Waffler and RBE demonstrate collectivist thinking in which they identify themselves with the group. Thus, since we follow the group, if I want to go somewhere else, I have to get the group to go, so let's figure out how to lead the group. But we have to follow the leader, that's for sure, they are the authority, they are the 'educated' ones, they speak for society. If I don't like it, I can vote for my own leader, but whoever wins is the leader. That is populist democracy.

Individualists, however, are not group-thinkers. Their participation in a group is by consent not compulsory. They do not seek to follow or lead but to act in accordance with one's own conscience, in harmony with natural law and to figure out as best as one can what that is. As an individual, I do seek out other like-minded folks to team up with, and our association is by mutual agreement each respecting the rights and honor of the other. That's a much better formula for success.

Consider that the American founders were among the smartest men ever to represent the American people -- none of their education was compulsory.

Collectivists and group-thinkers talk about 'education' without defining it -- they all want everyone to be educated by law, but not defining what that compulsory education will be. The Jesuit education was one of the best in the world -- try putting that in a government school. Mencken has definitely defined MY compulsory education experience.

When I think of 'news' I remember Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite -- it was serious news, not nearly as biased as today's blame-stream media. 60 Minutes used to actually investigate corruption -- now, it is nothing more than a propaganda tool for propping up establishment statism. Remind me when the US has not been at war?

Like Lockwood has said, Capitalism is a word created to roll up all the 'evils' of liberalism into a single enemy. What we are talking about is TRADE. And there is tremendous wealth in skimming the cream of every single trading transaction that ever takes place -- this is what makes Kings and Czars, taking a piece of everyone's labors as his own. The enemy was not Capitalism but Monarchy -- not the same thing. Controlling trade and taxing it is the racket of the ruling class. It's been going on for eons, and the pressure never stops to continue grabbing more and more power.

When speaking about America, one must remember that unlike any other nation on Earth, Americans have declared their independence from King and Pope. They have chartered their servant government on the basis that every living breathing person has the right to protect and defend their liberty, lives, and property and that this right is innate, inborn, and inalienable. Everything else extends from there.

If someone accuses you of being on the left, it means to the left of them. Nazism is right of Communism, and Communism is left of Fascism. But both are forms of STATISM which unlike the American declaration, the STATE is supreme and the people are subservient to the dictates of the people in government. Fascist governments resemble their ancient Roman roots with a Caesar and corruptible Senate, and the collegia serving as hit men and bag men. Communist governments lay claim to everything and everyone -- they usually go broke after their leader dies.

Statism is the threat to American politics -- and liberty. Both parties have become more statist than libertarian -- this is what we call the 'establishment' -- it's basically a federal mafia extracting protection money. The trick is to disempower the people at every turn, Restrict their access to money, business, guns, fuel, information -- centralize it all for public consumption.

Libertarians are in the center, moving to either right or left gets you different flavors of statism. Have you been conditioned to be a Statist? Simply ask yourself who is to blame for the predicament you are in -- if you are not pointing to yourself, you are likely a statist.

Waffler continues to demonstrate his own lack of discernment. He says, "Skepticism is born of ignorance. Educated folk weigh the evidence and balance the pros and cons and make considered decisions." First, skepticism is born of distrust, rather than ignorance. It is not enough to believe in man-made climate change, you must also believe the 'solutions' that are attached to them. And "educated folk" is merely a term to mean 'authorities' which Waffler just adores. What about the thousands of 'educated' scientists and meteorologists who challenge the man-made global warming theory with their own evidence? The ignorance is yours Waffler (ignorance - to ignore).

And there is a big difference between CO2 and pollution -- CO2 is NOT pollution!! We NEED it, carbon-based life forms always have. Our CO2 levels could double, even triple, and the Earth would be teaming with life!

You want to get 'educated' Waffler? Consider that the last 10,000 years or so was preceded by 90,000 years of Ice Age -- this 100,000 year cycle has occurred a hundred times -- if anything we are more likely to be facing the next ice age as solar output has declined over 30% in the last decade and our 10,000 year run is statistically 'over'.

The arrogance of the climate changers is more than scary -- with little to no knowledge at all about what is really happening, attempts are being made to centralize the control of every exhaust pipe in the world (BTW, every exhaust pipe is attached to a power generator of some kind) so that there will be less energy being expended -- i.e. power is being taken away from the people, making power less accessible, more expensive, enriching the ruling class and centralizing government power. Waffler is such a stooge.

Yes, but who could have imagined the power of mass media over the hearts and minds of the populace. MSNBC hardly makes money, but the power they wield over the populist classes is immense. Repeat it all day and soon the people start parroting it as gospel. Government propaganda channels (PBS obviously, but also include NBC, CBS, and ABC) are paid by companies that benefit from government contracts. Count the number of drug commercials in a days' worth of viewing broadcast TV -- not to mention the number of cop, lawyer, school, and doctor shows. Cultivating a blood lust side-by-side with a 'justice-lust' guarantees perpetual conflict that only the 'state' can solve (via more conflict).

And the politicians' task is to make these factions believe their goals and the politician's are the same. Isn't persecution then simply another political tool for founding sects and factions? What happens to a collective force when the persecution ends? Found another sect! No better example is the current transgender movement where the 'persecution' is obviously contrived and the tiny fraction of the population (a few thousand people out of 300 million) somehow has taken center stage in the political arena.

Reston, wherever the Left has the power to censor, they do.

Using social media to affect 'social change' is the new racket.

Google, Facebook, and Twitter (all liberal-owned and operated) are regularly 'caught' censoring articles, memes, posts that challenge the sacred cows of the Left -- and claim technical difficulties when shown the evidence. Who knows what is censored that isn't caught? But hey these are private companies that can do whatever they want, right? That's a lot of power -- imagine if Twitter and Facebook banned Trump (like they have banned many others with less political power)? What if they banned Hillary or the NRA or ACLU? None have any 'right' to a Facebook account. And does Facebook hold patents that prevent a rival Facebook from even entering the market? What about Google? Or Youtube? Where can you go to find search results that are not censored or worse -- propaganda?

In other words, to remain free, you're gonna have to think on your feet. ;-)

The current presidential race between Trump and Hillary has never highlighted more obviously the globalist/establishment agenda in the media and political parties. The Bush's, Clinton's, Obama, McCain, Romney -- all were Council on Foreign Relations picks; both sides of the aisle are filled with CFR members. Had Trump not beat out the GOP establishment, we would have gotten more of the same two rigged choices. Now that Trump is in the race, the RINO safari has been like shooting fish in a barrel...

War is the business of the State -- that's how they acquire power, territory and armies of soldiers, bureaucrats, subjects, and slaves. Every time Washington DC makes 'war' to solve 'problems' the People are disempowered and oppressed further. The War on Drugs and the War on Poverty are two prime examples in which the government has expanded its power over the states and citizens -- drugs and poverty are left unchanged but citizens are robbed of their liberty and property, and dependency programs (i.e. entitlements) expand their rolls.

If history is any guide, marijuana will be 'legalized' in the US within the next couple of years as states are one by one legalizing and regulating it. Canada to the north will legalize in 2017. To the South, Mexico is on the verge of legalizing marijuana as a cultural heritage; Central and South American countries are also anxious to end being targeted by the US Drug War.

Alcohol Prohibition ended as states were recovering from the Depression and were able to raise revenue with alcohol taxes. If history is any guide, the current economic bust will put pressure to tax marijuana instead of spending money to prohibit it.

Telling the truth can be dangerous -- it's also courageous and honorable. Great comments above!

Since natural law 'is,' the 'common law' is an extension of the 'right' to defend oneself against predators. We say it is a 'right' because if we are prevented from doing so, we become prey. The predators, on the other hand, say they have a 'right' to their prey. To deny the nature of the world does not change it.

In the Common Law, a crime is defined as an intentional, malicious act. The 'atonement' for the crime should be proportional to the damage done. With this simple definition, entire volumes of statutes can be thrown out. You do not need to declare 'rape' a crime -- it is a malicious act. To simply cause harm to another is not automatically a crime -- there has to be intent (mens rea).

And what ultimately determines whether an act is a crime is a JURY! How far we have fallen from our common law roots.

"O Justice, O Justice, what crimes are committed in thy name."

And that's where he made his mistake, and it cost him his life. Imagine if Kennedy had not been assassinated after he reintroduced silver dollars into the market, bypassing Federal Reserve 'Debts'? LBJ recalled all those bills -- why?

All this talk of right and left is a distraction invented by those that wish to cover up their power grabs. What do socialism, communism, fascism, dictatorship, monarchy, totalitarianism, authoritarianism all have in common? CENTRALIZED power into the hands of the few or the one.

Step back from ideology and view it from a perspective of POWER only. The centralization of power oppresses and enslaves the masses. With the advent of mass media, the goal is to condition folks to live in perpetual debt -- to promote debt slavery. Such puts the power to buy the world with the click of a mouse into the hands of the few that are running the racket. It is propped up by legislation, requiring all to pay into the system or be unable to trade/work at all. Corruption becomes the rule not the exception and might makes right.

Contrarily, a REPUBLICAN form of government DISTRIBUTES power across counties and states and multiple branches that are supposed to keep each other in check. The fundamental difference between the '-isms' and the republican is that in the former, power originates with the State (government) which delegates it to individuals, and in the latter, power originates with the individual and delegates specific powers to the county, state, and national government.

It is much easier to take over a nation with centralized power than it is to take over a nation made up of republics within republics. It should be remembered that European, Asian, African, and other American countries have never known a republican form of government nor are they able to transition to one until their own minds shift from being subjects to being sovereign.

"Thinking man"? "Intelligent voter"? The very reason the USA was NOT established as a democracy is because intelligence is NOT distributed equally among the populace at all times. Electors were first of all property owners -- otherwise the immigrant and the young could vote themselves the property of others who have spent a lifetime building and maintaining. Not everything is up for vote! The American republican form of government is based on the premise that powers of government are no more than what the individuals possess and no more than what are explicitly delegated by charter (Constitution). What do I know about what goes on in private government meetings? What do I know about the REAL situation the US military is involved in or the banking establishment's money-running? We the People hardly know at all what is going on -- and the show never stops from the press now considered less credible than the National Enquirer. For unbiased news about the US, Pravda or Russia Times is more reliable. If only there could be a majority of 'thinking, intelligent' people alive at the same time... it doesn't really matter, if we don't get representatives of integrity and trust that won't use their office to enrich themselves at the expense of the people, we will get more of the same.

I cannot delegate my personal responsibility and keep my freedom.

This was BS then and it's BS now. Today's youth are hardly moved by slogans of "Order, Hierarchy, Discipline" -- they are not moved by slogans of "Liberty" either. They've been conditioned to be dependent and regulated and to demand more -- this is called "progressive." However the only progress is the gradual take-over of all independence under the guise of security. But there will always be people who will resist the yoke and stand on their own two feet. Self-Discipline is a far cry different than being commanded to be obedient.

That's racist! ;-) The metropolitan slums in Democrat-controlled cities do perpetuate black poverty 'culture.' Unfortunately it disproportionally represents the total black population. It may come as a surprise to these cities that there are other communities in which the black poverty culture does not reign -- in fact the opposite is true. But those stories hurt the narrative, so even among their own race, responsible and productive black families are demeaned.

Victimhood has its costs and benefits. But it is an awful racket of which the statists are only too happy to take advantage. In fact, putting more people out of work and making them powerless is exactly what statists want! Heaven on Earth puts them out of business, Hell on Earth enriches them. Lord help us. ;-)

"Freedom is self-regulation." Ken nails it!

Oh, how politically incorrect of you! Whatever happened to "the content of their character"? Whatever happened to personal responsibility?

The worship of collective power feeds the ambition to 'lead' -- the next step, to 'rule'. Hence monarchy, fascism, communism -- authoritarianism -- whatever name you want to give it, it is the usurpation of the individual's own WILL in the name of whatever 'masters' command them.

Of course, it is these rulings from the master that enslave and oppress -- gays, blacks, women, the poor have been compelled to live in subservience by IDEOLOGY itself -- commonly referred to as 'culture.' Some cultures are destined for slavery and oppression by their very nature. Let's not re-adopt well-tried and proven false ideologies that seek to make peace by waging war, and substitute a promise of a sunny day for the current cloudy one.

Indeed! Power abhors a vacuum -- often we don't realize where power is being checked until one of the 'mob bosses' is greased. The liquidation of Saddam and Omar left huge holes that were filled with competing Islamist 'mobs.'

It would be better to view the political world as a huge collection of mafias battling for domination of their turf. You are either in one of those gangs or pay tribute to them -- and tribute keeps getting paid all the way to the top. Until somebody gets away with taking over another's turf. 'Taking out' your enemy is just 'business.' It is essentially global fascism, and it will be a LONG, LONG time before we ever see such a system eradicated (how could it?). We live in a world in which everything lives off of everything else -- vegetarianism would mean the end of the cow (unless you let them roam the streets like in India). ;-)

We are wild animals, and we have to come to terms with our nature. Civilization is a conscious act among those that embrace an ideology of personal responsibility and mutual respect of others -- it doesn't happen on its own and can't be delegated to another. And when the inevitable predator approaches, you will have to fight. Thanks to all those that have fought for their right to personal responsibility and WON! Their victory marks the front-line. ;-)

The line in the ideological sand: "tax policy is to be engineered as a means of achieving changes in our social structure."

The power to tax is the power to destroy, and as has been feared all along by the common people, taxes are applied directly, without limit, and 'progressively' (i.e. perpetually increasing) until all are enslaved or destroyed. So who to destroy and who to bring up? The welfare plantations get little of what is taken from the 'rich' and what they do get is more welfare!

Good for you, Reston, for getting an Ivy League college (i.e. 'liberal'?) education and freeing yourself from government dependence. I can certainly see why you would praise the system under which you have been conditioned and have benefited. It is only right that having been a recipient of government benefits, you give back. Who's to say what would have happened if your family chose not to apply for food stamps -- I have seen many poorer families than yours with ingenuity and joy face life's struggles.

Take a look at the bigger picture -- the record numbers of unemployed and the tanking economy is directly related to government shenanigans -- then they 'bail out' their 'constituency.' Crashing the economy and making 51% of the electorate dependent upon government largess is a way to keep the oppressors in power while they claim to be fighting for the little guy. Clinton is a perfect example. If you don't vote for her, there is a chance that government check is going to be stopped. Oldest trick in the political book!!!

Wow, Mike! ;-)

Great comments! Without a crisis, the people carry on with their lives without much help -- even after a crisis, people generally come together and work together without government direction -- that's what people do, that's how governments and churches are formed anyway. It's 'control' that the statists want in order to fulfill their dreams of a social program in every house, and the 'law' has become the most effectual tool for enslaving the masses.