[Grovenet] change in the wind

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I agree Joy. Both with your sentiments and with those of Sinclair Lewis. Not
to take away from Lewis' genius, isn't that how totalitarianism has come to
every country, disguised as a patriotic movement to liberate the people from
evil? It sure was in Germany in the 1930's. And there's always just enough
of a kernel of truth in it to make it plausible to those who desperately
want to believe it's true. That's the danger of "half-truths"; in times of
fear and stress people will give up all of their future for only half a
truth. 

The Republican party needs to do more than throw off the yoke and chains of
the extreme conservative Christian movement; it needs to be more than a
counterweight for the liberal extremism of many Democrats. Either that or
we'll need to accept that what works is essentially a Socialist government
as the Republican influence wanes. And that may be workable. It is in many
European countries as well as places like Israel. It seems to me that is
what we'll get if we ever see a Democratic President with half the power
that President Bush has wielded. Such a socialist movement may be exactly
the legacy the Republican extremists will leave us.

Well, it seems to me that in their zeal for stronger, more powerful central
government control of just about everything, the Democrats may well be our
best protectors of the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights. 

I'd much rather an outright Socialist government who carves the Bill of
Rights in stone than the sort of free-wheeling chaotic "leadership" we've
had under the Republicans.

One thing us American citizens have that is little different from the
Iraqis, the French, the Russians, or any other people anywhere in the world,
is that we individuals are left to figure out how to be successful in spite
of our Government, not because of our Government.   

Ron D'Eau Claire 




-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of JBlair2154 at aol.com
Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2006 12:48 PM
To: grovenet at rdrop.com
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] change in the wind


 
In a message dated 11/4/2006 2:04:35 PM Central Standard Time,  
grovenet-request at rdrop.com writes:

I think  the ECCM is America's greatest threat today, far more so than Bin
Ladin or  Al Quaeda, just as the extremist Muslim movement is a far greater
threat to  Islam than America will ever be. It's time Republicans reclaim
their party  or disavow themselves from the crazies and launch a new
political force  based on American ideals and principles.


Ron, I do believe that the first steps are being taken by  (some)
Republicans 
to do just that.
They are trying to distance themselves from the Bush  administration's 
ideology. I heard one GOP candidate tell his audience "I'm a  Reagan
Republican." 
And it's rather sad that a few decent Republican candidates  will lose only 
because of their Party affiliation -- just as a few Democrats  will win
their 
seats although they are much more conservative than most other  Democrats.
The 
terrible fact is that very few voters make a real effort to learn  about
local 
candidates in depth, so they base their votes on rather  superficial
criteria. 
However, it seems like there is a huge political  groundswell building right

now which will steer the nation a little left, maybe  enough to BEGIN to
address 
some of the mistakes made during the last 6  years.
 
Best news: members of the association of military magazines,  representing 
all branches of the military, got together and decided to call for
Rumsfield's 
resignation. A really extraordinary, bold move. Here's a link  to the Marine

publication's editorial; I haven't checked any of the other  publications.
 
_Marine  Corps Times - Editorial_ 
(http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2333360.php)  
 
As for the extreme evangelical movement, this quote is  uneasily prophetic:
"When facism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag,  carrying a 
cross." 
(Sinclair Lewis)
 
Joy
_______________________________________________
GroveNet mailing list
GroveNet at rdrop.com http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet