1980 vs 2008

One might well look at these two dates and not see a connection between them. I think perhaps they may be closer aligned than is at first apparent.

If I might paraphrase Abraham Lincoln for a bit;

Eleven score and 2 years ago our fathers brought forth a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men (and women)are created equal. (if not anatomically the same) (Thanks, God)

Now we are engaged in a great national debate, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.

........It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

For over one hundred years various group and nations have tried various incarnations of socialism or communism and even National Socialism. (think Nazis) Even the Mormons tried a version where all property was controlled by the church and given out equally and members were then judged by the productivity they attained from their land. All of these attempts to achieve Marx's dream were in fact dismal failures. Greed, or the love of power over others, and the desire of all rationally thinking beings to live a life as free of encumbrance to the demands of others... for what in fact amount to a portion of your life...... have failed........or as in the case of Venezuela, North Korea and China have failed or will fail in time, even if they do try to leaven their particular brand with limited capitalism.

The great debate we are currently engaged in...( whether you are actively participating or simply being inundated with the blathering of the media and advertisers is ( in my foolish opinion ) much adieu about nothing.

We can pretend that freedom and liberty hang in the balance, when in fact, they were scrapped to the ditches long ago by the powerful and corrupt.

In 1980 I voted in my first election. In the previous elections that I was old enough to vote in, I was in the military and going in the direction I was pointed. But in the election between Regan and Carter I could see the difference that could be made directly to my business (dairy farming) by the outcome.

I've said many times since that I almost wished that I had voted for Carter so as to accelerate the slide that I saw the country making away from Freedom and Liberty into an ever expanding circle of socialism, so as to hasten the inevitable coming time of chaos.......and then hopefully a renewal of the spirit of our forefathers.

I begin to think that this election is shaping up to be another one of those Pivotal points in our history. Whether for good or ill......I cannot see.....

I always hope that good will trump evil but we don't have to look far to see instances where it doesn't.

I have no crystal ball........ just a short time span of life to go by and the records of those gone before.

I find instructive some of the popular pundits of the day. Ann Coulter is always a pleasure to read. Some of her thoughts reflect some of mine.......not all. But judge for yourself.......HERE

RSVP if you like.