I generally respect Emerson but his conclusion here does not follow.

Pastor H, how is your telling me your interpretation of scripture neither adding to nor taking from from the word?

I'm not familiar with Sir Roy, so I wonder if his intention was to call attention to parenting and population issues rather than to suggest a solution.

I agree with Mr. Taylor's conclusion but not his reasoning. I think it depends on the state in question and the needs of its people. ____ J. Carlton, thank you for the link; I can see how it illustrates your point. But what I found most impressive about Representative Bachman's (R - MN) presentation was her outrage at two GM dealer's successfully contacting their specifically "Democratic" congressmen for recourse, but then using a call from a GM dealer from her own constituency to bolster her argument. She refers to GM as "nationalized" and "Government Motors", but having thus established its status she contradicts herself herself by later referring to GM dealerships as "private businesses" oppressed by government interference from an "imperial presidency". Representative Bachman then describes businessmen bringing their grievances to their "politically well-connected" congressional representatives as if this were something new. ___ Not that I am partial to the other side of the aisle. During a recent radio story about the inclusion of "'hate crimes' language" in HR 1930, Speaker of the House Pelosi (D-CA) mentioned her efforts to pass this legislation since she was first elected to Congress. That was what, twenty-three years ago? This describes her lack of effectiveness quite well, but no matter. ___ My point is that our representatives today consider their constituents as nothing more than a means to their own continued status but otherwise beneath contempt. They not only disregard their responsibilities to us, but do not even consider what they say in public, "on our behalf". This does not describe a state anyone would need. My state hardly deserves the name.

It seems there has never been a lack of persons predicting a time of two great classes. The only things that change are the perspective of the speaker and the class labels. However, to say such a time is coming overlooks the fact that humans have been so classified since the advent of civilization. While Professor Sumner's quote is interesting for his choice of labels and his provisional embrace of anarchy it offers little insight to either the subject or his remarkable intelligence.

von Mises here supports the argument that our essential characteristic is our ethnocentrism.

Absurd.

Unfortunately, other members of our government have devised effective means of preventing the criminals within its ranks from ever coming to trial. We are on a lee shore and our anchor is dragging

A beautiful description of our current system.

Well said, Archer. It is unfortunate that so much reportage has been replaced with entertainment, and that the majority of the audience is unconcerned with the difference.

Waffler, to advocate diversity of opinion while limiting it within "framework of loyalty" is a contradiction. Although freedom, as Anon stated, is easy to understand, that understanding appears to have eluded the accomplished Mr. Conant. At least you can say you have something in common with him.

And for loyalty read...?

Conant's "within the framework of loyalty to our free society" qualification is far too open to interpretation to have meaning within his context. A president of Harvard ought to have done better, even in 1948. It falls somewhere between a threat and butt-covering, and makes his statement a paradox. __ In her review of Conant's book Diana Trilling wrote, "It is interesting that despite his scientific training the President of Harvard presents his ideas as vaguely or incompletely or disconnectedly as he does."
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/education-in-a-divided-world--by-james-bryant-conant-832

Interesting. His observation regarding people is an accurate generalization but I'm not sure it justifies his idea. It would seem that people, in general, are more troubled by an irritating messenger than his message. __ Very nicely worded.

Waffler or his translators need to check their spelling and broaden their knowledge of non-US usage.

This discussion seems to focus on the morality of Tokugawa's premise, and perhaps whether the ends justify the means. E Archer sums it up quite well, and I would add that the Tokugawa shogunate ended Japan's Sengoku period of intense and prolonged social and military conflict. The Edo period which followed was by no means perfect, but it was certainly peaceful by comparison.

Well said, E Archer. There will always be those who consider another person's rights quite alienable, regardless of the source of those rights

Isn't this a modern condensation of "At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it?-- Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!--All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. __ At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide." __ -- Abraham Lincoln. Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois. January 27, 1838

Waffler, your statement identifying Jefferson's use of slave labor as socialism would be interesting if you were able argue the point. Since you have not, you have merely indicated your ignorance of both slavery and socialism. You might have attempted to demonstrate that the slaves were the means of production and not part of the community, but even so specious an argument is apparently beyond someone unable to "right (sic) his wonderful words."

Well done J Carlton, and thank you. You seem very well informed regarding the gun control debates in the US. Are you from the Calgary in Alberta? If so, your presentation is all the more impressive. ___ Waffler, you might consider citing the passages quoted in your posts, or at least improving your accuracy, e.g., "As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, 'The lady doth protest too much, methinks'." I don't mean MLA format or the like, but "An Ernest Hemingway son said the other day, "My dad hunted and played with guns becasue (sic) it made him feel more like a man," doesn't do much to support your argument. I'm curious about this and the son's other statement. Searches with Dogpile, Exalead, and, as a last resort, Google returned no results for these statements, even when the spelling errors were corrected. ___ In light of your previous references to your academic background I would suggest that this is one way you might improve your credibility.

Franklin understood the tenuous nature of what he and the other founders had accomplished, and he knew exactly what he was saying to Mrs. Powell. As Thomas Jefferson would later write,"We have the greatest opportunity the world has ever seen, as long as we remain honest -- which will be as long as we can keep the attention of our people alive. If they once become inattentive to public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, judges and governors would all become wolves" (http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Thomas.Jefferson.Quote.B372).

Well said E. Archer, Logan, and Mike. ___ "It is my belief that there are 'absolutes' in our Bill of Rights, and that they were put there on purpose by men who knew what the words meant and meant their prohibitions to be 'absolutes.'" -- Justice Hugo L. Black (http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote/hugo_black_quote_8f10)

Logan, if someone is born into freedom I can understand how it would please them to consider their state to be a natural and free birthright.

Excellent words from Douglass.__ J Carlton, Jefferson referred to refreshing the tree while Lyn Nofziger later referred to watering it. __ (http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Thomas.Jefferson.Quote.EFEC & http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote/lyn_nofziger_quote_5279 respectively.)

Well said, Doug. What sort of weakness is Hennacy is referring to?__"Non-violence is the policy of the vegetable kingdom" - H.G. Wells