What the hell!

If you have never heard of divided government J and the statement that "Americans like it that way" you just are not aware of anything. Our two party system maintains a balance of power and things change slowly. Some attack us for this slow or conservative pace of change in this country but this is a result of a lack of absolute power and of thoughtful solutions to public problems over time. There is no absolute power in a democracy except the people and we know how fickle they are. I belive my example of the health care debate is a great one to point out the lack of absolute power in our Federal Government, and it is not twisting or creating a socialist utiopia at all. You are the one with a hardened point of view and ignore facts. When you can't stand the heat of the truth you say I am twisting something. Have a great day man, I am going to the Grand Canyon today, that socialist endeavor of maintaing vast tracts of otherwise what could be good private property in the hands of the governement for the use of us soicalist people.

Thank goodness we have limited government in these United States. As the recent year long Congressional debates on health care have proven it is difficult to do anything. The balances of powers work extremly well and thus Absolute Power does not exist and never has in the good ole USofA. The statement is true and those with absolute power become cynical overlords. Look what happened under Bush with Tom DeLay and all of the corporation corruption in Texas with Enron

News media should not have a point of view they should tell facts. Your best bet is NPR's nightly news. Be sure you know when you are watching or listening to facts versus opinions. Some or many, and you know who you, are indisposed to watch just facts, if the facts do not come from some one with your point of view or frame of reference you will not accept them or will discount the facts as being from a different or alien point of view. Develop a Sergeant Friday mentality, 'Just the facts Man, just the facts" and form your own opinins. If you do that you will find that Obamanomics is right on and Al Gore was right on conerning global warming etc. Read news with an open mind to facts and eschew the guys trying to form or dictate opinions and points of view. They are anathema to our way of life.

It deserves five stars but he also should have warned us to beware that the freedom of the press also means the freedom to lie as long as you do not slander. Take Fox with Bech and Rush and those guys, What a bunch of fraudulent clowns. Fox is a political organization in the guise of "news media". Is somenthing like that any different than a front organization established by Nazi's or communists.

The faimily of the slain Arizona farmer, Mr Krentz, who is presumed to have been killed by an illgeal Mexican crossing his ranch has said, "We do not blame the Mexican people who are simply seeking a better life, we blame the Mexican and American governments for not controlling our borders". Yes order is needed in our lives and we establish governments for the purpose. Americans are generally a very civil lot who do seek to obey the laws that they establish. The laws constanly need to be tweaked to accomodate social and cultural changes. Look at laws about smoking in public places, seat belts etcetera. Often initially there may be objections to new laws established by the majority of the people. But wisdom generally prevails in the long run except maybe in the case of Mike who never sees the wisdom of anything that comes from the majority of the citizens. America, its people and its government (the longest running Constitutional democracy in the world) are, in my opinion, admired every where for their support, loyalty, and steadfastness to law and order, and to the Constituion, our military has the best command and control structure. That alone attests to our belief system and to the rightness to our cause of government of, by and for the people.

Government is about order and the question is how much order is optimal or best. The American government as many will attest is often perceived as to weak especially in regards to immigration and border control and by many in regards to tax enforcement. Government may be perceived by some as to "big" but others see that it moves or acts methodically but slow, as in "the wheels of justice turn slow". This may be good that they turn slow but they must continue to turn.

Why does the fight for inalienable rights only arise when the Republicans are out of the Presidency. No one or few were arguing for them two, four, six or eight years ago. I heard people arguing for them also when Clinton got elected. What gives?

Warren, and good Mormons and good Seventh-day Advnetist and many other good people do not smoke. A good child does not smoke. Public health is a concern of most societies. Public health officials tell us that pregnant women should not smole. The Nazi or German construction was a lie, since they could not guarantee the truth of their statement. Language construction like this is also found on some highway signs. Most of us our taught what good people should and should not do.

As Jesus said to think of doing crime is a crime. So hang 'em all big and small.

The only reason for government is the "good of the people". Public health statements incouraging or educating people like the "Nazi propaganda" statement above is no more wrong or insidious than is the lies put forth by big tobacco's "Marlboro Man" etcetera. (Again the problem with the German statement was the lie contained within it and that it should have said SHOULD.)

An apparent well meaning dictum but what makes it propagnada is that it was a lie when published. Its meaning was obviously that "A German woman SHOULD not smoke." Now that would not be a bad bit of public or medical policy for any population even theough it still sounds a bit sexist. But we read every day things such as "pregnant women should not smoke" etcetera. I know of religious organizations that require members not to smoke as a matter of fellowship.

The bill is not a spending spree so says the Congressional Budget Office. It reduces the debt. It requires the non-insured to become insured those stopping the practive of them flooding the emergency rooms of American hospitals which then file for assistance from the Feds for their unpaid expenses. Now the newly insured will take their medical problems to their family physicians like the rest of us. That other party claims something should be done but did not do so when they could. Do you think they are just a little bit ingenuous? That at least one American Party has some guts and spunk to do something is very refreshing!

Funny is it not. Yesterday someone blasted Obama's 75,000 acceptance speech crowd, that is his popularity, as some how equating to Hitlerism and Nazism. Now Ken says that Ayn Rands book popularity equates to some kind of brillance. Ken get a grip their is a difference between pop culture and sloganeering and thoughtful discourse. I never said Ayn did not write some pop novels, I only said that her followers are mostly like Star Trek Trekkies. The truth is that Ms. Rand was an immigrant from 1930's or 1920's Russia. The imaginative US economy impressed her as compared to her staid Russian experience. Hitler was also fascinated by architecture, great culture etcetera and dreamed from childhood about destroying ghettos and building beautiful bldgs and halls of culture in their place (killing the current inhabitants did not bother him either). Not saying that Ayn worshipped Nazism but her philosophy based on her admiration for the New York skyline and its creators is just a little bit shallow many if not most observers think. As far as America being a place of great ideas, no doubt about it, but Ayn fails to keep a respectable balance. Hitler did not keep a respectable balance either.

Today I rode my 125CC Scooter up into the moutains of Arizona until I could no longer negotiate the trail, then I got off and walked through a creek filled canyon and started the climb at the end of the creek at the box end of the canyon. I stopped for lunch before I returned. In this endeavor I felt a quality of life, action and experience like no other, I was alone, naviagating my own course, desires. To me freedom equates to adventure. Many talk of the ethereal and ephermal idea of political freedom but seldmom themselves individually experience the feelings of adventure or so I believe. Who am I to judge what other individuals experience!

Monaco man their is a slight difference to American patriotism than European. I think it is because of the relative sizes of our political entities. Your nations are more like our states and our nation is more like your European Union. I agree however that politicians in the USA are damend if they do or damend if they don't wear the lapel pin. If they wear it for a few days or weeks and stop wearing it people think they have become communist. I remember growing up when city and town policemen only wore the insignia of their town or city. Now they also wear a US Fag as if they are part of a Federal Government police force. I believe that we all are loyal Americans whether or not we fly the flag or not, but oh! how I love to fly it and see it!

Mike gives it 5 stars but it would appear to knock the hell out of his oft repeated idea of "allodial property" or "allodium" as he calls it.

So much for kings, nobility, dynasty and I would assume this quote if accepted as truth and law knocks the hell out of the idea of inheritance. Its words seem to say that every one is or of a right ought to be equal at birth and upon their parents or grandparents death. That is each person should make his own place in the world, Mom and Dad can train you but should not set you up. We are far from that in this country with monstrous inheritances. This qoute embodys the egalitarian spirt of 1776.

Carlton being a popular candidate or politician is what it is all about. You cannot lead if you cannot get elected and have name recognition. Apparently Ben Stein has changed because his lastest statement after I am sure reading the Health Care Bill is that it has "laudable points". I like Ben Stein, I don't agree with him on every thing. I like it when he said he lost big in the market just like everyone else did. That was Bush's market by the way. If you don't like crowds and enthusiams for ideas what is the point anyway. By the way McCain said he knew how to solve problems also including Social Security and Medicare. So what is new about politicians saying and trying to solve problems. Most people in the world get paid for solving problems of other people. I believe in problem solveing I am an optimist. Carlton apparently you do not so believe and in my view you are a pessimist. Your choice my friend, your choice.

Hitler my dear Warren rose to power by being anti-communist. He was also against internationalism or what folk today might call new age internationalism. Contrary to your alignining him to progressives he was a right wing, intolerant hater of mankind.

Compare this quote to the one about slogans. The non-thinking and unread prefer the slogan to the lengthy report. Thus many are misled: that is how Hitler did it and someone is doing it to some of you guys this very day.

Ah do not the British have a way with words! As Shakespeare said, "Brevity is the soul of wit". On the other hand detail, completeness and accuracy in law is something the simplistic mind cannot understand. That is why of course we have lawyers. J Carlton misses the opportunity to be comlete and repeat what many have said including the likes of Ben Stein "there are many good and laudable aspects of the Health Care Reform Bill". Carlton and David above are just sloganeering again.

PS she is correct in some quarters however. For example when a wealthy California couple and their lawyer filed suits and called the Estate Tax the death tax the absurdity went uncontested and the right wing of the Republican Party and Rush picked it up and made it the slogan of the day. A new unontested absurdity oft repeated on this site by Logan (which fortunately I have contested tirelessly and I think may have put a stop to it) is 'America is a Republic not a Democracy". These slogans are picked up and touted by the non-thinking (maybe Hitler was right) such as Mike's "statist theocracy" etc. Yes slogans are the favorite tool of the undeducated and unthinking. So I will relent and give Ayn a couple of stars for she is correcting if the quote is only applied to the non-thinking.

She is wrong and she proved it herself. Her absurd philosophy and the worship of sky scraper builders has been debunked ad infinitem. Her absurdities held sway for a very very short period of time. Only young teenagers and Warren above continue to accept her slogans!

I believe that Adolph was talking about himself. He was an uneducated gutter politician who led a lousy life. No wife, no children. Is there any record of him ever having a really good time? We should destroy all record of him except of what he did to the rest of us.