gdp's Comments

Big Government : What’s More Compassionate for the Poor, Dependency or Self-Reliance?

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:59:22 +0000

With 14% of Americans receiving food stamps and 48.5% of all people living in the USA live in a household that receives some type of government benefit, how will this end? Do you think the entitlement state will shrink when the majority is receiving some type of government benefit? The Cloward-Piven strategy is apparently coming to fruition and I fear that an economic collapse envisioned by them is inevitable.

Big Government : Monday Open Thread: Shah Edition

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:16:12 +0000

Yes ChuckYannaccone, it was crazy town when the Shah was in power. Please watch this 10 minute video for the TRUTH - not what our government tells us. I know that I will get pounded for supporting ChuckYannaccone, but I think it is important to know the truth. Let me say this straight up ...... I love this country and I feel that it is still the best place to live, but US government policy of meddling and intervention has often times created more of a mess of thing. We must come to grips with our foreign policy meddling and change course. Of course it has also bankrupted our nation as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzCDdXkwe28

Big Government : The New American Way: Bailouts and Dependency

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:03:03 +0000

I appreciate all of your replies. Great, I see that you all understand the importance of economic liberties. It also seems apparent that the importance of personal liberties have not been realized by many on this board. I will address that later. It seems to me that the one common denominator that makes people not want to support Ron Paul is his foreign policy. I have been writing about this on many other blogs for quite some time. I can only do this so many times before it becomes futile. Ron Paul is not an isolationist. His foreign policy has been the same consistent foreign policy of non-interventionism which is routed in our Founding Fathers' principles. This philosophy was followed in the Republican Party during the Taft years and even Truman when he would not get the US involved in a coup in Iran (Eisenhower did so with England to install the Sha, and you know the rest). It is in my belief that our meddling in other countries' affairs has put us in the precarious positions we now are facing such as the endless wars and instability in the Middle East. Also, go to his website as he outlines a strong National Defense plan. Please read it and tell me where you disagree. It is also of my opinion (as well as many other Americans that I speak to on a regular basis) that the two party establishment has long been in favor of wars because it expands government power and enriches the special interests that benefit from wars all at the expense of YOU. We have been at war for 20+years and this course of action is going to be fatal for our nation. It is costing us in treasure (money we don't have) and human life. Also, Ron Paul is the only one looking out for your personal liberties as well. He has voted against every major personal liberty encroaching law such as the Patriot Act and the National Defense Authorization Act. Do you not believe in personal liberty for you or your children? Do you like the TSA and the porn scans/gropings? Once again, I urge you to think about the personal liberty encroaching laws that the past presidents and congress has perpetrated on the American people. Is this what you want? Open your eyes! Our Founding Fathers understood that the last check and balance to correct the major ills of this nation are "we the people" of this great land. If you continue to close your eyes and allow the two party system to woo you into keeping them in power, you will wake up one day to no Republic (which I fear is already a shell). It does not matter to me how many negative votes I get or how many negative responses I get. My goal is to open the people's eyes to the truth but ultimately you must come to understand these principles for yourselves. All I ask is that you do your own research and seek truth. I have found it for myself. Take care. Here are some links that show Dr. Paul not be racist. Please review them. http://www.nolanchart.com/article1134-naacp-presi... http://current.com/1p22qkc (22 reasons RP is not a racist) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rv0Z5SNrF4 (RP helps an interracial couple)

Big Government : The New American Way: Bailouts and Dependency

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:41:51 +0000

This writer is espousing fundamental libertarian free market principles which most everyone on this board agrees. Then when Ron Paul is endorsed, the hissing and screaming starts. Ron Paul's views on economics and government is in complete harmony with Dr. Baugus, yet the boo-birds are out against RP. How is this logical? Txbornandraised is absolutely correct that RP is the only candidate that wants all of you and your children to be free again both economically and personally. If you don't agree with what txbornandraised (or myself) stated on this blog, then please let me know what is it about RP you don't like. Instead of the inane anti-RP comments, why not post a constructive criticism?

Big Government : US Supreme Court Chooses Religious Freedom Over Government Discretion

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:49:12 +0000

This Supreme Court decision was a very important one and I am glad to see all of the posters write about the importance of this decision. To further add why this is so important, we must remember that the 1st Amendment is also about freedom of association (and dissociation). This means we all have the NATURAL RIGHT to associate with whom we please and not associate with whom we choose. This natural right doesn't just apply to the churches and other religious institutions; it applies to all mankind. That means that any private organization/business/institution can discriminate with whomever it wants to associate with/hire or do business with even if the choices made by that organization is distasteful to us (including me!). The US government has a horrible track record of equal protections and as a matter of fact upheld some of the worst discrimination laws imposed by man. Of course of I am talking about the Jim Crow Laws (ie, segregation of whites and blacks, making interracial marriage illegal), and Japanese internment camps, and exclusion of Chinese workers just to name a few. For those that want to further explore, please read Race and Liberty in America, The Essential Reader edited by Jonathan Bean (The Independent Institute).

Big Government : BREAKING: Palin Urges Romney to Release Tax Returns, Provide Proof of 100,000 Jobs Created at Bain C

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:10:13 +0000

Chipsbee, I applaud you for citing a politician's record with facts. (I actually looked up the above mentioned in your post). It took me a few minutes to find some articles and read. Your comment about folks researching their facts is quite valid! Few people on this site actually research their case/points/facts about a given person/politician. I actually outlined facts that I researched and are well known about Rick Perry and got a -2 rating for the post. I guess I shouldn't feel so bad considering the negative votes people have been giving you. Don't be disparaged! I cannot say that I will always agree with your posts but I will always support a person who researches and presents facts. Thanks!

Big Government : Poll: Americans, 2-1, Fear Obama Reelection

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:49:48 +0000

Your analysis is to be commended! Most of the public are not concerned either way. It is truly astounding when you consider where we are today as a nation.

Big Government : Romney Could Win GOP Nomination by End of January

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:37:24 +0000

Missy8s, I know your posts are better than this and I always expect better from you. If you actually look at your link and more specifically at the demographics of RP, it is actually spread evenly across the political spectrum: 38% are conservative/somewhat conservative//33% somewhat liberal/24% moderate. Moderate in this case is centrist. The data clearly shows how much support he garners across the political spectrum. Also, I am an ardent Paul supporter and I am NOT #Occupier, drug abuser or any of the other descriptors that you used above. I am a happily married libertarian Jewish guy who lives my life in a conservative fashion. There are millions of folks just like me who have finally seen through the establishment/government lies so that this goverment can preserve itself at the expense of the people of this great nation. Please wake up!

Big Government : No More Go-along-to-Get-along

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:19:58 +0000

William Z, I think this is a fair point to outline; however you should also explain that he votes down or abstains from every one of the earmarks. Please check out the following videos as RP clearly explains his viewpoint on earmarks and why he requests earmarks and then votes them down. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP9EH6n3nDk&fe... 6:00 - 9:00 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoD5Yk1imBk&fe...

Big Government : Poll: Americans, 2-1, Fear Obama Reelection

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:35:26 +0000

I have talked to many people who respond the way you do. With all due respect, what is it that you don't understand about tyranny? It does not matter to me if Romney, Gingrich or any other candidate is the R nomination. Obama is swiftly taking us to a nanny state or some other candidate will take us there at a less rapid pace. Either way we will get to a liberty encroaching, nanny state. This has been going on for the last 100 years. It's going to take a real game changer to reverse course or this Republic is gone (and I already fear it is nothing more than a shell!) I hear the "lesser of two evils" rationale all the time or "anyone but Obama". Our nation's problems are much bigger than Obama. This country has had more than one Obama, ie, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, etc. My vote is for liberty and freedom. I am not compromising. If more Americans felt this way, then many Ron Pauls could be voted in office for REAL CHANGE. I have no argument with you. Did you read the questions? Do you not understand that this bickering is exactly what BOTH sides want you and I to do?

Big Government : Poll: Americans, 2-1, Fear Obama Reelection

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:27:14 +0000

I think the citizens of this country should fear the election when you consider who is running as an alternative to Obama (and by no means do I like the policies of Obama). What if government is no longer of the people, by the people, and for the people? What if matters of public policy was boiled down to two choices, not for simplicity but to prevent you from considering the ideas of other option that also exist? What if the choices in the election you think you have are just an illusion? What if the two parties are really just one party each making comprises just to preserve their power in office? What if you had only two choices, but they both supported more debt, more government, more war, and less freedom? What if a real alternative when they got popular was mocked, vilified, and attacked? What if, in order to cloud our understanding about the corrosive effects of government, the government pitted us against each other? What if the same government that promises to deliver us from the oligarchs is actually controlled by them? What if there are people who share your discontent with the way things are but the government convinced you that the people with which you largely agree with are really your enemies? What if the government saw you as a resource merely to exploit you to preserve and expand its own power? What if the government is our greatest threat to our safety and freedom and not as it claims the guarantor of our safety and freedom? My fellow citizens, you do have an alternative choice for 2012 - RON PAUL.

Big Government : To Win, Ron Paul Knows He Needs the Caucus States

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 18:39:00 +0000

As a clarification, great response John G

Big Government : To Win, Ron Paul Knows He Needs the Caucus States

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 18:35:59 +0000

Great response! As an addition to the second paragraph (above), ..... "the rest of the people in the world are doomed to something less" and "...... standing idle as evil knowingly advances is, well, just as foolish as it is deadly", ASHRAK sounds like Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the 19th century American belief that the United States was destined to expand across the continent. Advocates of Manifest Destiny believed that expansion was not only wise but that it was readily apparent (manifest) and inexorable (destiny). Put simply, it is the belief in an American mission to promote and defend democracy throughout the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifest_Destiny Our Founding Fathers warned us of such thinking. Human Rights are inalienable to all on Earth, but it is up to each sovereignty (and individuals) to protect their inalienable rights. It never ceases to amaze me how old ideas are recirculated in modern times. When will we learn!

Big Government : Rick Perry: The Tea Party's Candidate?

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 17:40:24 +0000

For those of you who laud Rick Perry, I invite you to read the following links: http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/698... But Perry’s most shocking move, and the one that made conservatives everywhere gasp, was his 2007 executive order — bypassing the Texas legislature — which decreed that all Texas girls entering sixth grade be forced to take the harmful Gardasil vaccine. It was soon revealed that Merck, the drug’s manufacturer, was a contributor to Perry’s campaign, and that two of his former staffers worked for the drug company. After the national headlines evoked outrage, especially from Perry’s conservative base, the Governor later permitted a law that undid his executive order. http://www.tnr.com/node/90370 Although he campaigned in 2010 on the premise that, as he told the Associated Press, “Texas is better off than practically any state in the country,” Perry, along with the rest of the state, soon discovered that Texas’s budget gap—$27 billion short of what it would need to maintain its already lean services in the next biennium—was among the worst in the nation. http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/rick-perrys-spendi... (This article actually shows that he increased the size of government). Texas general fund spending has risen from $29 billion that first Perry year to $41 billion by fiscal 2011, which works out to an average annual increase of 3.5 percent. (Data from NASBO). Also, please don't forget Rick Perry is a Bilderberg. I know Texans are better than this where this state truly values its sovereignty. I hope these links/remarks refresh your memory. It took me about 10 minutes to find out these nuggets of info on this so called "conservative" candidate not to mention they have been widely known since his candidacy was declared. Please do your own diligence and then please write me if you still think this candidate is the "last hope".

Big Government : The Real Losers of the Iowa Caucuses and What It Means for the Race

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 22:07:33 +0000

Your example of the Barbary Pirates is a good one and I referenced it it my previous response to you. The main difference between what Jefferson did and what our current Presidents do is that Jefferson took swift and decisive action on the offending country and got out! The US did not occupy other nations with over 900 bases around the world. We did not nation build.

Big Government : The Real Losers of the Iowa Caucuses and What It Means for the Race

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 21:57:09 +0000

I think we are moving closer to understanding each other: Thanks for acknowledging that I am not being ideological. Ron Paul is consistent with his libertarian viewpoints but he is often misunderstood and the media, like they do with most candidates, skew/slander and misrepresent his views on foreign policy/national defense. The only thing left to say on this topic is that you should do your own due diligence. Please read his presidential website. Also, his son (Rand Paul) does a lot of clarifying on his Dad's views regarding this issue. I would suggest reading books like the 5000 Year Leap and even refreshing yourself on the constitution (I mean not to belittle you. I often refresh myself). We as a people have been quite duped and complacent into letting our elected officials legislate, that the constitution has become a mere piece of paper. We have forgotten that we are the last resort to be sure it is upheld and continues to have teeth. All of your questions above are good ones and they need to be addressed. Once again, the constitution doesn't prevent us from addressing concerns, they outline the rules for government so that they cannot trample on your liberties. Remember, the states and we the people brought the Federal Government into existence, not the other way around. Progressives want you to believe that the modern day world, new threats, terrorism, etc. need new measures that make the constitution irrelevant. (We have had terrorism in this country since its inception! Please read about the Barbary Pirates!) This is their excuse to "progress" past the constitution. I am asking you, Walker_Lewis, my fellow citizen, to arm yourself with knowledge and make sure the Constitution lives for you, your children, and all future generations. With respect to your GW analogy, I was confused by it. I am glad that you understand that GW was a non-interventionist, BUT SO IS RON PAUL. He is not an isolationist. This is an intentional misrepresentation of Paul so that people will vote for the establishment candidates who will continue to lead us down endless wars that cost us in flesh and treasure.

Big Government : The Real Losers of the Iowa Caucuses and What It Means for the Race

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 23:22:09 +0000

In terms of your first point (paragraph 1), the US has the largest and most sophisticated and the most numerous nuclear missiles via US soil, ship and submarine the world has ever known. We can strike any country in the world in a moment's notice. You don't think that is a deterrent? The USSR never shot a missile at us in the 40 year Cold War and they had plenty capability to do it. In terms of your second point (paragraph 2), why do you think I am being totally ideological (and I never said absolutely we cannot have our military on other countries' soil)? I was not writing in absolute terms and never meant to indicate such leaning. If we declare war on a nation and it is approved by Congress, we can do what is necessary to rid the threat and come home. We can even occupy a friendly nation to do this if we have a treaty with them. The point is that the military is way overspent, overstretched, and we don't need 900 bases around the world in more than 100 nations! We need to minimize the occupation of other nations as a means of economics and restoring our standing in the world as a country of good and charity, not being percieved as an "evil empire". Why is this so hard to grasp? Go ask the military what they think. They actually support RP more than any other candidate combined! With regard to GW, you are mistaken regarding his viewpoint/actions on war. Please read the following: Washington proclaimed the U.S. neutral in the wars raging in Europe after 1793. He avoided war with Great Britain and guaranteed a decade of peace and profitable trade by securing the Jay Treaty in 1795, despite intense opposition from the Jeffersonians. ........ Washington's "Farewell Address" was an influential primer on republican virtue and a warning against partisanship, sectionalism, and involvement in foreign wars. This above was taken from the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington Again, I humbly ask you to do your research before you draw any more conclusions. With Respect, M

Big Government : The Real Losers of the Iowa Caucuses and What It Means for the Race

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 18:06:22 +0000

Thank you pointing this out. In addition, I saw on Freedom Watch that Paul, Romney and Santorum each have garnered 6 delegates in Ohio. This is actually a 3-way tie. I would say that Paul did very well for someone that so many people say is not mainstream. Santorum is going nowhere as he doesn't have the man power/organization and funds to support a national campaign. He is not even on the Virginia ballot, the state of his birth! Romney actually polled worse now than he did back in 2008. He has over the last year stayed at a consistent 25% level. This means that 75% of the republican voters do not accept him! I am not suggesting that Paul is some big favorite going forward. I believe it means that the voters are truly undecided and it looks like it is going to be real slug fest!

Big Government : The Real Losers of the Iowa Caucuses and What It Means for the Race

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 17:56:24 +0000

He actually does support a strong national defense by bringing our troops home here to defend our borders and soil. He has said this many times in interviews and you can read about his national defense policy on his presidential website. I respectfully suggest you research this and reconsider your position.

Big Government : California's Death Penalty: Unusual but Not Cruel

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 17:50:59 +0000

SurfinCowboy, thank you for clarifying my point and yours. I actually think this reason is actually a strong reason and perhaps the most important one because this argument evinces why government must be limited. Governments are force as defined by our Founding Fathers. The government will inevitably abuse that power as inherently evident in history. Please see my post below.