I agree that national defense is vital. We have more enemies than people realize. Envy, resentment, mocking. We are, indeed, a target of many countries.
I disagree with you about whether capitalism supports the Justice system or the Defense Department, though the DoD certainly does better for income than any other branch of the government that I can think of. Capitalism when blended with elements of "the common good'" that "socialism" can bring has the best chance of providing for all citizens. Of course, Wall Street has no business owning everything and when Clinton let the Glass Stiegal Act die, as well as allowing unrestrained telecommunications acts award colossal media hegemony, he helped bring on what we see today. But mostly, I disagree that the oppositi of capitalism is totalitarianism.
Capitalism is the economic instrument and it is as subject to tyrants as the worst of communism, and socialism. China is an example today. Totalitarianism's opposite, and often its precursor, is democracy, the political system.
These are perilous times, as you infer, with all sorts of enemies, foreign and domestic. It takes a practiced and pragmatic hand to deal with it all and Biden doesn't always get it all right. But under Trump? Trump will burn everything down. And so will Vance.
Carol L. Clark and David Grenier: You both are engaged in exactly the salutary discussion that helps the political/economic dialogue move forward in exactly the right spirit.
You dispute with reason and mutual respect.
This way of proceeding should be self-evident.
It is self-evident with good people, like the both of you.
But we live in a country where the rhetoric devolves into exiling of dissent within the GOP, where deep-rooted Republicans like the Cheneys are exiled to the island of "RINO".
Thank you BOTH for the intellectual, mutually-respectful dialogue.
I want this spirit to become so mainstream that all persons can LISTEN to each other with dignity and mutual respect.
Carol L. Clark: You state it exactly right and with a good, generous spirit.
I LOVE, just LOVE Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney.
Having said that, I oppose their chief policies. Having spent my whole career with the Navy (Office of General Counsel, GS-15) and a judge advocate in the reserves -- 28 years of service (Lt Col, USAFR, Retired), I condemn and oppose with all I have any use of torture -- and both Cheneys supported the GWB implementation of torture.*
*Armando speaks ONLY for himself and neither the Navy or Air Force allow Armando to speak for them. The Navy and Air Force speak only through official channels.
I will never forgive them.
But I take allies where we find them.
And the Cheneys have the courage of their convictions.
Despite utter opposition to their policies, I welcome courageous fellow citizens, the Cheneys, to help the fight towards maintaining the integrity of our Republic.
I am upset that the GOP exiles the Cheneys, of all people, for an Orange-Carnival Barker.
The most dangerous phenomenon of our time is the war on women and minorities carried out by white-racist-nationalists who parade as "Christians".
The old, anti-Semitic trope was the blood libel -- the obscene lie, designed only to incite hatred and violence (the lie was crude: Jews celebrate a mock-Mass, where they eat children they have just kidnapped). The blood libel led to the Third Reich.
Now, the so-called mainstream of the GOP has re-incarnated the blood libel and turned it against good, decent, loving and gentle people: Haitians.
The blood libel ("they eat the kittens and puppies they stole from you in Voodoo ceremonies) has incited bombings and other violence.
And the ones inciting these evils are Ivy League products: JD Vance.
But Joseph Goebbels, two, was highly educated at one of the great universities: PhD, Heidelberg University.
We need, we desperately NEED a Conservative, principled, Wall-Street GOP in the spirit of Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek: These two believed in Freedom, they were inalterably opposed to racism and totalitarianism, were civil, even friendly with opponents (Fr. Hayek spoke lovingly of John Maynard Keynes, whose economic policies he opposed), and Fr. Hayek had escaped from the Third Reich and had written several books, not least, "The Road to Serfdom", in opposition to the Third Reich. I oppose most of their free-market ideas, since I am more of a Social Democrat. But the voices of Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek are most welcome, healthy voices for Conservatism.
We need ONE of the TWO major Parties to represent the Free-Market, freedom loving, people-loving leaders like Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek.
The Democratic Party represents me fully: I love INCLUSION, and love for ALL PERSONS, the dignity of ALL, the FREEDOM of WOMAN, LGBTQ . . . rights, Latinos . . . Social Justice.
But Socialist instincts, which are my own, and I love these principles wholeheartedly, do not represent a large part of our populace.
The Conservative, in the humane, welcoming, free-market tradition of Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek are NEEDED AND DESIRED.
I want Hakeem Jeffries to be House Speaker -- Third in line to the Presidency.
But I want the GOP to return to the humanity, the intellectual philosophy of Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek, to represent millions, and to remind Social Democrats like me that my plans for social welfare need to respect fiscal restraints.
I have loved the traditional Conservatism of Bill Buckley and Russell Kirk, even though I fundamentally disagree with them.
But I disagree with such intelligent, articulate Conservatives over a friendly cup of coffee or shots of 4-Roses Bourbon.
What you are doing, Carol L. Clark, is so important. We are friends and we stand together!
I write hurriedly, too. You and yours have a wonderful weekend, David. And go out in that boat while you still can.
I agree that national defense is vital. We have more enemies than people realize. Envy, resentment, mocking. We are, indeed, a target of many countries.
I disagree with you about whether capitalism supports the Justice system or the Defense Department, though the DoD certainly does better for income than any other branch of the government that I can think of. Capitalism when blended with elements of "the common good'" that "socialism" can bring has the best chance of providing for all citizens. Of course, Wall Street has no business owning everything and when Clinton let the Glass Stiegal Act die, as well as allowing unrestrained telecommunications acts award colossal media hegemony, he helped bring on what we see today. But mostly, I disagree that the oppositi of capitalism is totalitarianism.
Capitalism is the economic instrument and it is as subject to tyrants as the worst of communism, and socialism. China is an example today. Totalitarianism's opposite, and often its precursor, is democracy, the political system.
These are perilous times, as you infer, with all sorts of enemies, foreign and domestic. It takes a practiced and pragmatic hand to deal with it all and Biden doesn't always get it all right. But under Trump? Trump will burn everything down. And so will Vance.
Best to you as well.
Carol L. Clark and David Grenier: You both are engaged in exactly the salutary discussion that helps the political/economic dialogue move forward in exactly the right spirit.
You dispute with reason and mutual respect.
This way of proceeding should be self-evident.
It is self-evident with good people, like the both of you.
But we live in a country where the rhetoric devolves into exiling of dissent within the GOP, where deep-rooted Republicans like the Cheneys are exiled to the island of "RINO".
Thank you BOTH for the intellectual, mutually-respectful dialogue.
I want this spirit to become so mainstream that all persons can LISTEN to each other with dignity and mutual respect.
Thank you, thank you, both of you!
David and I are good friends. He always has my back.
Carol L. Clark: You state it exactly right and with a good, generous spirit.
I LOVE, just LOVE Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney.
Having said that, I oppose their chief policies. Having spent my whole career with the Navy (Office of General Counsel, GS-15) and a judge advocate in the reserves -- 28 years of service (Lt Col, USAFR, Retired), I condemn and oppose with all I have any use of torture -- and both Cheneys supported the GWB implementation of torture.*
________________________________________________________________
*Armando speaks ONLY for himself and neither the Navy or Air Force allow Armando to speak for them. The Navy and Air Force speak only through official channels.
I will never forgive them.
But I take allies where we find them.
And the Cheneys have the courage of their convictions.
Despite utter opposition to their policies, I welcome courageous fellow citizens, the Cheneys, to help the fight towards maintaining the integrity of our Republic.
I am upset that the GOP exiles the Cheneys, of all people, for an Orange-Carnival Barker.
The most dangerous phenomenon of our time is the war on women and minorities carried out by white-racist-nationalists who parade as "Christians".
The old, anti-Semitic trope was the blood libel -- the obscene lie, designed only to incite hatred and violence (the lie was crude: Jews celebrate a mock-Mass, where they eat children they have just kidnapped). The blood libel led to the Third Reich.
Now, the so-called mainstream of the GOP has re-incarnated the blood libel and turned it against good, decent, loving and gentle people: Haitians.
The blood libel ("they eat the kittens and puppies they stole from you in Voodoo ceremonies) has incited bombings and other violence.
And the ones inciting these evils are Ivy League products: JD Vance.
But Joseph Goebbels, two, was highly educated at one of the great universities: PhD, Heidelberg University.
We need, we desperately NEED a Conservative, principled, Wall-Street GOP in the spirit of Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek: These two believed in Freedom, they were inalterably opposed to racism and totalitarianism, were civil, even friendly with opponents (Fr. Hayek spoke lovingly of John Maynard Keynes, whose economic policies he opposed), and Fr. Hayek had escaped from the Third Reich and had written several books, not least, "The Road to Serfdom", in opposition to the Third Reich. I oppose most of their free-market ideas, since I am more of a Social Democrat. But the voices of Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek are most welcome, healthy voices for Conservatism.
We need ONE of the TWO major Parties to represent the Free-Market, freedom loving, people-loving leaders like Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek.
The Democratic Party represents me fully: I love INCLUSION, and love for ALL PERSONS, the dignity of ALL, the FREEDOM of WOMAN, LGBTQ . . . rights, Latinos . . . Social Justice.
But Socialist instincts, which are my own, and I love these principles wholeheartedly, do not represent a large part of our populace.
The Conservative, in the humane, welcoming, free-market tradition of Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek are NEEDED AND DESIRED.
I want Hakeem Jeffries to be House Speaker -- Third in line to the Presidency.
But I want the GOP to return to the humanity, the intellectual philosophy of Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek, to represent millions, and to remind Social Democrats like me that my plans for social welfare need to respect fiscal restraints.
I have loved the traditional Conservatism of Bill Buckley and Russell Kirk, even though I fundamentally disagree with them.
But I disagree with such intelligent, articulate Conservatives over a friendly cup of coffee or shots of 4-Roses Bourbon.
What you are doing, Carol L. Clark, is so important. We are friends and we stand together!
Point taken.