Think Like a Corleone, by Robert Gore
Expanding government power and domination are the deadly enemies of integrity and trust. As a government uses violence to subjugate, the subjugated quickly learn that honesty and honorable behavior are persecuted; to survive they must resort to deception and covert resistance. The subjugators invariably regard the subjugated as an inferior class and disparage their tactics as dishonorable.History is replete with such instances. Sicily has been ruled by a long line of outside powers. Starting in the late 1800s, the Mafia became the embodiment of the inverted morality that takes hold among tyrannized and brutalized peoples. That morality does nothing to advance the general welfare; it doesn’t promote prosperity or progress. It only allows the subjugated to survive.
This is an excerpt. For the complete article please click the above link.
This is an excerpt. For the complete article please click the above link.
What makes all of these irrational laws and regulations so terrifying is that there is an army of police, federal agents and etc. who are willing to enforce them and remove your ability to sustain yourself on command while nearly the rest of the entire population will applaud them. Dr. Walter E. Williams (a noted economist) has been telling his children that they should have $50,000 to $75,000 worth of gold buried on their property (not in any banks where it could be easily confiscated) with which to facilitate leaving the country. I don't know that would be possible in that the state will just make it illegal to own or use gold (as it did in the 1930's depression) and it would be confiscated before you could spend it.
It is important perhaps at this time to be quiet and not speak anywhere that might be monitored (oops) but where to go and how to effectively provide for yourself and not be a confirmed enemy of the state is not a plan I have developed yet.
Doesn't listen in on everything , you must be a conspiracy theorist. This line of yours made me think of that.
"Americans are frequently condemned for obliviousness to the lies and depredations of the people who rule them. " Robert Gore
Vito Corleone
but trying to educate my sons as to the problem they are facing for the rest of their lives...as it will only get worse...
like North Korea, you can only kick the can down the road just so long then it must be dealt with...the longer you delay, the harder it will be to deal with...
best to you and yours Bob
the IRS. The IRS is a robber; if a robber holds you up on the street, you are entitled to tell him you don't have any money, without the slightest
detriment to your moral honesty.
I am here because 100 years ago my great grandparents came from a village 20 miles north of Corleone, Sicily came to the US to escape the horrible system that sprung up in the absence of the law. My great-grandfather was a hard man who who refused to let my grandfather even talk to people involved with the Mafia in the US. I went back to Sicily earlier this year. I know about five words of their language from hearing my grandparents. I had to communicate using the Spanish, which has a few words in common with Italian, and which ironically I learned at a private school. Surprisingly many people there know no English at all.
My grandfather was more like you describe people having grown up in a world of omerta, where even trivial information could be a weapon. He was a funny guy on the exterior, but hardcore tough in the face of crime. My father became a bank executive and wanted to be far from his rough roots. I just realized all this recently. I've had a privileged life, allowing me not to think twice of sharing this with strangers online or at a random high-tech business networking event. I do think my great grandfather Vito from Sicily would think me pitiably foolish, as you say.
A collapse of the law is not an option for me. We don't follow the Constitution anymore, but it's not too late change. History could view these times as the "post-industrial statist dead-cat bounce" or something like that. I like your article, but like AS, for me it's an example of what not to shoot for. I want America to work. My story of being a complete stranger to Sicily after only three generations is what America is about. I cannot accept things falling apart. Like the Dr Banner (the Hulk), you wouldn't like me to go back to 19th century Sicilian.
I wont live long enough to see any sort of rebirth, so I agree with the author to do whatever we can to survive
My thought on this is similar to the discussion in another thread on this site (can't remember which) about how the paradox of Jefferson taking a leap forward in liberty while owning slaves. My mind has no problem conceiving of him making a leap forward in trying to realize philosophical dreams of power flowing from the people to the gov't while still not respecting all people's rights. It's so easy for someone to bring up some horror of slavery and say I somehow condone slavery if I see the good in the progress the Founders made. It's so easy for people to say I condone the surveillance, taxation of a third of our income (more if you count local + borrowed money), the drug war, etc, if I say America is place of amazing freedom and opportunity. I see our problems as being akin to Jefferson's slaves. We are amazingly free and prosperous, more so than ever, but in some areas we're way behind. It's awful we just accept a large/intrusive gov't, but the same person who has to turn over a third of what she earns might not have been allowed to get an education, earn money, and follow her dreams 100 years earlier. I think the average adult, if we include people from all walks of life, could better explain why his life is his than the average person 150 years ago. That's progress.
I'm not looking to a future like present-day Venezuela. I'm looking for the game-changing zero-to-one creations that will reduce statism in 50 years.
Why do you think that the USA wont go down that path. So few people are really intellectually in favor of individual freedom and willing to stand up to political correctness. The CEO's wont even sit on Trump's round tables to put their two cents into reducing regulations and cutting taxes- for fear of political incorrectness taking THEIR jobs away.
It could happen. It could go either way. On one hand we have a lot more individual freedom and respect for people's right to live their own lives. OTOH we accept the idea of gov't being a third of GDP and I sometimes hear the burden of shifted to the individual in questions of freedom "Why should people be allowed to..." Technology offers everyone a printing press and makes Orwell's nightmare of microphones hidden in bushes and behind picture frames seem tame. It could break either way.
Regarding PC, I think it's a "wild card" straw man with almost no meaning. I call it "wild card" because it's so devoid of meaning it can be offered as the supposed basis for any claim. In other cases it's just a fig leaf for bigotry.
Regarding the CEOs resigning in protest from boards, I think the president's comments were disgraceful, and I don't see the upside of less gov't spending and intrusiveness. He is for increasing spending and intrusiveness. If he weren't, it's possible more business leaders could overlook his offensive antics.
- Frederick Douglass
"Abolish slavery tomorrow, and not a sentence or syllable of the Constitution need be altered. It was purposely so framed as to give no claim, no sanction to the claim, of property in man. If in its origin slavery had any relation to the government, it was only as the scaffolding to the magnificent structure, to be removed as soon as the building was completed."
- Frederick Douglass
He'd roll over in his grave with what has become of things.
I do not know that's their motivation. Maybe they don't see him as an apologist of white nationalists but know many people do see him that way, and they think he's politically stupid to stir up the issue with no plan to defuse it.
Another possible motivation is they oppose President Trump as increasing gov't spending and interference, and his comments are a "sexier" and more popular excuse to distance themselves.
I'm only speculating. If I had been on one of the advisory boards I would have avoided the issue and tried to back away once the news cycle moved on to avoid entangling the company in politics. If my board wanted me to leave the committee in protest I could do in good conscience, but I'd advise them to stay away from it unless the business were associated with a public brand.
I suggest it is because you have been told to feel that way, by the media.
It ends up being a long discussion, but I the upshot is that it sounded to me like President Trump was providing white supremacist talking points. Talking about "sides" of street fights aggrandizes the participants, some of whom are Nazis. So it's the POTUS defending and aggrandizing Nazis. It's just absurd, esp with the president's history of racist politics.
I was not surprised by his initial comments. His critics were milking his failure to condemn Nazis for all it was worth. Then he did condemn the Nazis. His critics wouldn't be satisfied. It was making them look bad. They reminded me of President Obama's critics never being satisfied no matter how vehemently he condemned ISIS and other extremists orgs. Then, because apparently President Trump simply cannot control his thirst for attention, he brings up it again in away that makes him sound like a Nazi apologist. I'm less concerned with the content because I don't thin he and his low-life base get much done. I am more concerned with him putting attention-seeking ahead of even his own interests. I wonder if he would foment a serious crisis just to get attention on himself. That makes me think he dangerous.
What white supremacist talking points?
We will be discussing economic issues in greater detail later this afternoon, but based on the events that took place over the weekend in Charlottesville, Va., I would like to provide the nation with an update on the ongoing federal response to the horrific attack and violence that was witnessed by everyone.
I just met with FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the deadly car attack that killed one innocent American and wounded 20 others. To anyone who acted criminally in this weekend’s racist violence, you will be held fully accountable. Justice will be delivered.
As I said on Saturday, we condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence. It has no place in America. And as I have said many times before, no matter the color of our skin, we all live under the same laws, we all salute the same great flag, and we are all made by the same almighty God. We must love each other, show affection for each other, and unite together in condemnation of hatred, bigotry and violence. We must rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that bring us together as Americans.
Racism is evil. And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans. We are a nation founded on the truth that all of us are created equal. We are equal in the eyes of our Creator. We are equal under the law. And we are equal under our Constitution. Those who spread violence in the name of bigotry strike at the very core of America.
Two days ago, a young American woman, Heather Heyer, was tragically killed. Her death fills us with grief, and we send her family our thoughts, our prayers, and our love. We also mourn the two Virginia state troopers who died in service to their community, their commonwealth and their country. Troopers Jay Cullen and Berke Bates Exemplified the very best in America, and our hearts go out to their families, their friends and every member of American law enforcement. These three fallen Americans embody the goodness and decency of our nation.
In times such as these, America has always shown its true character: responding to hate with love, division with unity, and violence with an unwavering resolve for justice. As a candidate, I promised to restore law and order to our country, and our federal law enforcement agencies are following through with that pledge. We will spare no resource in fighting so that every American child can grow up free from violence and fear. We will defend and protect the sacred rights of all Americans, and we will work together so that every citizen in this blessed land is free to follow their dreams in their hearts and to express the love and joy in their souls. Thank you, god bless you, and god bless America. Thank you very much."
My comment describes three statements and my response.
1. President Trump comments about violence on "many sides" that sounds sort of like he's defending Nazis. I figure it's a poor choice of words.
2. Trump delivers the statement you quote above. He reads it sort of like a hostage forced to read a statement, but the content of it is all the right things. His critics won't let it go. They start to look bad. What do they want from him? Does he have to give a two hour speech saying he doesn't agree with Nazis? Nothing will satisfy them. They're just milking his poor choice of words earlier for all it's worth.
3. Amazingly, in inexplicably, he repeats the same language that sounds even more like defense of Nazis than before. These are the white supremacist talking points.
None of these statements make me think President Trump really has Nazi sympathies. My thought immediately after #3 was that he's so obsessed with attention that he doesn't even care about his job or anything. He just says what gets attention. Later, though, I think maybe he was rebelling against his handlers and critics for making a big deal out of a minor poor choice of words in #1.
My point for this discussion is many people, whether it's because we're influenced by the media or whatever, really objected to President Trump's comments in #3. At least for me, they took me from being sympathetic to him with regard to his critics milking a minor gaffe to thinking he's dangerous. It's possible, I think probably, people resigning from his advisory committees were reacting the same way as I did.
What does that mean? Does it suggest one of my guesses as to their motivations?
Thanks, I just requested it from the library.