"People, as individuals, are the dumbest things that I have ever seen."

Thing is... people, as individuals, are pretty smart. It's when they get into large groups that dumb things happen. It's for that reason that individualism is attacked with such force by the left. Can't have too much free will happening!

re: teabagger
In 1776, the Tories referred to the Revoltionaries as "Yankee Doodles." This was not supposed to be complimentary. It was supposed to be insulting. Instead of festering over it, our Founders took the term and made it their own. They embraced it, owned it and took the sting away. To this day, Americans lovingly refer to themselves as Yankees.

When I hear the word teabagger, I wonder when some clever Conservative song writer will have the audacity turn it into a catchy little tune.

I'm with you on all counts. George C. Scott's performance is quite good, but Sim's version will always be my favorite.

'What most people don't seem to realize is that there is just as much money to be made out of the wreckage of a civilization as from the upbuilding of one."

Quoth Rhett Butler never more...

and by the way, what self respecting 15 year old girl would go to a Springsteen concert with her dad? It would make more sense if she dragged him to a Black Eyed Peas concert and experienced joyous astonishment while he was checking voicemail.

I don't disagree with any of this. I would just challenge you to go one step more and read up on Social Darwinism, Monism and the Eugenics movement of the late 19th and early 20th century. You will find that the Climate-Change crowd marches nicely to the beat of that drum. We are already learning that members of the current administration believe that life does not begin until a child is about three years old. They emphasize the doom of the world through over population and when you start taxing a person for breathing (ie carbon footprint, carbon off-sets) it can only get worse from there.

Just a thought. Do you suppose that the problem with the film industry is that there is nothing new to be said? They throw sex, bad language and violence in to keep things "edgy." I know that this is a bit off topic, but I actually keep thinking about the Transformers (both movies), which ought to be viewable by young people - I mean they sell the toys to young people, but they insist on putting sexually explicit dialog and over the top violence in the films when it really isn't necessary.

I like that comment about, "You can be left alone, but you can't destroy the commons." Does he mean with those mercury filled, compact florescents that his new found eco-religion has imposed on my household? They have no answer for that gem of reason. But they simply can't back away from their toxic little time bombs. They're too heavily invested in them... and I mean both philosophically and financially.

When is the last time you saw a substantive slam on Bill Clinton? Or Jimmy Carter? Or Johnson or JFK..or FDR...or Woodrow Wilson. Don't hold your breath for the Obama critique. It ain't coming.

Burt, you rock! This is a very courageous piece that you have written. I wish more people would expose the petty tendencies of our "free thinking" liberal members of Congress.