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In the eye of the beholder : the Great Divide
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." — Isaiah 5:20
I have always liked that quote from the Old Testament , from the prophet Isaiah. The only problem is, it can be used against anyone, depending on what you believe is good, sweet, and light. Renew America is a well written blog with weighty and important contributors. It also has a decidely conservative ideology behind all its pieces. Below are just a couple of items on its long list of signs that this is "no longer a free America". What irks is that similar things went on - indeed, far more invasive - under W. Bush, wherein they DID in fact believe that America was "Free":
An April 7, 2009, a Homeland Security report labeled those who serve in the military and those who love God and adhere to Constitutional law as "right-wing extremists" — potential enemies of the United States.. . . On April 15, 2009, a quarter of a million Americans attended Tea Parties, legally using American freedom of speech to voice opposition to big spending and big government. FBI agents secretly monitored the events, while the mainstream media — the new arm of government — ignored the Tea Parties almost completely. Where the events were covered, attendees were verbally ridiculed by pro-Obama reporters.
It scarcely seems fair to make so much of these incidents, when in fact FBI were investigating every little thing - from 'Peace' T-shirts to a college girl's anti-Bush poster - back when Democrats were the outsiders. Moverover, the alarmist tone, taken by otherwise reasonable and intelligent posters throughout the blogosphere, has become a whine of untruth, as in this post by Renew America's Nanette Mahler:
Immediately, I'm afraid to write "God-given" because some Americans, those who seem to have the loudest voices, believe in the great Nothing. I'm not as fearful of any threat in the world as I am of the big one in my own back yard: the outright apathy of some of my neighbors, peers, fellow citizens and government representatives and their outright belief in Nothing. I'm watching the greatest and freest society in the history of the world crumble as our Constitution and our principles are dismantled under the guise of "fairness" and "equality." The majority of those now in control in Washington have helped engineer false belief systems that are gaining ground and causing a real threat to American society. As a free American:
Where I once was able to speak my mind, I am monitored and soon-to-be shut down.
Where I once was able to speak out against injustice, I am unpatriotic.
Where I once was able to say the word "God," I am shunned and considered stupid.
Under the guise of "fairness" and "equality" we are being oppressed by the intelligent elite, who do not want us to think for ourselves; they want to think for us. The hushed truth is that their idea of America will not — will NEVER — equal freedom.
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/malher/090830
Does anyone really believe these charges to be fair and reasonable? Did not the right laugh when these same charges were leveled at them by the left, under circumstances far more objectively threatening, if my understanding of news events from 2003-2006 was correct. ( I assume it was.) I am afraid we have descended into a nation of drama queens: Each party upping the ante on the other, each playing the victim card for all its worth. It makes me feel that a real crisis, some real catastrophe, may be the only hope of a unified America. Let us hope that is not the case. But I have my doubts. . .
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smkovalinsky
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (6)
at 16:59 on August 31st, 2009
I am afraid we have descended into a nation of drama queens:
Bravo. The quote of the day.
I only hope it is descended and not de-evolved
at 17:03 on August 31st, 2009
Ha! Glad you like it!!! ( I am just frustrated because no YouTube or pics will upload, grrrrrrr...................:()
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Sgt. Victor Rodriguez (Marine Corps) (not verified)at 08:30 on September 1st, 2009
Actually, in 2008, the FBI, under the Bush Administration covered the rise of right-wing extremism in the military and recruitment by white supremacists groups. Here is the link to the 2008 FBI Intelligence Assessment. cryptome.org/spy-whites.pdf
at 08:46 on September 1st, 2009
Thanks for the link, Sargeant.
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Sgt. Victor Rodriguez (Marine Corps) (not verified)at 10:08 on September 1st, 2009
I just get tired of the hypocrisy as well. When Obama published the report he was unpatriotic, but when Bush did it nobody noticed.
at 10:12 on September 1st, 2009
Yes, that is true, and I appreciate your candor and honesty extremely.