“Fanaticism consists in redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim.”

ok, that would be one scenario. I liked his famous paraphrase better: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

The fanatical elites in Washington haven't forgotten their aims to turn us into a 3rd world socialist country regardless of what the marjority of the people want. Nancy and the gang or like roaches, busy all the time but do most of their mischief in the dark.

Sounds like panic to me but it would be interesting to get the insight from those that are heroes? Or how about those that are traitors, what pushes these cowards or, suicide Killers to join at the back of the line and then go out and fail them. Even now it's the same question. Not one of these guys has killed or injured himself. Not one has attempted anything to even possibly kill himself? Why are they so slow to get things done. Failure after failure and the silent crowd have nothing to say, oops national security or tons of things they might be saying by accident and threats. Is the U.S. being taken by the silent witnesses?

Many a bill has passed lately using this philosopy. I have no doubt many politicians begin their political careers hoping to help people. Unfortunately, when they realize that for government to help an individual it must hurt another, they press on with their schemes anyway.

Describes the Obamanists accurately.

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".

Waffler, like most liberals, your interpretation seems to be negative, with a personal attack for justification. Your response reminds me of the crab bucket scenario (or might I say, the liberal bucket scenario) That is: if you place one crab in a bucket, it will crawl out. If you put 2 crabs in a bucket, if one tries to crawl out, the second will grab on and hold the first back. In a bucket full of crabs, no one tries to better them selves, they are all equal, no one gets hurt. In the second crab's fanaticism, it has forgotten the liberating aim. A neocon second crab may fit your dog eat dog world and, a liberal crab would definitely describe the scenario as herein described but, a libertarian crab would escape the bucket, even in the presence of neocons and liberals and all crab's inalienable rights would remain in tact.

If I was a fanatic, I would interpret that to lock and load and take it from there.

Why did the crab want to leave the bucket in the first place?

Mike, we are making history right now that I would like already to forget about.

Joe, pretty funny, I like it. (-; BUT, back at my crab bucket story, it again depends on if the crab is neocon, liberal or libertarian ;-)

The lesson for the crab is the same for all of us: stay away from buckets!

Waffler states, "Is that what competition is all about helping SELF and hurting others." The creatures of the Earth survive on the produce of the Earth. Left to its own, life on Earth is self-regulating, and those creatures that live in balance with what comes in its season will thrive, while those that live in discord, consuming more than their fill, set in motion their own destruction. Living in harmony with the Earth resonates -- all are empowered. Prosperity is built into the system -- but it does require mutual respect and compassion in the daily exercise of our lives. It is the gift we give ourselves that makes us prosper.

Statism created the Colosseum -- many were compelled to fight with the support of the populace (i.e. simple majority opinion). It was not republican principles that fomented death sports; however, centralized power loves such games.