|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 23,453
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 23,453 |
He likely never had an intention to stop corruption, being most likely neck deep in it himself for his entire political career. But this reminds me of a central message from Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
From time to time Emperors would rise to power with the promise (along with the apparent authentic intention) of cleaning up the corruption that was crippling the government of Rome. Basically, the Praetorian Guard had become a sort of Mafia in Rome, expecting to receive enormous sums of tax dollars just because that's what had become the long established norm. Besides that, everything was a scam to enrich them, and they came to think of all these scams as their birthright. Even emperors were powerless to do much about it, since if they tried too hard, they'd find themselves hacked or strangled to death and replaced by a less civic minded one.
It's just the nature of behemoth states that the most corrupt will rise to the real seats of power behind the scenes, and become thoroughly entrenched there, generationally. Which, of course, is why the Founders wanted the Federal Government to actually have very little power, apart from the instance of war, thought to be a very rare and unusual event, and would have been apart from the growth of the central state and the war-seeking corruption that naturally comes with it.
But today we have not only behemoth Federal Government but behemoth state government to match, "all part of the same hypocrisy," as Micheal Corleone observed in Godfather II. An excellent summation. Out of curiosity, what do you do for a living?
America needs to understand that our troops are not 'disposable'. Each represents a family; Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Cousins, Uncles, Aunts... Our Citizens are our most valuable treasure; we waste far too many.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 132,008 Likes: 59
Campfire Sage
|
Campfire Sage
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 132,008 Likes: 59 |
An excellent summation.
Out of curiosity, what do you do for a living? History teacher. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 23,453
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 23,453 |
An excellent summation.
Out of curiosity, what do you do for a living? History teacher. Thanks. That explains a good bit about your grasp on history. Not trying to be combative, but if that's a publicly paid teaching position, wouldn't that be a bit of a contradiction in your otherwise accurate indictment of the growth and power of government on all levels? If private, then well done.
Last edited by 4ager; 07/24/14.
America needs to understand that our troops are not 'disposable'. Each represents a family; Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Cousins, Uncles, Aunts... Our Citizens are our most valuable treasure; we waste far too many.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 132,008 Likes: 59
Campfire Sage
|
Campfire Sage
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 132,008 Likes: 59 |
An excellent summation.
Out of curiosity, what do you do for a living? History teacher. Thanks. That explains a good bit about your grasp on history. Not trying to be combative, but if that's a publicly paid teaching position, wouldn't that be a bit of a contradiction in your otherwise accurate indictment of the growth and power of government on all levels? If private, then well done. I work within the system, but favor the elimination of it on principle. No different than holding a bank account while opposing the institution of banking. You have to live in the real world as it exists even if you advocate for its change.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 23,453
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 23,453 |
An excellent summation.
Out of curiosity, what do you do for a living? History teacher. Thanks. That explains a good bit about your grasp on history. Not trying to be combative, but if that's a publicly paid teaching position, wouldn't that be a bit of a contradiction in your otherwise accurate indictment of the growth and power of government on all levels? If private, then well done. I work within the system, but favor the elimination of it on principle. No different than holding a bank account while opposing the institution of banking. You have to live in the real world as it exists even if you advocate for its change. k. You only have to convince you, I guess. Your points on the fall of this empire and the growth of the .gov are made well. Unfortunately, they ring much more hollow now as you're voluntarily paid by the thing you advocate against.
America needs to understand that our troops are not 'disposable'. Each represents a family; Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Cousins, Uncles, Aunts... Our Citizens are our most valuable treasure; we waste far too many.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 132,008 Likes: 59
Campfire Sage
|
Campfire Sage
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 132,008 Likes: 59 |
Unfortunately, they ring much more hollow now as you're voluntarily paid by the thing you advocate against. There is good to be done within the system while one is opposing it. Those kids have no choice in the matter of where they go to school. Or, I suppose, we who advocate for change could all become hermits and live in caves till the world comes around to our way of thinking.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,425 Likes: 6
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,425 Likes: 6 |
Wow. A politician that lies. I am absolutely disheartened. Next thing you know someone will crush my childhood belief that water is not wet...
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 18,353 Likes: 2
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 18,353 Likes: 2 |
It will come to nothing. If this comes to anything he'll get a pile of consultants, rehabilitate his image, and be a D presidential candidate in the next 12 years. Mark my words.
Carpe' Scrotum
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,425 Likes: 6
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,425 Likes: 6 |
You could very well be right.
The one thing politicians are really good at is telling lies.
And unfortunately lots and lots of people love to believe happy lies, even when they know it's a lie.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 12,807
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 12,807 |
k. You only have to convince you, I guess. Your points on the fall of this empire and the growth of the .gov are made well. Unfortunately, they ring much more hollow now as you're voluntarily paid by the thing you advocate against.
That's the same sort of thinking that has allowed Marxists to take over academia and liberals to take over California. It's called "running from a fight".
Islam is a terrorist organization.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 28,411
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 28,411 |
It will come to nothing. If this comes to anything he'll get a pile of consultants, rehabilitate his image, and be a D presidential candidate in the next 12 years. Mark my words. Yeah, true and I'm jealous that he's banging Sandra Lee.
The degree of my privacy is no business of yours.
What we've learned from history is that we haven't learned from it.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,913
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,913 |
So you have your NewYork city and Upstate with Italian and Jewish extract politicians, clean as the driven snow. I feel a kindred soul, since I have Chicago and Downstate with Irish and Jewish politicos, where a judge behind closed doors ruled that former mayor "shortshanks" Richard M. Daley is too sick to testify in a corruption case. Daley's testimony would have been "priceless" - "I don't remember nuttin, judge...heh hehhe haa, shnorf, guffaw, hee hee, shnorf...."
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 26,524
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 26,524 |
An excellent summation.
Out of curiosity, what do you do for a living? History teacher. Thanks. Odd. A few short years ago you asserted on the forum you were a social studies teacher, to-wit: What subject do you teach? That one is already common knowledge here at the fire. I teach Social Studies. BS'ing now? BS'ing then? Or BS'ing all the time? I know, I'm on ignore. But the post isn't really for you. Just allowing everyone else to get their doubting ducks in a row...
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 17,101
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 17,101 |
An excellent summation.
Out of curiosity, what do you do for a living? History teacher. Thanks. Odd. A few short years ago you asserted on the forum you were a social studies teacher, to-wit: What subject do you teach? That one is already common knowledge here at the fire. I teach Social Studies. BS'ing now? BS'ing then? Or BS'ing all the time? I know, I'm on ignore. But the post isn't really for you. Just allowing everyone else to get their doubting ducks in a row... You know, he IS completely against gov't over reach, unless it's on the local level.
The government plans these shootings by targeting kids from kindergarten that the government thinks they can control with drugs until the appropriate time--DerbyDude
Whatever. Tell the oompa loompa's hey for me. [/quote]. LtPPowell
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 19,269
Campfire Ranger
|
OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 19,269 |
So you have your NewYork city and Upstate with Italian and Jewish extract politicians, clean as the driven snow. I feel a kindred soul, since I have Chicago and Downstate with Irish and Jewish politicos, where a judge behind closed doors ruled that former mayor "shortshanks" Richard M. Daley is too sick to testify in a corruption case. Daley's testimony would have been "priceless" - "I don't remember nuttin, judge...heh hehhe haa, shnorf, guffaw, hee hee, shnorf...." Politicians of any description who are "as pure as driven snow" are as rare as vegetarian crocodiles. The demorats however have raised (lowered??) the standard to an co-ordinated "industry wide" program,
Be afraid,be VERY VERY afraid ad triarios redisse My Buddy eh76 speaks authentic Frontier Gibberish!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 50,170 Likes: 2
Campfire Kahuna
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 50,170 Likes: 2 |
�What took so long?� quipped a Cuomo associate who has known the governor for more than 20 years. Therein lies the real problem.
The only thing worse than a liberal is a liberal that thinks they're a conservative.
|
|
|
|
577 members (257Bob, 270wsmnutt, 160user, 257 roberts, 1lessdog, 1_deuce, 59 invisible),
2,491
guests, and
1,227
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,194,364
Posts18,527,270
Members74,031
|
Most Online11,491 Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|