http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north872.html

In a nutshell, it’s DE-FUND the system, and DE-CENTRALIZE power. De-fund gov’t boondoggles, and get active in local politics, and work to move power back locally.

http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/
States’ rights, county rights, sheriff’s rights!

Civil liberties are being “impinged”? Maybe if you are someone calling Pakistan repeatedly using a disposable cell phone…. Please, let’s be real. This country is by any standard you choose one of the most protective of civil rights and civil liberties in the world. The notion of a secret government running roughshod over our freedoms is a figment of the internet’s imagination.

So you’re a Republican and not Country Class. I’m sure you’ll be happy it’s again your turn.

BTW, I agree that Defense is indeed a legitimate constitutional function.

But Empire? Transforming alien societies half-way around the world in our image? Impinging on civil liberties in the name of an ambiguous, endless “war”? Constantly banging the drum of military exceptionalism?

Not so much…

We spend 3.6 percent of our GDP for defense, which amounts to approximately 18 percent of the annual federal budget. This so-called ‘war party’ seems pretty ineffective to me. Defense is a legitimate constitutional function given to the federal government; health care and any number of nanny state programs are simply 20th century inventions. That’s were the waste and the bloat exist.

Marc Thiessen, National Review: “With growing threats such as a nuclear Iran, a rising China, and the continuing danger of terrorist attack, increased defense investments are something every constitutional conservative should support.”

Gary Schmitt, Weekly Standard: ”If anything, we’re spending too little on defense.”

Including Intel and National Security DOE and DHS functions, “Defense” expenditures total more than $1 TRILLION a year. More than every other nation combined.

And the National Review and Weekly Standard are the mouthpieces for the mainstream Republican apparatus.

Under that regime the Republican Party is the War Party. And when Republican candidates vetted by Bill Kristol and Liz Cheney get re-elected, there will be more war and the continued sanctification of military exceptionalism.

Well no Peter, because elections are merely oscillations out of the Democratic pot into the Republican fire and back.

Of course the Republicans won’t deliver the goods and then another oscillation. The Democrats are a Free Lunch/Free War party and the Republicans are a Free War/Free Lunch party. It’s a pathological perpetual motion machine.

We can’t afford the plowshares that government has promised. But we surely can’t afford more swords of American Empire that the neo-cons promise when they re-assume power and debt finance more wars.

Codevilla is brilliant in his discussion of the antipathy of the secular ruling class to family life and religion. Anyone seriously religious in this country is regarded as some sort of a wing-nut. The ruling class dealt viciously with George Bush and John Ashcroft in large part due to their public avowal of devout Christianity. He is wrong in assigning W Bush to the secular ruling class, though HW Bush belongs perfectly to it.

Codevilla is weak in his political analysis.Politically within the present ruling class, we have a core of senators and congressmen who are worthy of leading the country class including Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor, Jim Demint, Tom Coburn, and possibly Scott Brown.

Codevilla is spot on in criticizing parts of Wall Street and the business world that have become dependent through government regulation and largesse, though he underestimates the vitality of private equity and investment banking that for the most part view the government colossus as an arch enemy. He has little understanding that private capital investment has become rather skillful at finding ways to fight and beat the unimaginative and entrenched ruling class. Many first-class business managers and working men and women are appalled at the weakness and fecklessness of the ruling class.

In some sort of strange way Obama, who is almost a caricature of the feckless ruling class, has awakened the country class to the absurdity and weakness of the ruling class. Come November 2010 and 2012 this will likely deliver a political earthquake. Hopefully, unlike in 2004, the Republicans who will eventually rule again had better be ready to deliver the goods to the country class.