Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Non Desistas, Non Exieris (Alt. title: Death, Dishonor, and Other Political Concepts)

Hitler greeting his child soldiers*

As I read Sarge’s Saturday post, I was struck by a thought brought on by the opening line-  

Unteroffizier Manfred Sauer looked at the new men in his platoon, the average age was seventeen. 

At that point in his story, the war wasn’t quite winding down, but the Germans were losing.  The allies had invaded France and pressing towards the German border.  The enemy had lost enough battles and enough men that they were using 17** year olds to replace the hardened soldiers that had been killed.  17!  Not even high school graduates.  The Germans had to know the war was lost when they turn to the nations boys to finish the fighting.  The Japanese did the same, younger and younger soldiers, fighter pilots, and at the very end of the war in the Pacific- Kamikaze pilots as a last-ditch effort.  There’s no honor in sacrificing their youth or saving face for an Emperor they’ve never even heard speak.*** 

Did they truly think they could win using children, that sacrificing their youth would turn the tide?  They refused to see that the loss was probably inevitable.   If they did know it was over, they still believed that continued fighting was far preferable to the loss of honor in giving up.

 The Germans probably knew the war was lost as early as the end of 1943.  They had shifted from committed loyalty to their Fuhrer, to fear of their government to keep soldiers fighting and the public supporting them.  Then again, the alternative wasn’t all that great.  

More than 20,000 German troops were executed by courts-martial during the war for varieties of defeatism. At home, people faced a similar escalation of terror from the Nazi party and the SS. Retreating into their private and family worlds, they began to focus increasingly on simply staying alive and waiting for the end.  Source

Inevitable defeat, yet they persist.  Where have we seen that before?  Wars we can’t win, or if we could, we don’t have the political will to do so.  How about the entire LCS shipbuilding program?  We heard the phrase “too big to fail” during the sub-prime mortgage crisis when Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley were bailed out by the taxpayer.  Again- a government worried more about some distorted idea of financial honor, over what’s right for the taxpayers on the front lines, never mind the fact that Bear Stearns failed in 2008 despite the infusion of our cash. 

Any other groups facing likely, if not inevitable defeat?  What about Biden and the entire left? Yes, I’m making a bold prediction, but one that really shouldn’t be that far off considering what I’m being offered.  I think the left lost the middle a long time ago, some of the left this past summer, and any Trump naysayers on the right around the same time.  But it’s been happening for years.   This past year is definitely one for the ages, between COVID and race riots, we’re fighting on all sorts of new battleground.  Racial tension isn’t new, but it seems to be being used more as a political cudgel than ever before.  COVID needed to be dealt with, which it was and continues to be, but it also continues to be politicized, sensationalized, and monetized, all of which are being used as additional cudgels against the current administration.



The hypocrisy from the left on various COVID responses is maddening.  The travel ban from Asia was countered as racist, but is now accepted as a vital defense against the virus, and yet they continue to claim Trump did nothing and/or had no national strategy.  The Defense Production Act was enacted to protect health and medical resources to prevent hoarding and price gouging.  It was also used to increase the number of ventilators available to the medical industry, however due to actual numbers being far less than predicted, those were never actually needed.  No national strategy is only an undefined and empty criticism of Trump.  A nationwide one-size fits all shutdown?  No, having the states direct their own response actions based on regional conditions is a far more equitable and fair decision that works.  A mask mandate by executive order might be the only action I’ve heard from the left that could possibly amount to a strategy.  

We see the same hypocrisy with regards to the administration’s position on border security.  Every high powered leftist is on record saying everything from the need for a fence, to upholding the rule of law with regards to immigration, to the unfairness of granting citizenship to those who are here illegally when the line of immigrants working through our system to become so is so long. 

As for the race riots and BLM efforts, those are based on an argument that doesn’t actually pan out.  From fantastic claims that blacks are being hunted on the streets by cops, to the rate at which unarmed blacks are killed in the act of being arrested, the statistics don’t support the narrative.  How about people stop resisting arrest?  That might help.  The left gave up the middle when they refused to acknowledge facts, that violence and destruction are wrong, essentially condoning it.  They lost when they turned a blind eye to rioting, looting, and burning federal buildings.  They lost when they demanded police departments be disbanded and defunded.  They lost when they unbelievably said the protests were peaceful, yet in the same breath, claimed any violence and looting was understandable and even excusable.  So are they peaceful or violent?

The Biden loss I believe is inevitable.  There’s nothing the left is offering other than continued propping up of the racial narrative, identity politics, perpetuating victimization- that you don't have to accept any personal responsibility for your lot in life.  They also only offer a path towards socialism and chaos.  So what is the left doing despite the inevitability of them losing?  I heard it called kitchen sink politics- they’re throwing out everything including the kitchen sink to attempt to stop Trump’s reelection.  Recently this has included unsubstantiated and debunked claims that Trump called vets losers, that he's trying to stop voting by mail by cutting USPS funding, and that he will not accept the results of the election.  Like the Nazis, they are leaning on fear.  Like the Soviets, they are using propaganda and censorship to hide the truth.  This election cycle have you heard a reporter ask any liberal tough questions about the destruction of businesses, about the shooting statistics, or how they can offer a counter to Trump’s economic numbers?  They can't, because there is no opposing viewpoint to the low unemployment (pre-covid) numbers for women and minorities.  So they flip the script, claiming what’s good is actually bad, that what you’re seeing isn't how it really is.  They are using a tactic called gaslighting.  I had heard the term, but didn't quite understand it until I read the following:



“Have you ever asked yourself, ‘am I crazy?’ If you have ever asked yourself that, you’re not crazy. You’re most likely being gaslighted. Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse aimed at controlling a person by altering reality to the point where the person will doubt their own sanity.

The term “gaslighting” comes from a 1930’s play called Gas Light. The main character in the play literally tries to drive his wife crazy by gradually dimming the gas-powered lights in their home. When she notices the lights dimming, her husband not only denies that the lights are dimming, he convinces her that she is imagining it to the point where she questions her own sanity.

We are living in a perpetual state of gaslighting.

The reality that we are being told by the media is at complete odds with what we are seeing with our own two eyes. And when we question the false reality that we are being presented, or we claim that what we see is that actual reality, we are vilified as racist or bigots or just plain crazy. You’re not racist. You’re not crazy. You’re being gaslighted.

We see mobs of people looting stores, smashing windows, setting cars on fire and burning down buildings, but we are told that these demonstrations are peaceful protests. And when we call this destruction of our cities, riots, we are called racists. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

We see the major problem destroying many inner-cities is crime; murder, gang violence, drug dealing, drive-by shootings, armed robbery, but we are told that it is not crime, but the police that are the problem in the inner-cities. We are told we must defund the police and remove law enforcement from crime-riddled cities to make them safer. But if we advocate for more policing in cities overrun by crime, we are accused of being white supremacists and racists. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

The United States of America accepts more immigrants than any other country in the world. The vast majority of the immigrants are “people of color”, and these immigrants are enjoying freedom and economic opportunity not available to them in their country of origin, but we are told that the United States is the most racist and oppressive country on the planet, and if we disagree, we are called racist and xenophobic. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

Capitalist countries are the most prosperous countries in the world. The standard of living is the highest in capitalist countries. We see more poor people move up the economic ladder to the middle and even the wealthy class through their effort and ability in capitalist countries than any other economic system in the world, but we are told capitalism is an oppressive system designed to keep people down. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

Communist countries killed over 100 million people in the 20th century. Communist countries strip their citizens of basic human rights, dictate every aspect of their lives, treat their citizens like slaves, and drive their economies into the ground, but we are told that Communism is the fairest, most equitable, freest and most prosperous economic system in the world. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

The most egregious example of gaslighting is the concept of “white fragility”. You spend your life trying to be a good person, trying to treat people fairly and with respect. You disavow racism and bigotry in all its forms. You judge people solely on the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. You don’t discriminate based on race or ethnicity. But you are told you are a racist, not because of something you did or said, but solely because of the color of your skin. You know instinctively that charging someone with racism because of their skin color is itself racist. You know that you are not racist, so you defend yourself and your character, but you are told that your defense of yourself is proof of your racism. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

Gaslighting has become one of the most pervasive and destructive tactics in American politics. It is the exact opposite of what our political system was meant to be. It deals in lies and psychological coercion, and not the truth and intellectual discourse. If you ever ask yourself if you’re crazy, you are not. Crazy people aren’t sane enough to ask themselves if they’re crazy.

So, trust yourself, believe what’s in your heart. Trust our eyes over what we are told. Never listen to the people who tell you that you are crazy, because you are not, you’re being gas-lighted.”

They may have lost the middle ground, but there still is a middle ground.  Nothing is perfectly black and white, but there are perfectly valid differing opinions that don’t align consistently to one party or another.  Unfortunately, their hatred of Trump has attempted to force everyone into a either a “deplorable” bin or a “woke liberal” bin.  You don’t have to like Trump to vote for him, and doing so isn’t a vote for accepting his flaws, but the game of politics has been so polarizing, much of the rhetoric coming from the left, that they demand a lock-step viewpoint.  They claim that any positive take on anything from the right is an immediate litmus test failure.  I was told by an old high school friend that I was "too smart" to vote for Trump, and by another- called a traitor to my country for supporting him, and that a condition of my retirement pay should an acceptance of liberal ideals.  I didn’t “unfriend” this supposed friend of mine for the Ad hominem attack, but only because I once read Sun-Tzu and realize the value of knowing my enemy.

 

I don’t know who wrote this but someone finally put into words what many of us have been thinking and I couldn't agree more.

I’m sick of Covid-19.

I’m sick of blacks vs. whites.

I’m sick of Democrats vs. Republicans.

I’m REALLY sick of the media.

I’m really sick of the wearing a mask debate.

I’m sick of no one being allowed to think what they want & feel how they do without offending someone.

I am sick of the people who are out there jumping on the bandwagon just to spread hatred. And start riots, looting & destroying others properties.

I am sick of blaming the world for the sins of a few.

You want to support Trump? You do it! It’s your choice!

You want to support Biden? You do it! It's your choice!

You want to believe in God? You do it! It's your choice.

You want to believe in magical creatures that fly around & sprinkle fairy dust to make life better? Awesome... you do it!!

BUT how about being MATURE enough to be able to deal with the fact that everyone doesn’t have the same exact mind-set as you. Having our own mind-set is what makes us all individuals and beautiful. If you can’t handle that fact....oh well!

I don’t have to agree with everything you believe in & YOU don’t have to agree with me.

It's your choice! It's our own choice!

So be a decent human being.

Have some respect.

You don't have to like it or agree. It's your choice!


*Alternate caption:  DNC greeting Antifa                                                                                                                                      **Even younger boys were used, pulled from the Hitler Youth.                                                                                    **Hirohito only spoke to the common people on the eve of their surrender

41 comments:

  1. Interesting rant. But, is one lockstep better then another's lockstep? Either bodes ill for democracy. Democracy is about the people, not their businesses. And a business control of the people, has always ended up killing it's people. Not nice. I would agree, Trump is going to win with the electorial college, and the people are going to be further restricted, even more will be deneighed basic services, and all those parents on social security will have to move back in with their kids, but hey, but it ends the need for covid relief.

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    1. No one lockstep is better, but a path that's leaning closer towards libertarian vice communism is better. I essentially said so in my point about there being no black and white. Lot of gray in my thoughts on some issues. I myself am more pragmatic when it comes to immigration- there's no way to deport all the illegals, so build the wall, stop the inflow, and let them be tax-paying citizens. What do you mean further restricted? Are you of the belief that a few months of payroll tax relief is going to destroy SSI?

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    2. I'd rather march in lockstep to freedom and liberty, than march in lockstep to the nightmare of socialism. So, yes, in my barely significant opinion, there is a better lock step. Don't arbitrarily limit the options. That's an argument trap. Lots of directions we can go, and I aim for the smallest government that works, and the biggest citizen that is free.

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    3. We are of the same mind. Leave me alone as much as possible, leave most of my treasure to me, and offer others the same opportunity. If you refuse the opportunity, woe to you, but don't be looking to mine if you do.

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  2. Not a rant, no cussing........several good points made regarding common sense and one party's agenda of control. Bang on Tuna!!

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  3. Tuna - What a perceptive article. I had not thought of the similarity between sacrificing the young as foot soldiers in war and sacrificing the young as foot soldiers in a political and social upheaval. You are quite right though - it is a sign of desperation, not of success.

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    1. Antifa and other groups of angry young people are just being used as tools to spread division. And they're being paid to do it.

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    2. Historically, that's what happened in Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, both sides of the Spanish Civil War, in North Korea, in Communist China (gee, I see no parallels between the Cultural Revolution and here, now in the USA) and Cambodia and and and...

      The first rule of Marxism/Socialism/Communism is to control the children. Too many children were sacrificed for political reasons even before the shooting started in all the above countries.

      And Tuna is right, Antifa, BLM, PDQBACH, et all are all just tools of a far sinister and powerful cabal that finances them, controls them, moves them around like pawns.

      Sickening it is.

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  4. A very good post Tuna. I don't adhere to either party, I used to give both sides a fair hearing until one became too strident and the other became too stuffy and "we know better." In fact, both do that at times.

    I bemoan the fact that we've all become so political, even in my own family. It ain't worth it, the politicians are all assholes anyway, both sides are in it for what it brings them and mostly not for the good of the nation as a whole. A pox on both their houses.

    That's all I have to say, it's why I avoid posting political stuff as it makes my head explode and my heart hurt. I'll leave it to you, you do it well.

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    1. I will vote for Trump, but I know he's nowhere near the candidate I want. His policies, while not perfect, are closer to that than Biden's though. The anger from the left is astounding. My neighborhood is full of Bye-Don (Biden) signs although I know several neighbors who will vote for Trump. Why don't we have Trump signs? Probably because we know the left is so angry that they'd key my car, steal the sign, smash a window, or something worse. I just can't trust that all of my neighbors would be calm and rational.

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  5. Old NFO today linked to this article discussing a possible parallel between the Spanish Civil War and America's current situation.
    https://ammo.com/articles/spanish-civil-war-prelude-wwii-todays-america
    Old NFO's first commenter made a good point that today in America may be a parallel between the prelude to the French Revolution and today.

    As Sarge said, it makes my head explode and my heart hurt.
    I will say again that once the wholesale bloodshed begins the normal never returns.

    Good thought provoking post.


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    1. Thanks. Great article at the link. Civil war here? What would that look like? I know the side I'd align with has far more guns than the other though, if it were to happen. Although military leadership is gutless and can't think for themselves anymore so I'm not sure where it would fall.

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  6. I used to vote for the man, but the (D) wants as many kids as possible to be aborted. They want socialism. Seems every thing they want is anathema to liberty, justice, and the American way of life. Even if they are on the local level, they have to swear fealty to the national party to get their funds. I don't vote for that. STOP.

    That leaves no party, the (R) which at the national level appear to be nothing but the other side of the same coin from the (D), and libertarian leaning folks. If it didn't doom your viewpoint to the loser table for decades, I'd be all in favor of s---caning the (R) for something better. But when people are involved, it can and will go sideways. So I'm kinda stuck holding my nose.

    I fear we are trying to manage a flat spin. I'd rather sing a song and tell a joke as we auger in, than scream and curse my fellow passengers... It's bleak, but there it is.

    Some days I have hope, today, not so much....

    Very thought provoking post. Thanks Tuna.

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    1. Yes but ejection isn't possible, and I don't see how we can change the direction our country seems to be going, despite my vote.

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  7. Have you ever heard of "The 45 Communist Goals As Read Into The Congressional Record in 1963"? It is almost word for word the Democratic Party platform. What we are seeing now are the radicals of the late 60's and early 70's after they went underground to accomplish their goals. Read number 15. That was pretty much accomplished. https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/watchwomanonthewall/2011/04/the-45-communist-goals-as-read-into-the-congressional-record-1963.html

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    1. The left has gone so far left that my Democrat mom who voted for Kennedy would be a far right-wing fanatic these days at least according to the angry leftists.

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  8. For so long, the maddening choice between the Stupid Party and the Evil Party. I have been registered Independent since...I don't rightly recall...a long time. The Evil Party is now the Insane Party. The thing that scares me most is that the radical left will not stop until the ARE stopped.

    When I was is the State Guard, we had a couple of white haired gents on board. One was SSG Adams, who was an infantryman in France. His eyes welled up as recalled searching German POW's--young boys with the pockets of their great coats filled with drugs.

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    1. I'm no fan of the current GOP, but it seems like they've started to grow a pair under Trump. The blank check congress thinks they have with our debt is maddening though.

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  9. Very good post, Sir Tuna. I doff my hat to you.

    It is gaslighting, or double-speak, that we are experiencing. And it is sickening. I've endured shrieking and hysterical fits just from going out and talking to people while standing in line - one time it was to say to a young man that I liked his 'Enjoy Capitalism' shirt and some... thing... vaguely human shaped and it's significant other both went full unhinged at me and the young man for being horrible baby-killing, elder killing, mean old white men yada yada yada... Me? I actually kept my mouth (mostly) shut and only talked to the young man.

    I don't know what to do anymore. I fear to speak out, lest the crazy follow me home. Yes, I have a "Trump 2020" mask (and the wife has a Trumpy Bear) but I don't let people see me wear it at the pharmacy or at doctors' offices, only when I go to relatively safe places and even then I keep my head on a swivel. What's surprising is the positive comments I get from so many who just recently I would have labeled as 'card-carrying leftists and lost to the cause.'

    You are right. The Crazy Left has lost the middle and a portion of the not-so-crazy left. And, just like in 2016, most people aren't telling any polling agency their true feelings, which considering that the President is polling closer and closer to the Contender, is rather scary for anyone who believes polls (in that, normally, the Pres would be 10 points behind and still win.) But the whole 'vote by mail' thingy scares me. I do believe we'll see South or Central American levels of voter fraud. Heck, that's exactly what the DNC says will happen, that Trump will win on Election Night and lose big by the time, 2-3 weeks later, when all the mail-in ballots show up.

    Not looking forward to November. Been getting my basic preps (based on for hurricane survival) doubled as much as I can. Strange times, strange times.

    I just want to debate and discuss politics without all the death-threats, spittle, name-calling and so forth.

    Why can't we all just get along? After all, think of the children.

    No. Really. Think of the Children. What will the children of today think of what we adults are doing to this nation? (Fortunately, at least in a lot of areas, the tyranny of the Teachers' Unions seems to have been broken and parents are now wondering exactly what has been programmed into their sprouts. Hopefully it's not too late for critical thinking, logic, history, facts and science to be reintroduced...)

    As always, I pray your family does well in the coming months. Sorry about all the yard signs in your neighborhood (surprisingly, in Leftist Gainesville, I see Trump signs, no Biden signs, weird...) Hope your son and daughter are faring well.

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    1. Thanks. I really don't mind the Biden signs, they don't bother me, but I apparently bother many of those folks just by being alive. Why can't we get along indeed. If I go visit my son in east county (new home with all young men vice the elderly he was living with), I see lots of Trump flags and signs. More blue collar out there. Daughter has diploma in hand, but still looking. Doesn't want ANY help or even questions about how it's going. Lots of rejections so far apparently.

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  10. I would say critically thinking man will always resist temptation of lockstep. First thing you when you are voting for a law that gives some powers to your preferred party is: would you trust that power to the opposing party? Because eventually power will change in democracy, otherwise you are dooming yourself to monoparty dictature, even if it manages to keep popularity at first, inevitably lack of competition breeds corruption and downfall. Checks and balances are first and foremost feature of democracy, more than elections themselves.
    It is always worth looking at the disputes raging about in politics from both sides of the aisel, then decide which - if any - suits you better. Thats why I regularily read every major weekly supporting respective factions in my parliament.
    Example 1: energy mix. Left and liberal parties generally advocate going all renewable. Conservatists and nationalists are all for keeping coal going. My take is both are flawed: coal is impossible to maintain due to general EU policy, and it is also increasingly costly to mine locally, where most resources are deep-buried and brown coal that is able to be strip-mined is just too dirty even by coal standards, acid rain and all. Sun and wind, on other hand are just too unreliable in our climate, plus just not enough density to supplu the population and economy. Only solution that I see is nuclear power... which is also highly unpopular due to legacy of Chernobyl. But I assume that eventually it will tkae the lead due to being only avaialble soution (natural gas could be interim solution, especially after successfully disengaging from Russian import via LNG port near my home city, and incoming pipeline from Norway)
    Example 2:Immigrants relocation. Nationalists vow not to allow single one, while left wants to bring quotas into every country. I view both as flawed, and ending in those people being forced into de-facto prison camps. The only difference is the country where they stay - border like Greece or Italy, or anywhere else where resettled -e.g. Poland. My take is, the people should have been given choice of where to settle in the EU. The result would be them having a choice which is always good thing in my book, but also by default gravitating to countries that by virtue of being wealthy (looks at Germany...) can afford the costs of integrating them into society.
    Sadly, this means often I find myself with no one to vote for because no major party espouses my choices, and definitely not all of them, with best of them hovering around 60% of policies supported by me.
    So I had to settle myself for lowest common denominator: support for NATO and defence spending, keeping transatlantic ties intact, and Russia at bay, and keeping economical ties of EU expanding - which is , barring the fringes, consensus of all major parties. Finally, efforts of ruling coalition of conservatives and nationaliosts at eroding Judiciary branch independence, and barely hidden appetite for destroying opposition media outlets, coupled with extreme ideologisation of church, led me to espouse liberal-right opposition party.

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    1. Tough situation for you. Maybe also look at which will do the least harm to you, your rights, the economy, etc and then hold your nose as you vote. I would much prefer a party system that would truly allow third party candidates and not just 2 sides to the aisle.

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  11. Hey Tuna;

    Good Rant. My county is a blue county, but my section of the county has a lot of Trump sighs in it. There is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm for President Trump whereas there is no excitement for Biden who can only offer "Orange man bad". The Modern tolerant left has gone totally off the rails. Their religion is politics and if you don't worship like they do, then you are committing blasphemy by their standards and deserve to be punished.

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    1. True, we see Biden signs, but nobody posts about how much they like him, the good things he'll do, etc. "Caretaker" status is what I've heard as one reason for voting for him- he'll be a good caretaker for the next four years. That's a low bar. I think he needs a caretaker.

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  12. Excellent post, Tuna. I've had similar thoughts lately, but not the eloquence needed to put them to words as you have. Keep up the good work. (I hear Sarge is considering a bonus this Christmas, but only if LUSH publishes her first post prior to that.)

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    1. Ha! I'm counting my money already! Thanks for the kind words. I do try to be nice and somewhat respectful when I post. Ad-Hominems just aren't my thing as I'd rather be more cutting and analytical than mean and nasty.

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  13. (Don McCollor)...At last someone explained the term and origin of "gaslighting" clearly!...(Did something like that once at college party [You used to be able get a quarter-sized disc thermostat that dropped in under a lamp bulb that would turn it on and off]. One fellow (under the influence of other than alcohol) noted that the lamp had just turned off. We convinced him it had been off all the time. Then he said it had just turned on. We convinced him it had been on all the time. Took a few cycles before his fog lifted)...

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  14. Unfortunately the fog has seeped into the brains of our youth and they believe everything the left tells them.

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  15. You don't post often, Tuna, but they are worth waiting for.

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    1. Thanks. I don't want to hurt Sarge's brain too often!

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  16. Went for a ride in the country today, the deep south of the middle of Ohio where people flaunt their Trump signs in their yards, fly Trump banners from their houses and barns and it pisses me off to know that I could/can do neither here in Shaker Heights. Were I to try the vandals and looters would strike at me when my back is turned or when I'm asleep. I cannot shoot them in any event since property crimes don't justify lethal defense and the idiots around here assume if I shoot them I was trying to kill them when I'm actually quite expert with a gun and could wound them from now till when Gabriel blows his horn without actually killing them.

    Still and all, I smuggle nicely written little 5X7 index cards out to my lawn in the dark and people who walk their dogs can read. The last one read, Trump or SMOD. The latest one reads "Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom's lives mattered. So does yours."
    Subtle is the order of the day around here in bluest of blue Ohio.

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    1. I guess you are defiant! A little 5x7 civil disobedience never hurt anyone. Then again, let's hope none of the extra angry folks are willing are able to read!

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  17. Gaslighting? - that is just what I have been thinking.
    "What many of us have been thinking" . . . Amen over and over again.

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  18. I recall a scene in a Robb White WWII novel describing a war bond slogan -- "it takes millions to win a war; to lose one it takes everything you've got."

    In the here and now of America it all starts with the individual. Wit "me" if you will. Do I really believe in the founding ideals of human equality and natural rights which come from something bigger tha myself and my fellow ape-lizards? Are my principles sound? Is the reasoning backing my life actions sound? Am I doing the best things for the best reasons to the best of my ability? Am I treating others as equal humans or as things?

    I'm afraid I'm not grown up enough to direct others. I'm still working on getting my own stuff in the proper sock.

    Just my dos pesos.

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    1. I do fear for our republic if these woke folks gain all the seats of power, because they will defile our constitution, disband the electoral college, and dilute the supreme court.

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  19. Tuna, an outstanding piece that deserves wide distribution. With your permission I would like to share it with a somewhat limited circle. I spent a lifetime (thirty-three years) on Capitol Hill and I no longer recognize what is happening in this country. I live in fear that if the public does not wake up and recognize the very slippery slope that we are on the nation that our grandchildren inherit will be very, very different from the country we grew up in.

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  20. Go right ahead, it's on the interwebs so no expectation of privacy.

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  21. So much I have read, and so much I have thought, and so much I wish to say...Use of the young, their emotional manipulation, and exposure to drugs, and propaganda, is not historically significant, unfortunately. It has been done throughout history. Youthful minds are full of passion, yet somewhat lacking in real world experience, so they are easily swayed. Those tools applied to inflaming the passions of our young people are so much more pervasive today, thanks to Mass Media influence, through the internet. The Enemies of orderly society, be they globalists, marxists, communists, or just plain satanists, have been very diligent in creating an organized environment over which they have a great deal of control. Unfortunately, many of us are waking up too late, and are ill prepared to counter this insidious menace. They have created a structure which is reinforced with many levels of safeguards. It is far too complex for me to begin to describe here, but I think most who will read this are aware and intelligent enough to know at least many of the ways they have put barriers between our influence, and the minds of our children. I fervently wish that I could offer some tool, or weapon with which we could effectively fight back, but I'm still struggling with that. The greatest wisdom I think I can offer at this point is a methodology of condensed, simplified information. Bastions have been erected against broader concepts, and emotional triggers actively repulse expansive systems of logic. Only small, seemingly insignificant ideas seem to be able to penetrate. An example; do not ask your children, or their peers why they protest, because they will become righteous and spew the propaganda they have been indoctrinated to. Instead, pose little ideas, like "Dr. King's protest were successful because he insisted upon non violence, such that it would be obvious to the casual observer who was truly in the wrong, because they were the violent ones." When they say, "it's not us who are violent, it is the ones who infiltrate our protests", it gives you the opportunity to tell them that if they will protest, they must 'police' their own protests, if they want their cause to be given serious consideration. It is all about dialog, and yes, that is necessarily limited by the fact that too many parents do not take the time to interact properly with their children, but if those of us who do, can plant seeds of reason in ours, they can nurture those thoughts, and share them with their friends. It is now more important than ever before, I think, for cautious, careful communication. This isn't about political correctness, but rather about careful, cautious intellectual correctness. Only small, relatively unobtrusive logic can penetrate the bastions of emotion and self righteousness that have been so diligently constructed by our enemies. As in all domestic disputes, Grand Proclamations trigger (unreasonable) emotional responses. Application of only gentle, measured logic can penetrate the barriers. Some may think of this as 'coddling', but I don't see it that way. I see it more like talking a jumper off the ledge. You can't just grab them, because that will force them to react in opposition. You have to gently convince them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that there is hope, beyond despair. The influences that have driven them there are not their fault, but the choice to move towards light, and love, is still within their grasp.
    Okay, vented I have. 'Twer all because I took to heart Sarge's order, to carry on. This we must all do, with great persistence, and unlimited patience. We must not forget that all the efforts of the evil ones are not directed at our children, but at us, as well. We must not succumb to despair, or thoughts of defeat. That is not an option. We must endeavor to persevere!

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  22. An excellent post Tuna. I appreciate the historical preface as it informs certain aspects of current circumstances. Is the any wonder why some politicians and "community leaders" AKA agitators are advocating the elimination of history courses from state curricula. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-area-leaders-call-for-illinois-to-eliminate-history-classes/2315752/

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