And causes should constanly be adjusted to the truth, rather than acting rabid and fanatical, without regard to objective truth, only hanging their hat on subjective truth.

Yes that is why I am so afraid of the Fox phenomenon of a politically orchestrated news medai. Propaganda is the stuff of political parties, it should not be the stuff of news media, at least not as blatant is on Fox.

The character and conduct of our elected officials ("rulers") is paramount to our democratic (democracy) way of life. A free and investigative press is important to our society. Adams was one of the greatest thinkers and writers about our young nation and the coming together of it's political system.

Mike is warped to think only anti-government people like himself act or dream freely. He confuses being truly free with feeling free by being against something that maybe the majority are for. That is a sick kind of freedom Mike. Being a contrarian just to feel free is sick indeed.

Seize the day

Archer is full of S^%$ Cado keep a careful eye on him!

Are you trying to say Archer that you are dishonest but value freedom. Must we be dishonest in order to value freedom? The quote is a lousy knee jerk quote, a lousy analogy. I have know of people who keep lions and yes they must of course keep them fed or what else would the poor animal do. As far as animal training and winning the hearts and minds of firends, faimily and employees an open handed approach is widely accepted as the successful one. Can you really be this stupid Archer? And of course I mean deserved complements, deserved gifts etcetera. And most folk with Archer the major exception know that a generous personality or heart is returned to one a thousand fold.

Man generally does not want to be free. He wants to suck up to this or that philosophy or belief, politician, group or club so that he may feel that he belongs. Being free of all such associates make many a nervous wreak. I was once described as a "non-relational" personality. In other words I do my own thing without regards to the list above. By the way, esistentialism's basic tenet is that if you are looking far and wide for the purpose of life look no further than your own mirror. You my friend and I are the purpose of life.

Probably a false construction or tradeoff. How about liberty with peace would not that be the best deal. Ask anyone or study anyone who has been enslaved and ask how much peace there is in that. Some including myself do not feel very much at liberty when crime, illegality, and fear stalk the streets of the nation.

Great to have someone with your insight and knowledge on board Cado. I have been trying to tell these guys like Jim K and Carlton that the USA is a democratic republic for ever and ever. They are thick headed, thick headed indeed. And Mike's idea of a government of law is that it somehow falls out of the sky, denying the fact that all of our law came from the hands and minds of men from the very beginning of the Declaration and Constitution. The hands of the majority of men anyway. He would rather be ruled my a minority which is to say a dictator. The working of the vote is guaranteed Anon. The Constitution guarantees a "Republican form" of government to the States. No state has ever been taken over by a dictator or King. The FBI routinely investigates political corruption and vote fraud throughout the nation. What I think you suggest Anon is the right of an individual to decide for himself whether or not the vote works (in other words whether or not he gets his own way) and then resort to his guns. In a correctly function vote system it always works.

Complementing, petting, feeding, and giving gifts to animals and people are the best known ways to have friends, loyal animals and to get along joyfully in this world. People who do not know this are a sorry lot indeed.

Mike it seems this quote and the one you mentioned are similar, regarding forgetfulness, repeating errors, and being fanatical. We tend to get onto personal political bandwagons and then stop thinking. Justin is it not a sad state of affairs that to help someone, someone else must be hurt. Does that also hold true for individuals as well, in other words if I help myself am I hurting someone else. Is that what competition is all about helping SELF and hurting others. Is what we are left with in your opinin is a "dog eat dog world".

Mike socialism like most movements are attempted to be taken over by individuals. That is what happened to it Russia for example. Such a take over negates the grassroots beginings of movements. Outside of the totalitarian nature of Russian socialism there is a natural tendency of peoples to do things together, to reach common ground on common problems, community and village planning. That phenomenon is seen and has existed all over the world for milleniums. If you will see the difference between people, the majority anyway, working together coomperatively for common things, versus a totalitarina dictatorship, you may come to understand things a little more clearly.

Great quote. More of us should also have a say in how corporations and free enterprize is run and then maybe we would have a better society. Like could we tell our companies to stop making things over seas and to stop using illegal aliens etcetera. Stop polluting our world.

Great quote and it is proven true by comments on this site every day

Nonsense. Guns having nothing to do with governance in this country. Anyone who believes that is living in a fairyland of their own making. We do have a weapon that can be used against government, however, and that is THE VOTE. Guns are okay for self defense, hunting etc. but where do guys get off by claiming they some how protect us from government. Government which in the USA is us is what protects us.

Family size Anon has flucuated with the ages. Farming families use to be big because they felt they needed the hands to till the fields and carry on the dynasty. The human species will not survive if it becomes as it has, the only successful species. We need to take care of our world, which has a limited ability to nurture us. I am not for forced abortion or for any law mandating family size. I am for enlightened policy emanating from all sectors that instills a social norm or mores for an understanding and respect for the interconnectedness of the planet, its resources and its population. The Chineese or more correctly Mao wrongly, in most opinions, encouraged and promoted the over population of China. Now a draconian law was instituted to correct his and China's stupidity. All I am asking Anon is for human intelligence to prevail, and that we live in accordance with our Creatores command to be good stewards of the earth he has created and given to us. If that is socialism so be it. I just think that it is good policy. For more about demographics sign on to or google NPG-Negative Poplulation Growth or ZPG-Zero Population Growth. These tow educational organizations teach that the optimal population of America is 180 million. That is what it was in 1950. In just over 50 years it has nearly doubled. If it doubles in the next 50 we will have 600 million. This is the most significant fact and public policy issue of our time. Only one man has mentioned it within the politcal arena. That man is the most courageous politco extant and it is none other than Al Gore.

Agreed. And rather than attacking government and big government we should start attacking the dysfunctional and yes lawless people that are its root cause. More IRS, FBI, ATF, Border Patrol etcetera, etc, etc, are needed because the population, corporations, banks, Wall Street are so godawful lawless. When are we going to get this straight or at least the cart before the horse. Are problems are not the governments fault as many wish to attest and point blame. Turn your pointing finger back at yourselves and you and we will be on the road to politcal nirvana. Ask yourself are you any better than the oil moguls who accept blame for nothing.

Right on! Jim. It was founded as a Republic as in "government of, by and for the people" aka a democracy which also has nothing to do with the Democratic political party.

Maybe to be intolerant of ethnic clensing is to be a tolerant person. While we may and probably should be convicted about some things we should I think be convicted of the fact that others have the same right to be convicted about things. Some times these convictions are total opposites and that is when we must be tolerant. Being convicted about something or being totally sincere does not mean you are correct.

I AM FOR A FREE PEOPLE TO CONTROL THEIR LIVES BOTH INDIVUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY. I am for us to come together and stop pollution, environmental degradation, over poplulation etcetera. If that is Socialism I am all for it. If the opposite way of thinking is to have free enterprise without any controls or oversite from the masses, and thus be left along to do anything to the environment and thus to us and you call that Capitalism then I am against Capitalism. Now is there a middle ground, let us hop so and let us find it. We will not find it by the dealogue and knee jerk mentalities so often expressed on this blog. Chck yourself if you knee jerk to these things you are not free at all. You are not at LIBERTY to even have free and open (minded) discussion.

Most of us I would bet know very little about Socialism but virtually all of us participate in socialism each and every day. socialim wriitten small is nothihng more in my definition than people living, existing and doing things together. People have been doing that ever since they dug out the first cave together. I agree with RBESRQ that we need a new dialogue and a new way of talking without all of the knee jerk mentality we see so much of. Without a new way of talking we will never solve any of the problems that we share toghter in society (society just another socialist word I guess). While Ken sees some others as incapable and hopeless, some others see the incapable as possibilites and start training programs or Community Colleges, it is all a matter of point of view and value systems I guess.

If socialism is what the Norwegians (rated best place in the world to live) or other Scandinavian countries are doing then it certainly has some good points. If its opposite is rampant capitalism with industry having its sway and way over the lives of everyone else without them having any control such as with oil spills, pollution and rape of the environment for profit then I am for socialism or at least for a free people to control their own lives individually and collectively or is that socially.

Who is this "we". A true man (or woman) a real man tries to lift others up. If one does not feel that he is a real or a superior being (in the best meaning of that) he or she probably has little regard for helping others.

Inalienable righrts, human rights, by agreement of many at least, are among some the things Americans hold as self-evident items subject to the equality standard. Justin is your usage "social justice" anything like "fairness".