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The Only Issue That Matters

Posted by straightlinelogic 9 years, 5 months ago to Politics
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This is an excerpt. The complete article can be accessed on the link above.

The 2014 election has shaped up as a content-free contest between the parties to prove which of them dislikes President Obama and his policies more. The Republicans have the natural advantage and the polls indicate they may pick up a Senate majority. This will leave Washington gridlocked, but nothing checks the government’s nonstop, liberty-destroying usurpation of power. Freedom versus coercion and its corollary—the individual versus the state—have been the leitmotifs of history. Whatever else the candidates blather about, restoring the Founders’ towering legacy—liberty, individual rights, subordinated and limited government—is the only issue that matters. By ignoring it, we ensure that our government will end up on the same scrap heap as all those other doomed-to-fail governments.
SOURCE URL: http://straightlinelogic.com/2014/10/26/the-only-issue-that-matters-by-robert-gore/


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  • Posted by conscious1978 9 years, 5 months ago
    Well said, Mr. Gore. The gradual erosion of individual rights and liberty by an unchecked government is accelerating. In the mid 90's, I would occasionally quip that I wouldn't be shocked if we had another revolution in our country. Now, even though I keep exploring peaceful avenues of change, another revolution seems increasingly inevitable. I don't want us to lose the "separation of powers, checks and balances, explicit limitations on the government’s power, explicit protection of individual rights" that subjugated might to right.
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    • Posted by mccannon01 9 years, 5 months ago
      I like what you say, concious1978, because I used to feel the same way. I'm not so sure anymore if there will be a revolution. More likely "revolutions" after some kind of collapse. Balkanisation on a scale the fed just won't be able to deal with. See Humpty-Dumpty and all the kings horses and all the kings men.
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      • Posted by conscious1978 9 years, 5 months ago
        You may be right.

        After Katrina pulled the pants of both parties around their ankles, I realized that we were probably 2, maybe 3, concurrent national crises away from "the totalitarianism on the horizon" that Mr. Gore mentions. The threshold could be lower, now, depending on the crisis.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 5 months ago
    You nailed it.
    However, the issue of preservation of freedom and the maintaining of individual rights is not at the top of anyone in power's list, with the exception of being in the form of lip service. Overcoming Obamacare, along with the myriad of Obama regime scandals are the targeted issues, but the reason behind it, the usurping of freedom is rarely emphasized. If in the unlikely event that all of Obama's twisting of the Constitution is reversed, without illustrating the reason for the reversal, all that will happen is milder freedom restrictions will be put in place, which might even be more insidious that Obama's blatant ones.
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  • Posted by mccannon01 9 years, 5 months ago
    Excellent. I enjoyed "The Golden Pinnacle", too.

    In the beginning of your article: "The common folks were fodder for their rulers, who exercised first claim on their lives and property." One of my ancestors jumped from the British army to the Colonial army in the rev war. I assume he did this because the Americans were offering parcels of land for such an act and he did have such a tract of land in the southern tier of NY State. He was a common Irishman impressed into the Kings army and never had land of his own. The notion of a commoner owning a plot of land free and clear and owe nothing to anyone (no rent, tax free) was unheard of in the old country. He fought for American liberty and freedom.

    I, as a free American, own a piece of land with my house on it... well, maybe not. If I don't pay the crown its royal rent I will soon find I own nothing. If I don't pay the crown a share of everything I do or work for, there will be a dungeon for me. The new boss IS the same as the old boss. My ancestor got what he fought for. Somewhere between he and I it got lost again. We the people are right back to being commoner again. Your words illustrate what is lost.
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    • Posted by ObjectiveAnalyst 9 years, 5 months ago
      Hello mccannon01,
      Good to hear from you again. Great story and so illustrative of our conundrum. History repeats. The trick/question is how to stop the cycle? "The new boss IS the same as the old boss." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtHshBWFR...
      Regards,
      O.A.
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      • Posted by mccannon01 9 years, 5 months ago
        Greetings O.A.!

        Great song! I have it (Best of the Who) on my iPhone and I play it from time to time while working in the yard or shop or when driving.

        The tract was located in Elmira, NY and there is a street bearing my family name in Elmira. Not sure if it was after him or somebody else with the same surname.
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        • Posted by ObjectiveAnalyst 9 years, 5 months ago
          Some of us have deep roots. It is sad to see what has become of our nation and find ourselves wondering if we should pull up those roots like others have... :(
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          • Posted by $ winterwind 9 years, 5 months ago
            and go where? The Wizard's family, and mine, fought on both sides of the Revolutionary War - but we are here.
            The people who pulled up their roots and came here for all the reasons WE know, did not find themselves in a "bait and switch" situation. They got what they came for.
            I hope I can retain what my family remained for.
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            • Posted by ObjectiveAnalyst 9 years, 5 months ago
              Hello winterwind,
              I don't know. It is quite a dilemma. The Hallings and many others have relocated. Some to wait it out and fight from outside... some never to return. Expatriation is at an alarming rate. It is a sad commentary. I want to stay and fight for the right. I only hope I have enough company to make a difference. Still everyday I hear something else happening that makes me so angry and I wonder what became of our founding principals and will I ever be proud to live here again... living on memories...
              Regards,
              O.A.
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  • Posted by ObjectiveAnalyst 9 years, 5 months ago
    Hello straightlinelogic,
    "...only the stubbornly myopic do not see the totalitarianism on the horizon."
    What a wonderful piece. My appreciation and admiration.
    Your work deserves a wider audience. We are fortunate to be beneficiaries.
    Regards,
    O.A.
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  • Posted by edweaver 9 years, 5 months ago
    You Mr. Gore, have an amazing ability to put the truth into words that make sense. Every time I read something you have written I gain even more respect for your gift of the written word.
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  • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 5 months ago
    It's worth reading the whole article b/c it's fully of great quotes like "When your freedom is gone, it doesn’t matter who took it or what “ism” they spout. All you see is the gun. "
    It's amazing how we went from crude experiments with telegraph in a time when you could buy a news paper, take a train to another city an sell it, to the beginnings of radio in the time between the Civil War and 1913.

    It's so true that we could give it up in response to threats like "terrorists" (the word has no meaning) or something other threat.

    "While “freedom” and “liberty” occasionally appear in campaign materials, in actual practice they are kept hidden away, treated as one treats embarrassing photographs from one’s younger days."
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  • Posted by RevJay4 9 years, 5 months ago
    Excellent piece of work, Robert. Made me curious to read the rest of it, so I did. The rest was even better.
    And, you're correct. It is the only issue that matters. I fear we may have no chance to right the ship of state while the "o" is still in office, and that may be longer than we think. If the appropriate "crisis" can be created, or is available, this administration can declare Martial Law and stay in place for a very long time.
    Maybe its just me.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 5 months ago
    Thank you all for the nice comments. One good thing about the recent shift of my website to the WordPress platform is that I am now reaching many more people (by orders of magnitude) than I was with my previous platform. It has helped book sales, too.
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  • Posted by bbuckeye 9 years, 5 months ago
    The primary reason that neither party advocates strict adherence to the constitution is that if they do they will not get elected. Getting into power and staying in power is the mail goal of both parties.
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  • Posted by $ jbrenner 9 years, 5 months ago
    As usual, you are quite correct, straightlinelogic. My (and probably our) only problem is that the only candidates in my elections that would wish to restore the Founders' towering legacy have no chance of winning. In the only election this year that really matters to me, former Florida Republican governor (now Democrat) Charlie Crist and current RINO Republican governor Rick Scott have correctly slimed each other to the tune of $100 million. Though libertarian Adrian Wyllie is likely to get about 10% of the vote, he just won't win in an otherwise easy election to win. This may be the worst example I have ever seen of no choice between the two major political parties.
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