Comments Posted By mannning
Displaying 321 To 330 Of 475 Comments
WILL NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE KILL CONSERVATISM?
Godless? Secular? Creampocky!
Comment Posted By mannning On 24.11.2008 @ 21:08
I believe that Moran is correct in saying that conservatism has not been translated from high level principle down to fine-grained issues and solutions that everyone can sign up to. This is a hard road for most people to navigate by themselves. Many of the icons of conservatism are quite difficult reads--viz. Buckley, Kirk, Strauss--and even more difficult to translate into actionable words. After agreeing with their root pronouncements, you ar left with the necessity of applying them to everyday situations, usually in the face of opposition that sets up verbal barriers to clear thinking in a conservative manner.
To say the obvious: we need translators that are respected, gifted with eloquence, and able to reduce matters into simple propositions from a conservative view. I am thinking of Reagan, Thatcher, and perhaps Lincoln as models.
I suggest that there are possibly a thousand or more "determining propositions" that operate way down the chain of thought at the level of individual adherents of conservatism, yet they have articulated perhaps just a hundred or so of these propositions for themselves. This leaves the chain of reasoning with considerable gaps in the logic, which creates intractable puzzles for the busy person to solve.
We need to find people that can grasp the principles and fill the gaps in argumentation for conservatism for everyone to understand, or else...
Comment Posted By mannning On 23.11.2008 @ 17:53
In this new order, Gulags will proliferate to hold the millions of contrary thinkers on every block in the nation.
Here is a grand opportunity for a wily entrepreneur: be the first to contract to build multiple model "Settlements" for the disgruntled conservatives and remaining independents that are not sufficiently on board with the new order.
As in the Eagle's "Hotel California", "you could check out at any time, but you could never leave."
Comment Posted By mannning On 14.11.2008 @ 17:13
DON'T YOU WISH YOU WERE A FLY ON A WALL?
It would be very instructive to be able to understand the limits of the power that is strictly in the President's hands. Not only because he is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but slso because of what he can command on the home front by the stroke of his pen(Executive Orders, etc.). This power of the position is not well-understood by the public, and not by myself, for that matter, yet it appears to be the immediate direction of the new President to employ EOs to effect some of the changes he wants. Are we going to be ruled by fiat?
All presidents do the "stroke of the pen" thing the first thing they do when they take office. No biggie.
ed
Comment Posted By mannning On 10.11.2008 @ 16:35
ON BEING NOBLE AND OTHER NONSENSICAL IDEAS IN THE AGE OF OBAMA
Agreed: We should give the new president our support, so long as he deserves it. He should be given the opportunity to earn our trust.
Asserted: We should watch his every move, every decision, every appointment, every executive order, and every legislative proposal for its impact on the people, the nation, and the Constitution, then act accordingly.
Agreed: We do not know what is in the heart or mind of this man. All we do know has scored bad associations, little executive experience, ultra liberal ideas, a smooth, mesmerizing delivery, and close support from many dubious political and religious operatives, all of which is not very encouraging.
We live in dangerous times.
Comment Posted By mannning On 8.11.2008 @ 16:10
WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MODERATE?
I believe in a uniquely American culture that actively and fervently supports each of the tenets mentioned by Moran above. I use the word culture in its broadest, most encompassing sense.
It is a culture that is both quietly and loudly patriotic in defense of Americanism at any given moment;
and it shows this support when called upon to do the work of freedom and liberty where needed, even unto giving one's life.
Further, I believe in full assimilation of other cultures into this American culture, not preserving foreign cultures for their own sake, or for adopting their cultural ideas, except as a celebration of origins and ancestry.
I believe that it is our common
American Culture that most immediately guides us into the American way, while it is obviously underpinned amd reenforced by our founding documents, our body of law, our customs and traditions, and our institutions.Finally, I believe that the principle task of our government is the security and well-being of our poeple against all threats to our way of life, foreign and domestic.
Comment Posted By mannning On 28.10.2008 @ 17:29
RELUCTANTLY - COMMENTS OPEN AGAIN
Good move, Rick. many posters do in fact refrain from the use of truly naughty words, except for an occasional damn or hell.
In my opinion, to organize a site and set forth personal views on the ideas and events of the world is to clearly ask for comments by others on your writings. I have not yet observed anyone's opinion to be sufficiently complete and worthwhile that no comment is necessary. To the contrary, many if not most propositions set forth on the web are one-sided, self-serving, and willfully blind to opposite views.
You do a concrete service to focus your readers on various issues, and to allow comments to take place on them, even when the comments stray significantly from the original issue, as they are wont to do.
The tactic being used in some blogs of announcing in advance the termination of a thread, and then actually terminating threads after a few days or weeks might be something to consider. This could obviously include exceptions when indicated by the value of the comments as you see them.
mannning
Comment Posted By mannning On 25.10.2008 @ 14:01
TIME TO FORGET MCCAIN AND FIGHT FOR THE FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE
Clinical, dispassionate, objective, unbiased, forthright, subtle, independent (no team player), hacker adverse, intelligent, elitist, egotistic, erudite, viscious, opinionated, tanked, atheistic, conservative, and challenging. That is my view of Moran: mostly human in his contradictions, and he plays them out every day here for all to read. I love thinking about how one can be elitist, conservative and atheistic, all at the same time. Or, objective and opinionated. Or independent and nominally Republican.
It is like trying to contain a plasma in a complex force field.
Comment Posted By mannning On 16.10.2008 @ 23:46
IF ELECTED, OBAMA WILL BE MY PRESIDENT
The Office of the President of the United States, and the President himself, are vested with the expectations of all the people for good government. The Office and the person are vested with the nobility we have given our leaders throughout our history. This must never change, regardless of the person in the chair.
That said, a President that bends every effort to take us away from our Constitution, laws, and religion will be challenged and fought with all the power that large numbers of citizens can muster. We should honor the Office, but not a traitor to our freedoms and liberties, our ownership of private property, or ownership of our corporate property either.
WE should stand and fight the idea of socializing America wherever it arises, using all the tools we have. This is true, in particular, for a President that dishonors the Office he has been elected to, and violates the oath he has taken at his inauguration to defend the Constitution. Take one tiny step in that diection, and the full rath of the people should descend on that President.
Comment Posted By mannning On 13.10.2008 @ 16:37
Obama is a chamelion: he has worn so many leftist cloaks, and now, in sight of the presidency, leftist-moderate cloaks, that even people like you, Moran, are effectively apologists for him, to the extent, at least, of attempting to ward off his true label.
Underneath all of those cloaks, we do not know the man we find there. He may even not be American born, and has lied about it, as your boss has published today.
I will label him a leftist/socialist, whether he actually is by strict definition or not. I do hope that label sticks on him, since I believe he will put on a leftist/socialist cloak post election, to our great sorrow.
I do not care whether he can evade the label by subterfuge and high-level change promises that are given in a calculated campaign to win more votes. It is my belief that he would not follow a moderate course if elected, and will change his rhetoric to suit himself and his leftist friends if he wins.
He thus deserves the moniker he has so far lived and earned, by his jobs, by his associations and by his voting record:
Comment Posted By mannning On 11.10.2008 @ 23:45
Leftist/Socialist.
