Tyranny is defined as "oppressive power". Today, Tuesday, March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the most massive redefining of our economy to take place since The Great Depression. Under the guise of "health care reform", this law gives the government the power to decide what kind of health care you and your family receive.
In addition to this travesty, it will increase our deficit according to Democrats own internal memo's. The law costs $1 Trillion. That's $1 Trillion we don't have to spend. The law attempts to pay for itself through taxing the very services, devices, and people, it claims to help. A few days ago a comment on this blog went, "Oddly, when I woke up this morning and looked outside, I didn't see any communist nationalistic troops with tanks rolling down my street." True. However, is your health care better today? Do you get better appointments at the Doctor's office? Is your Doctor even still in business? Do you suddenly have medicine you couldn't get on Saturday? Is the "change" in your insurance worth the estimated $500 Million in new taxes we will see on January 1, 2011? The honest answer to most of these questions is "no".
This health care law by itself hasn't destroyed our nation. However, with its passage into law today, I can see the end of our nation from here. Our country can't afford the price tag of this bill in this economy, coupled with the price tags of Social Security and Medicare. Both of these programs are running out of money. Some estimates state they will be out of money in the next ten years, just as we're paying increased taxes for the law signed today. The Democrats in Washington have decided a one and a half year crusade to centralize healthcare decision making power is more important than getting people back to work, and more important than improving our economy.
The "Greatest Generation" fought to protect our country, and the west in World War II. However they failed to pass on the values of their generation to their children. The Baby Boomers are starting to retire, and failed to fix Social Security or Medicare, and failed to protect our nation from the encroachment of soft tyranny. This "beneficial tyranny" believes in protecting everyday people from themselves at the price of their freedoms. President Obama says, "I will protect your health, just give up your right to make your own health care choices."
It's now up to our generation to stop this soft tyranny, and to begin to repeal it. It's up to the Baby Boomers who are still willing to fight, the Generation X-ers who must fight, and Generation Y that is coming into its own politically. Lines have been drawn around freedom, and around uncontrolled, nation destroying spending. If you're reading this blog, YOU must make a choice. You must decide if you will continue to fight for this country or if you will sit back and let Democrats in Washington decide how to run your life. Will you take care of yourself and your family, or will you trade your freedoms for the shackles of government handouts.
In 1964, Ronald Reagan told an audience that they had a rendezvous with destiny. Today, we face that same rendezvous. Will we fight for our freedoms? For our nation? In the coming months, each of us must ask, as Reagan did, "Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves." Another famous Reagan quote also applies to today:
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
Now is a time when we must decide: Will we protect our nation and leave freedom and this great country to our children and grandchildren, or will we let planners in Washington make our decisions for us and voluntarily put the shackles on our children's children?
31 comments:
From the Declaration of Independence:
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariable the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Sounds like you might be at that point. I for one think that the train of abuses is getting long...
What exactly in the law (yes, law) do y'all find so threatening? Seriously, what is it?
Sounds like y'all have been drinking too much
T.E.A..
BTW: the vid of our fellow partyers is awesome. check it out. The circus scenes: by a beautiful coincidence, both events were being held at the same time and place.
Thanks Andy, I had a good laugh this afternoon after a long, tough day.
Appreciate it!
Anonymous:
1) It violates the U.S. Constitution.
2) It makes it so that Insurance companies will no longer be able to operate in the United States in the next ten years.
3) It discourages Doctors, Hospitals, Drug companies, and makers of medical devices from going into business or from staying in business.
Finally, it will bankrupt the country. We can't afford this law.
Dave,
Enjoy your shackles.
Now, on a serious note.
Right, we should all rise up against the tyrannical majority in this country.
I swear, sometimes I think you guys make some very valid points, then other times I think you've fallen and hit your heads.
Think for just a second what you are talking about: health care.
You're almost spouting treasonous nonsense about: health care.
And this is the exact reason why no one in this country takes the tea party movement seriously.
Well, things like this and the racial slurs thrown out over the week in DC, and the homophobic slurs thrown out in DC over the week, and the hypocrisy of the entire movement, and the expansion of presidential powers without a peep from anyone in the tea party movement over the past 8 years, and the fact that many of you openly supported the president going to war without a declaration of war from congress (un-constitutional mind you), or the fact that republicans have been crying about reconciliation when they used it themselves on more than a couple occasions over the past 8 years, and the list goes on.
For the first time, in a long time, we actually are doing something to help people in OUR country. Not in Israel, or Iraq, or Afghanistan, or Serbia, or Bosnia, but OUR country.
God forbid anything was to happen to any of you, or your children, to where the insurance companies you seem to want to protect, drop you like a bad habit when you need them the most. You think the BK numbers due to medical expenses, due to people being dropped from the insurance rolls are made up? This is what you are rallying against.
You're rallying against a bill that deems it illegal for insurances companies to NOT act like insurance companies. You're crying out against mandates so that those without insurance don't continue to visit the emergency room, further increasing our already skyrocketing costs.
You're rallying against coverage across the board.
Best of luck to all of you who will now cost us even more money by supporting AG's in various states (including mine) who will engage in frivolous lawsuits that and 8th grader at the local catholic school can tell you don't have a chance.
Here's a quote from John Dingell (D) that is VERY SCARY and exactly why people don't want this crap...The harsh fact of the matter is when you're going to pass legislation that will cover 300 American people in different ways it takes a long time to do the necessary administrative steps that have to be taken to put the legislation together to control the people.
This legislation is not about providing healthcare but about controlling the populace.
Andy, government healthcare will not bankrupt this country. The president and democrat congress has planned this very well. Taxes go up in September on tanning salons. I hope poor people don't tan or we'll be adding ANOTHER lie to the president's long list. Of course, that won't pay for everything...however, there are trillions of dollars in retirement plans. There is nothing that will or can stop our government from helping themselves to any amount of that money they want. I hope I'm wrong but I do not trust this government at all.
Dave,
First, the "racists slurs" and "homophobic slanders" have proven to be fabrications in the vast number of instances they were used. John Lewis was no exception. And not all Americans agree with the Tea Party movement, but 60% believe Obamacare is not right for this country.
I am not arguing that we don't need some reform. Republicans have put forth a number of ideas, and their own reform bills. I am arguing that Obamacare will result in huge deficit's, will result in less doctors, less hospitals, and less life saving equipment. It will result in more IRS agents. That isn't health care reform. That's scrapping a health care system, and not putting anything in its place.
If I were dropped by my insurance, I can still get life saving treatment, but it might bankrupt me. If there aren't the doctors, hospitals, drugs, or equipment to save me, it won't matter if I avoid bankruptcy if I am dead.
Seattle Dave are you out of your f-ing mind?!? Do you really think I am sitting here thinking that little kids should die or that I want that to happen? Do you really think I am saying oh well tough shit you should not have had that preexisting condition?
I am mad that this bill does so much more than that. Do you really think 2400+ pages and $900+ billion is need to tell insurance companies to insure people regardless of a preexisting condition. Hell you could do it on one page and be done with it.
It is despicable that you and others are holding the "you want kids to die" bullshit line over those that disagree with this. You looked at the bill and said yes I will accept all the taxes, government expansion and other mandates of this bill to allow the good things things you pointed out. Fine that is your decision. I on the other hand do not like the cost, taxes, government expansion and other mandates, associated with those good things, which I also think are good things, you pointed out. That is my decision. How dare you accuse me of wanting people to get sick. You don't know a damn thing about me. Plane and simple, I think we could have accomplished the two things you pointed out much cheaper and effectively than this law.
How is it treason to question MY government? It is not a right of mine to do such a thing especially when we people of the United States establish the Constitution that created our government? Or do you choose to think the Declaration of Independence is an outdated document that expresses the rights of the governed wrongly?
49% favor the new law
40% oppose
Read it.
I think Krugman has it right about the right wing, and I think we can fairly include Andy's voice in the right wing.
anonymous guy you should know this but people are stupid. Of course they like the health care bill, when it is presented to them in talking points like my representative sent me an email full of:
You can keep your health insurance, no more lifetime limits, no dropping of coverage because you get sick, no denials of preexisting conditions and if you don't have health insurance you can buy it, if you can't afford it we will help you out. Hell those are all great ideas!
There is no mention of additional taxes, other than for the big bad insurance companies, expanded rules, IRS invasion of privacy, the requirement to purchase something and who knows what else. The true cost of the bill will not be known for awhile and that is even if it can calculated be because there are so much hidden things in it.
as for that article: "For if you care about America’s future, you can’t be happy as extremists take full control of one of our two great political parties." ~ Funny no matter which side of the isle you are on this statement rings true.
"As it happens, the Constitution says nothing about opinion polls trumping the right and duty of elected officials to make decisions based on what they perceive as the merits." ~i thought public opinion is why we had to stop the wars and release the prisoners...
"What has been really striking has been the eliminationist rhetoric of the G.O.P., coming not from some radical fringe but from the party’s leaders." ~funny did Mr. Obama not just say I dare you to repeal the law, directly in front of the nation call the supreme court dumb oh and what about all those who implied those against health care "reform" wanted babies to die. are those nice words?
"And he made a real try at bipartisanship"...was that the meeting he had a couple of weeks ago after he presented his plan, the one in which he talked for a while, listened none and then lectured on what would be there? Plus is it his job to have bipartisanship in law writing, my copy of the constitution says "he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." perhaps there is a newer updated version out there somewhere that mentions the presidential duties are write laws.
"It’s a party that sees modest efforts to improve Americans’ economic and health security not merely as unwise." ...spending the same amount in 10 years on wars is monstrous but this is a modest law? really? 1 million 1 million times is modest?
"We need to have two reasonable, rational parties in this country. And right now we don’t."~Funny no matter which side of the isle you are on this statement rings true.
I know it is an opinion but it is just as one sided and some parts are just as idiotic as something Rush says (not the band the talk show guy). If you believe with all your heart everything in this opinion piece you are no better than the people you condemn and make fun of for listening to Rush.
Seattle Dave just reading back on some comments here and I happened on something. It is an aside and not important to the discussion at had but you claimed that it is unconstitutional for a president to go to war without a declaration of war from congress. That is not directly true..US Code Title 50, Chapter 33 (War Powers Resolution) allows such a thing.
If you are talking about the Iraq War or the war on terrorism how do you explain: Public Law 107 - 243 - Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 or Public Law 107 - 40 - Authorization for Use of Military Force
Please explain the unconstitutional war...maybe the war on drugs?
First, thanks to everyone for the comments.
Anon Guy,
I missed your comment when there was 60% opposition to this bill. And if you are really interested in polls, here's a link to a lot of them. The most recent date is 3/21, but they show a pretty clear trend of people against this law.
On a separate note, I am humbled and pleased that you think I am a leader of the GOP. Thank you.
Pack,
I think you make some very valid points. I would only add that I don't remember Mr. Krugman having a problem with any of the rhetoric used against President Bush. At it's height, there was a movie released that described a successful assassination attempt against President Bush. I can only guess that Mr. Krugman approves of that, but is fiercely against every day citizens calling their congressman and voicing their oppinion.
Still many Americans are in the state of lethargy. Later, they will just wake up that they are already caught up by the offshoot of that well-honoured-bill-by-the-dems. Andy, since you choose to be a historian, you are compelled to let the people of America understand the situation based on the history of the past and the implications of the past to the future.
No member of congress talked violence like this during Bush's term.
Thanks for the comment Mark. I hope you stay and comment on future posts. You are correct. I started this blog with the hopes that I might change some minds.
Anon,
If your last comment was serious, then you have zero credibility in this debate any longer. You have either forgotten, or willfully choose to ignore:
A movie about assassinating President Bush. If you missed the movie, there was a separate book that dealt with the same topic.
There was Jim Webb, Democrat- Virginia who was rumored to have remarked he wanted to "slug the President".
There was Harry Reid who used his position in the Senate to attempt to have Rush Limbaugh thrown off radio. Why? Because Rush said something he didn't like.
This doesn't include the long list of Hollywood figures who have said various things about Republicans and Democrats. Are you going to now demand they apologize?
I hope every reader of this blog views the clip you attached. In reality, it is really quite harmless.
One other point. No fair minded individual can say that any comments elected Republicans have made have come near the level of anti-Bush rhetoric we saw over the last eight years. During the last eight years we were told this bashing of the President was patriotic. Where did your sense of Patriotism go when a Democrat got elected to the White House.
Andy,
I watched the video. A couple of Thomas Jefferson quotes, a guy getting a button and a couple of people talking about letting voices be heard by voting.
I must be missing the violence thing...
You got nothing, Andy. You cite a rumor and a british(!?) mockumentary. I'm waiting for on-the-record quotes from elected democratic officials, which is what I said from the beginning.
And Pack, it sounds like you're ok talking about "feeding the ground" with American leaders' "blood," huh? And elected officials saying "amen, brother, god bless you" to a self-described "proud right wing terrorist." Congressional reps encouraging people to join the "revolution" and be "armed and dangerous," and to "chase them down and beat the other side to a pulp."
Got anything like that from elected democratic members of congress during Bush's eight years?
I thought not.
The worst thing democrats talked about was *impeachment* which, not coincidentally, is the *legal and democratic* means to deal with abuse of power.
Your refusal to condemn the exhortations to violence, and to recognize that it is wholly different than the criticism Bush faced from congress, is really sickening to me.
Anonymous Guy,
First, nothing in your video was a call to violence.
Second, I included Harry Reid in my list of responses.
Third, that "mockumentary" had a very serious tone. I wonder how quickly you would shrug it off if it was a Tea Party video about the Death of President Obama...
Finally, a very, very quick search pulled up Rod Driver, Democrat State Senator of Rhode Island who offered to pay to have President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Secretary of State Rice water boarded.
The people in the video you show are arguing that Democrats should be thrown out of office. The "right wing terrorist" was a reference to a Homeland Security memo about a year ago that said to be suspicious of anyone carrying around a copy of the Constitution.
This is really a bad line of reasoning, Anon. There is nothing in the video inciting people to violence, and I suspect in your heart you know I am right.
1) Andy, what does it mean to water the ground with leaders' blood? Is it a Red Cross blood drive? Is it an organic fertilizer? This is so confusing. What does it mean?
2) If some man told your child they were going to "chase them down and beat them to a pulp" how would you explain to the principal not to worry about such peaceful talk?
3) And if the language the repubs are using isn't a threat of violence, try quoting Rep. Bachman next time you're going through the screening line at the airport: talk about how it's time for a revolution, and that you want people around you to be armed and dangerous. Really. Just quote Rep Bachman. Have fun explaining that one to the TSA.
4) And when some guy in Burkina Faso or some other country makes a mockmentary about the assassination of Obama, I will (using your logic) blame Republicans for it. Fun!
Do you think Thomas Jefferson's quotes literally meant real blood? or was it a figure of speech? I say he did not mean real blood because he supported the french revolution but did not like the violent parts of it.
Now I am not dumb enough to believe that there are not plenty of people out there that want to truly spill the blood of every politician, regardless of party affiliation.
Also, what happened to freedom of speech? You talk about following the law for dealing with the abuse of power. Sounds like you are trying to go against the law by wanting people to stop talking. Do I agree with what they are saying if they truly mean to physically hurt somebody, NO! I do, however, respect their right to speak their mind.
***Note: I do not wish/hope that any politicians receives any type of physical harm. There are many I do wish to be out of power.
What about Rahm Emanuel mailing a dead fish to intimidate a pollster. Seems like a threat of death. I would interpret that as a threat on my life. And he's the right hand man of the President.
Here's another one from the right hand man...
The most infamous Rahmbo story of them all is the one that begins with the dinner the night after Bill Clinton was elected in 1992. Among those present at the dinner table was ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, who watched while an overwrought and clearly exhausted Emanuel began ranting at a long list of Clinton "enemies." As he shouted each name, he stabbed the table with his steak knife: "Nat Landow! Dead! Cliff Jackson! Dead!" Apparently, others joined in.
Those are real threats, not figures of speech. Those are real actions, not figures of speech. Are those acceptable actions from the man sitting next to the President of the United States?
Pack: you obviously haven't read Jefferson's letter. It's clearly about real deaths.
Kram: the rumored thing Rahm did over dinner does sound unacceptable. I would disapprove of this strongly if it were true. But I'd freak out and call for him to be immediately fired if he did that on T.V., or on the steps of the capitol building, or at a public rally, which is what the repubs I quoted have been doing.
What repubs have been doing over dinner is another story entirely.
Anon Guy,
I am actually finding it entertaining that you are outraged by this. Yet, you could care less that in a few short years, there will be less doctors and nurses, your health insurance will cost more, and your service at the doctors office will be worse.
Good for you and your liberal priorities.
you don't even make any sense.
So the mother of the guy who was just arrested for threatening to kill Nancy Pelosi said this about her son:
"Greg has — frequently gets in with a group of people that have really radical ideas and that are not consistent with myself or the rest of the family and — which gets him into problems. And apparently I would say this must be another one that somehow he’s gotten onto either by — I’d say Fox News or all of those that are really radical, and he — that’s where he comes from."
An yet you don't care that President Obama was friends with known terrorists and radicals who literally hate America...
Whatchyou talkin bout Willis?
These freaks are hatching murder plots straight from Fox News and your're peddling stupid Sarah Palin tag-lines from her pitiful political campaign ("pallin' around with terrorists").
Is Obama friends with wall street bankers or marxist terrorists? You decide, but at least be consistent in your conspiracy theories, man.
I'm talking about Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright. Here are two people, one who is a known terrorist, and the other who hates America. We know beyond any shadow of a doubt that President Obama was friends with them. I'm not talking conspiracy theories, I'm talking facts.
Fox News is not endorsing or encouraging any violence against elected officials. If one of us is peddling conspiracy theories, it's you.
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