“The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty.”

From a perspective of this election season, Ron Paul would definitely fill the shepherd's place in the scope of the quote; while, Mr. Obamunist Goodwrench the assassign, the government's general media complex, the occupying statist theocracy infesting this land, and the socialists in general (communist to fascist / progressive to neo-con) would all (individually and in concert) take the place of the wolf. Traditionally, this is the rule, rather than the exception, whenever individual sovereign / inalienable rights are sought.

Lincoln began the centralization of power taking away state and local rights. Big Brother began with him and the Robber Barrons.

The wolf wants to eat the sheep... I think we can all agree on this... just like the 0.1% are doing to the 99%. It is through government action by good folks like Cordray (recently appointed by Obama) that the wolf will be held at bay from the sheep.

Sorry Reston, but the 1% you allude to is directly tied to the Government you think will solve the problem, that they themselves created. Liberty is not achieved with "more" Government. But the miserable tenets of Socialism certainly are.

The shepherd may be analogous to the Christian code of conduct to love one's neighbor as one's self. The Wolf could epitomize any of those who believe that they have a right and/or a legitimate vehicle to take from others,. It could be welfare, it could be immigration, corporate subsidies, you name it. the core to all of these (going back to Prohibition) is that they all are a reflection of Government in our lives.

Wolf or Shepherd, the sheep are slaves and end up killed unnaturally.

I'm with cal on Lincoln. Read " Lincoln Uber Alles", (Over All) for a good look at Lincoln.

I think Reston has it right as he usually does. Cal, I take it that the southern states 'local rights' of slavery is something you approved?

Read our US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights, and then name the characters alluded to by Lincoln. Instead of pointing fingers of blame, change the sheep to wild horses. A nation of sheep are a poor icon for God's individuals that He gave unalienable rights to "...Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

The point that this quote tried to address can be twisted to any point of view. But indeed, we the people are the sheep -- who is the shepherd and who is the wolf is debatable. These days the wolf is dressed in the shepherd's clothing. Obama IS Wall Street through and through yet he tries to rally the sheep into believing he is the shepherd all the while herding the sheep to the wolves. Lincoln is believed to be a liberator by some and a tyrant by others, but we see that in his view, We the People are sheep. Whenever the government sees itself as the shepherd and we the sheep, the sheep are going to get fleeced and ultimately eaten -- whether by a wolf or the shepherd. The difference between the individualistic view of life and the collectivist view of life is that the one believes himself to be a shepherd (of sheep not people) and the others believe themselves to be sheep. All folks like Reston and dick want is a better shepherd to make the fleecing more tolerable and the slaughter ignored completely.

Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)

Except in the "War of Northern Aggression" it was actually the "sheep" that were set upon the throats of Lincolns "wolves". Lincolns statement is just something to give him a sense of righteousness for his having stolen the liberty and rights of association and dis-association from free and independent states.

Ah but what is said when next the Shepard has the Sheep for Dinner and makes a new bed side rug, and sandals of his hide?