While the conscious mind is free, we are free. What inhibits this freedom is the thought you are not free. Brake those chains of fear and retribution - it is easy for me to say this while I sit comfortably sipping my french wine, but out in the world of reality there are thousands of heroic and courageous individuals whose names are lost in the dust of time. They are unwilling to allow torture, to removed their integrity and moral fibre but stay steadfast in their resolve to maintain their freedom. Even those who are unable to withstand the excruciating pain of torture and fall mindlessly into the matrix are still free human beings. So, your mind and you are free but as an above comment suggested "are you really free"? Only you know the answer... There are so many chains that hold us to mediocrity and to the life we live - we must stop and think, is this how I wish to die?

Bravo!

...for there is no action without reaction - Newton's third law

whoever said it! it's a good quote...

Both Libya and Iraq (two of the most successful countries in the region) were going to base their currency on a gold standard and move away from the dollar and look what happened to them.. It has NOTHING to do with fighting so called terrorists or tyrants it has everything to do with central banks and the psychopaths that own the media. Why are Americans so afraid of shouting out enough is enough and start fighting these war and wall street criminals. I notice on facebook there are hardly any anti establishment comments and I think you all know why.........

Yes, and who were the money lenders who wrote this - the new testament like the old is a myth and nothing in its content should be take as sacrosanct. It is the biggest fraud of all time....do your research and you will find a hole big enough to ........................

Yes, the greedy want their money NOW! And the impatient find ardor in their efforts, to fall quickly into the mire....

Socialism at its best.....

If Love, honesty, and compassion, were our only three precepts to live by the world would be such a beautiful place - but it's a dream - perhaps one day we may get a little nearer... Buddhism is a beautiful way and it's last of the five precepts I just cant do, no matter how I try...

The answer is simple - yes you got it right! God is a myth; so is the bible as it is plagiarism to the max, Jesus may have existed and if he did was probably a renegade who preached love. All religions are a curse to humanity, they have cause a hundred times more harm than good. But as Edgar said "never run away from what you feel is right" slightly changed it. There is way to much info here to reasonably comment on. All the rhetoric in the world will not change what is, only action changes what is, and right action is to be found in your conscience, so my comment is follow your conscience and that is all you ac do.

Tell that to the Federal Reserve - the Republican party is a curse on society and is responsible for decimating the middle class. They are also responsible for the mess we are in around the world - death and destruction follows in their wake...

Unfortunately the public went along with the government....

Sad how our government has forgotten this very old virtue... we kill today without thought of tomorrow.

Mussolini should know..... even if he didn't actually say this quote... It's amazing how the symbol for fascism appears on so many buildings and documents....

Perhaps we should send these quotes to the Senate and make them write these lines a thousand times..

It does say "by pursuing its Grand Foreign Policy of meddling anywhere and everywhere" that is the point. And it's because of this grand foreign policy that Americans have been duped into thinking it's for freedom and democracy.

I would add the word "primary" in place of always... For there are some good folk who have ethics and morals....

Not all potatoes are the same size.....

Sorry, I forgot to include the source for the pillars.
http://www.ait.org.tw/infousa/zhtw/docs/whatsdem/whatdm2.htm

I think it would be a good idea to leave "God" out of this discussion.... Just a thought....

http://www.democracy-building.info/definition-democracy.html
The above site will give you a basic understanding of Democracy ( from the Greek meaning People Power). You all have a somewhat correct interpretation, including Waffler.

THE PILLARS OF DEMOCRACY
Sovereignty of the people.
Government based upon consent of the governed.
Majority rule.
Minority rights.
Guarantee of basic human rights.
Free and fair elections.
Equality before the law.
Due process of law.
Constitutional limits on government.
Social, economic, and political pluralism.
Values of tolerance, pragmatism, cooperation, and compromise.
Yours comments on the definition and the pillars would be most welcomed.
It's for my thesis on the subject:
"What is Democracy"

Totally out of context into days world....

Who are sucking on the national nipple? it's a joke to even compare the people of America when corporations and banks, the military industrial complex, City's with regard to Federal aid, Israel and other sovereignty's, have a permanent vacuum on the nations nipple. The poor and downtrodden are the least of your concern regarding this topic. Yes, Dan and RBESRQ hit the nail on the head. And then of course there are those who pay no or little tax, like the corporate and wealthy elite, who, through their tax avoidance attorneys, pay hardly any taxes. And we have the audacity to rave over individual milking the system - what total hypocrisy.

Obviously, Jacob wasn't considering the followers on this blog (well, most of them). Perhaps if he didn't through the baby out with the bath waters I may have considered giving him one star. Mike, you are a good fellow, but you must refrain from using "Natural Law" in nearly all your comments. To really get down to advancing discourse one must speak openly and in words that do not confuse the issue at hand.
A civilized state should have free schooling, free healthcare, and the ability to feed and shelter yourself. We are not all so fortunate to have the ability to provide these things for our self - there are many who need our help. We must have organisations that help those less fortunate and these organisation should be funded by government (this should be a Christian Principle). For instance Medicare and Medicaid are both great programs but are totally abuse by the medical profession which is private. If I ran these programs I would stop private practice, the pharma industry, and private hospitals, from the current abuse of the system. Do you agree that people should be prosecuted for giving food to the poor and homeless and growing your own food on your own soil. America has become a Christian far right oligarchy (totalitarianism), where dissent and telling the truth is criminalize (ala George Orwell) . Americas savior will be Liberalism (please do not confuse liberalism with communism)

I bet his lawn looked beautiful.....