Absolutely!  The principles and laws are immutable — as you sow, so shall you reap, including forgiveness.  This should be self-evident and is not dependent upon religious beliefs.  Don't throw the baby out with the bath water...

Love it! 💖

Hear, hear! 

Sales taxes (excise taxes) are the only real lawful taxes.  Higher income individuals by more stuff and at higher prices, therefore, the amount they pay in sales taxes is higher.  As well, income taxes are merely to pay the interest on the debt for the money supply.  If fiat currency was created interest-free, the only tax would be inflation, and that would be applied equally and in proportion to however much currency one was holding. No matter how you slice it, taxes are passed on down to the consumers who carry the brunt of government's wasteful and unlimited spending (i.e. borrowing).

What a load of crap, Waffler, even you don't believe what you are saying — if everything belongs to God, then what right do you have to tax Him?  Just more misdirection while you quote tax code at us to justify your theft — I say "your theft" because you worked for the IRS proudly.

🤣🤣🤣 I suppose "the science is settled," eh, Robert?  The intelligent design of the universe is self-evident to me — I've done the research as well as the math. Not in 5 billion years could human DNA evolve from a primordial soup without intelligent guidance.  The artist is known through his art, same with the Creator of the universe.

I think the Jews in Germany at the time were considered communist sympathizers.  There has never been anything bloodier than war between competing socialist ideologies like the communists on the 'left' versus the fascists on the 'right' neither of which support "real piety in practice."  Christian theocracies whether Catholic or Protestant hardy represent the tenets of Christ either, neither do secular statist theocracies.  The problem isn't religion per se but the failure to "perform all known duties to our fellow men."

Tashina, you are confusing John Quincy Adams with his father John Adams.  But yes, John Quincy had a great upbringing by and example of his father!

"Those they crush under the yoke of individual liberty"?  I think you've got that backwards, Robert.  Individual liberty is not the yoke, statism is.

I should add, look to the elections in California — literally one-party rule.  In the LA mayoral race, the 2 choices are a socialist and a communist.  People and businesses are leaving in droves because of the dictatorial acts of their leaders.  Crime and homelessness are rampant in what should be one of the most prosperous states in the world.  There is a reason!  I'll let you figure it out.

So-called 'democracy' is an effective engine to dictatorship with each party striving for one-party rule.  The Soviet Union was a democracy, China is a democracy, Cuba is a democracy, Nazi Germany was a democracy — all resulted in a single party.  Once the people decide to vote themselves the property of the opposition and gradually become dependent upon the favors of the state, they will continually vote for more.  That's why the 'Responsibility Party' will never win an election. 

The American founders hated democracy and established a republican representative government with land owners as electors for President and Governor.  Senators were appointed by the state legislatures.  The Electoral College was established to temper the passions of majority with each state recognized as a sovereign entity. 

By tearing down republican foundations, 'our democracy' has become a dictatorial body that knows no bounds to its claims to power, property, labor — everything and everyone.  Socialist 'useful idiots' are authoritarian in nature, and if left to their own devices, will end up being ruled by a dictator sooner or later — just look at how they select their leaders, there's nothing democratic about it.

Mike makes the distinction between fellowship and collectivism.

A bit long, but you aren't wrong...

Freedom of conscience is not "choosing a belief system," it is thinking for oneself, even in contradiction to a belief system.  How does one weigh 'what is right?'  How does one discern truth from non-truth?  That is the first of human freedoms, to think for oneself.  I can be wrong, but I am free, and therefore responsible for the effect of being wrong.  There is no freedom if I am unable to make mistakes and therefore (hopefully) learn from them.

Freedom of conscience is tested precisely when authority commands what conscience forbids. Without the freedom to disobey, conscience is merely private opinion, not a genuine liberty.

I am inclined to agree, but look what has happened once drugs were decriminalized.  Now the call to eliminate prisons altogether, no cash bail, no prosecution of theft, 'teen' mobs, criminals treated as martyrs and security guards prosecuted for stopping shoplifters.  Fentanyl pouring in over the borders all with the blessing of the leftists.  Once again, give an inch, take a mile.  It must be obvious by now, the goal is the destruction of America "by any means necessary."

Statism absolutely requires a dependent and compliant populace conditioned into servitude.  After a few generations, the people will have long forgotten what it means to be sovereign and self-determining.  Then comes the culling of the herd...

The Covid plandemic was a test of the power of the state and the compliance of the people.  It was a raving success!  Talk about 'galling'!  It is clear that the next time the people will once again obey — who knows how far they can be pressed the next time.  Such is the recipe for communist revolution — when the hearts and minds of the people no longer value freedom, they are then ripe for the pickings.  Lord help us...

You know that as soon as Waffler gives 5 stars and raves about a quote that he will soon follow up with a completely contradictory spin on it.  

Robert, you know darn well that this is no longer considered 'liberalism' today.  The 'my body my choice' liberals are selective in how that applies — just because it is your body doesn't mean you can do anything you choose without regard for other people's bodies and rights.  'Pride' events come to mind — why must we have people's sexual proclivities shoved in our faces for a month (and more).  It used to be a crime to expose yourself in public, now it is common practice and embraced by 'liberals.'  We've come a long way, baby.

Unless of course you are a man 'identifying' as a woman... 😁

I'm inclined to agree.  Has a communist nation ever been 'freed' by bombing it into oblivion?  If the people don't embrace Liberty themselves, it never happens.  Look at Iran, there is no way to convert them from the air, no matter how many bombs are dropped.  If the culture does not transform itself, it will continue on, no matter what level of poverty it is forced into.  That is why it is the Truth that makes one free, force never freed anyone.

Let me help with what should be obvious...

Q: "a little narcissistic, is it not?" 
A: Not.

Q: "Is it I or is it you?" 
A: We are both individuals.

Q: "If I am the individual does that mean that you are not." 
A: No.

Q: "If we all are the individual then should not the quote say "the individuals" (that is pluarl) are the true reality of life."
A: No, 'the individual' refers to the singular person, 'the individuals' refers to a group and completely changes the meaning of the point Emma Goldman is making.

Q: "And does'nt the "S" make all of the difference in the world in this quote." 
A: No.

There, hope that helps anyone else that might be confused.

Isn't it rather incomprehensible that for many this is NOT an astute in the obvious observation, nor self-evident? 🤦‍♂️

Waffler has provided a great service by putting himself out there and demonstrating the collectivist mind.  We really do appear insane to him — and Waffler is not alone!  I am inclined to believe that Waffler represents a huge percentage of the general populace, often referred to as 'progressive liberals.'  The 'concept' of individuality is really incomprehensible to them.

It really comes down to the age old questions: "Who am I?  Why am I here?"  Free individuals answer those questions for themselves.  The collectivist answers them for everyone.  Since liberty requires responsibility, those that do not take responsibility cannot know freedom, and they can't even conceive of liberty for anyone else either.

Those with designs to rule over others, cultivate blame in the 'useful idiots' in order to foment envy and hatred of the self-directed, pointing out the inequality of individuals in order to level all to an equal subservient field under their direction.  

It really boggles my brain — how can an advocate of 'social justice' square being ruled by an elite?  How can the individual be merged with the group while being dictated to by individuals elevated within a group to do so?  Isn't 'democracy' then just a 'concept'?  In the end, someone is still elevated above the others to answer the questions — "you are who I say you are, you are here for the reasons I say you are." 

Every utopian dream starts with an individual, all that is needed is compliance from everyone else to follow it.  Freedom lets every individual hold their own dreams and work towards their fulfilment — and as long as my dream doesn't require anyone else to bend to my will, and others' dreams don't require my involuntary compliance, all is for the best.  This is Liberty and the Responsibility that comes with it.

I agree mostly, Robert, but providing food and health care by the US government was never an enumerated power granted to the federal government.  Perhaps it could be a State issue, but certainly not federal.

When the 'state' makes its citizens 'wards,' the republican form of government is turned upon its head, completely corrupting its intention, which is to get out of the way of the people to take care of themselves.  The agrarian way of the States produced enough food to feed the world — one must look to the causes of real poverty, and it almost always points to government intervention in what should be personal responsibility and individual charity.  Economic booms and busts are the result of government meddling.

The same goes for health care.  Left to a free market, medical care would have remained less expensive than it is today.  The monopoly afforded the medical/drug industry and the subsidy of the insurance industry has funneled immense profits to them and raised prices out of reach of the individual.  (Just like the subsidy of banks and lawyers has resulted in the same monopolistic pricing.) 

Remove government monopolies, and let the free market prevail.  Unfortunately, we have travelled so far down this road of perpetual debt to prop up this system that the return to the lawful republican  system will be such a crash that another revolution or civil war will be inevitable.