My first political ramblings....well at least the first posted ones...

[Wildewolfe]

First I wanted to thank everyone here. You have made me feel welcome, and that is a welcome change from the reality that the Republican Party has become, where if you don’t conform to the norm, you aren’t welcome. It makes me feel good to be able to post my thoughts here. So here is my first bit of political ramblings… I just hope I posted it in the right place.

------------------------------
As a former republican, I watched the party I grew up in change over the years. I watched the politics of the big lie become more and more prevalent, and the truth become secondary to “the spin”. I watched the corruption of the MSM as more and more outlets were captured and controlled by the republican agenda. I watched as “The Moral Majority” and “Focus on the Family” started to claim they spoke for MY interests and MY benefit. I watched as soon it wasn’t in MY interest or MY benefit to speak out against them, they had become entrenched.

Years ago I watched a Science fiction show, Babylon 5. In that show a free, democratic civilization fell into fascism. I remember the chill that went down my spine, a sense of déjà vu, when the department of homeland security was announced.

The fall of America is not marked with the big bang of a nuke, or the sickening silence of a chemical or bio attack. The fall of America is marked by a shift in attitude from Liberty and the pursuit of freedom for all to the illusions that the government should protect me even at the cost of my liberty and my freedom. The fall of America is marked by the parent who chooses to not to take responsibility for raising his or her own children. Who would rather spend time in prayer meetings 4 times a week than spend one hour talking about drugs or sex with their teenager. The fall of America is marked by the politician who, to protect us all from the world, would violate the founding principals of our country and our constitution. The fall of America is marked by a silent press and an outspoken hateful minority.

Thomas Jefferson said, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." That doesn’t mean that you must go to war… or that you must have a civil war. It means that in the pursuit and the maintenance of freedom, people will die. On 9/11 people died. Their blood was spilled. In response, we have pruned back the tree of liberty in favor of security. America has become not a leader in the cause of freedom, but a leader in the cause of paranoid oppression. Along the way, the blood of thousands of people from 9/11 to our soldiers in Iraq and people of Iraq themselves has fallen on barren ground. Liberty is not nurtured, dark times seem just around the corner. The axe man is coming to fell the tree.

In closing, difficult times are ahead. We fight an enemy that fights by a different set of rules than we do. The Big lie, religious mandate, corruption and greed drive them. We must remain true to the higher calling, not of religion, but of liberty itself in the drive to fight them. It makes our fight ten times harder, but in the end liberty is worth it.

[realFedUp]

1. Welcome to DU

Good thoughts I agree with. Thank you.

[Dora]

2. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[NuckinFutz]

3. Very nicely put...

Welcome! It's nice to have you with us.

[FrenchieCat]

4. Welcome....

and know, that we will fight to save our Democracy! :patriot:

[Oversea Visitor]

5. Me like you

:)
Speak truth
Chimp and gorilla friends bad x(
Very sorry they steal your party :(
Now more dangerous
They want steal America x(

Me scared
After that they try steal world x(

So me come join DU
Speak like child
Make people laugh
Keep good fight on aginst Chimp and Gorillas
Save US and World

:hi:

[oneold1-4u]

6. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome

I haven't been around long either but learned many years ago that when the place gets too small, just go outside and change your mind! At the moment I find DU one of the most open and diverse sites, blog, forum, anywhere. As long as there is a smidgen of honesty and intelligence here I will remain.

[paula777]

7. I don't see how the repukes square the fact that they say they want

smaller government, and at the same time, they are creating this enormous big brother government that takes away individual rights. Such hypocracy!

Welcome to DU!

[oneold1-4u]

10. When Big Brother

is the government it can be a lot smaller. There needs to be so few around in a monarchy or dictatorship!

[paula777]

15. In theory it can be smaller but that's not what they are doing - they are

adding layers to it - homeland security for example - adds more government, not less.

[jarab]

8. Welcome !!

...O...

[Totally Committed]

9. Welocme to DU, Wildewolfe... (n/t)

TC

[SnoopDog]

11. Everyone is welcomed in a true Democracy...

...for no one is better or worse than another.

Welcome my friend and great post.

I am glad you switched to the Dem party. There is nothing wrong with more than one party including Republicans. The evil murderous bastards in office now are NOT Republicans but a cleaver and evil enemy.

Yes we have a major battle ahead of us. It started 5 years ago...


11/07/2006...the day of reckoning...

[winga222]

12. Welcome!

I lurked more than post but this place has kept me sane for several years! :hi:

[MsAnthropy]

13. Agree, very eloquently put

Welcome to DU!

[kentuck]

14. And I agree with your statement....

"We must remain true to the higher calling, not of religion, but of liberty itself in the drive to fight them."

[EC]

16. Welcome and thanks for the help in our fight

I'd like to know what was the tipping point, and will it help turn other Republicans see the light?

[Wildewolfe]

18. It was a combination of things...

First, it was the creation of a new class called "enemy combatants" as an obvious effort to circumvent the constitution, the courts, public opinion etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure some of the folks at Gitmo ARE slime. But everyone (including Bush and company) deserves to know the charges against them AND have their day in court. That circumvention of our legal system is just horrendous.

Second, it was the Patriot act in general. In my opinion, this is the single most dangerous piece of legislation to ever be written.

Lastly, the obvious voter issues in the first election in Florida. I remember saying to my family (who didn't care) Gee, his brother is running the recount? doesn't ANYONE ELSE see a problem with this?

[EC]

20. I did wonder why other Republicans didn't put

2 and 2 together in Florida 2000 or why they didn't care, since I would think that honest voting was more important than who won...

Also, the Patriot Act has been in the works since Reagan, maybe even Nixon, they would just keep pulling it out and trying to get it passed and couldn't.

The same with Gitmo, how can anyone justify what is going on there without worrying that it may become them someday - being held without charge for god who knows what digression?

I don't get why the more level minded Republicans can't see what is happening, and that ** really thinks he's above the law...(or do they think that is proper, that the Pres. should be above the law?)

[Wildewolfe]

24. That's it to a degree

There is a general feeling I got growing up that yes, the republican's do feel that at least to some degree, the president is above the law. I remember my parents discussing Nixon saying, and I quote, "the only thing he did that the other presidents didn't was get caught".

There IS a general acceptance of "above and beyond" the law activities. When you boil it down to raw elements the above and beyond the law is what sells the James Bond franchise and half a dozen other movie franchises you could name off the top of your head. TV is no better with 24 enshrining illegalities in the persuit of security. The sad thing, is to some degree you HAVE to have some person or agency with extraordinary powers to deal with some situations.

Many times on DU I've seen the "we should have just taken Saddam himself out". That would have been better for the US by far and better for Iraq... it's also illegal as all hell.

The big question on all of this... where do you draw that line?

[EC]

25. I've heard the same thing about the special interests

saying "Well, they all do it" and I say, it depends on what you call "special interests", the Dems have all the groups that actually help people, like teachers, unions, lawyers etc. While the Republicans have the energy and drug companies...

You are right about where to draw the line, but as far as the "Bond"franchise type of thinking, that is different than the "ruler" of a country...agents really aren't above the law, they still have to answer to international laws and orders from higher ups...it's the higher ups I worry about pushing the envelope.

And my thoughts were that instead of killing Saddam, they could have gone in there and arrested him and removed him, like they did several other leaders throughout history...

[Wildewolfe]

26. Going in to arrest Saddam

would have required the same force we took in to take the country, essentially. Nice idea, nice ideal, not practical from a how to do it perspective. No matter what the ideal is, it's far easier to get one person within the 300 or so yards required to remove him... than it is to capture the person and get him out of his own fortress stronghold.

back to the post for a sec, Bond et al, sets the mindset for the American male to a large degree. He's issued a "license to kill" placing him above the normal level of the law. I have to admit to enjoying the movies myself. It goes back even further though way back to the middle ages I would guess, where knights would have the right to high/low justice. Where the person WAS the law.

[bunkerbuster1]

17. That's impressive. My first DU post was

Kerry fuckin rooolz--Chimpy fuckin drooolz!

Ok, it wasn't that bad, but you get my drift. Splendid, eloquent first effort. Welcome.

[windbreeze]

19. Great Post

Thank you, and welcom to DU...glad to have you
windbreeze

[Drnaline]

21. Couldn't of said it better my self

May i use this?

[Wildewolfe]

22. sure if you want...

[Vinca]

23. Well said. You make me think there's hope. Thanks. nt