I have only just begun to read news about The Ghastly Mrs. Pelosi’s machinations, or the single-mindedness of the president who flinches at the slightest criticism but seems not to care about the CIC part of his job, and the passing of the monster bill, and also about some of the troubling rumbles coming out of Europe. While reading, I had the overwhelming image of the shadow of a jackboot, poised just above our nation.
Socialism is an opportunistic infection of the body politic. It occurs when defenses are low.
-Glenn Reynolds
and
Look, liberty is not lost in a day. It is lost in increments and inches. Today you will not smoke in a pub – or smoke at all – even though those in charge might. Tomorrow the government will set your house temperature for you, while keeping their own set to their comfort levels. They will tell you how much money you may fairly earn, while “they” are not quite so limited. Next year your son will be forced to participate in mandatory volunteerism, and so will your mother. Soon you will be advised to abandon your hate-filled intolerant church for the approved and correct one. Someday, you may be asked to bow before someone and you will have to say “yes” and then live with yourself, or say “no” and live with those consequences. The banality of slavery…it is almost a tedious thing.
– Me, here
We’d best prepare ourselves for an America we could not have imagined even 9 years ago, and a world besieged by an ideology that seems to be heading to a victorious ascendancy.
“Seems” being the operative word.
Remember what I said back in November; sometimes bad things have to happen, have to be allowed to happen, before something great can happen in response. This is one of the lessons of the crucifix. Sometimes wholly unjust and destructive things will happen, but it is never the end of the story. The resurrection would not have happened, had the crucifixion not been allowed; not just allowed, but surrendered to and embraced by Jesus.
This morning at mass, I made my thanksgiving, praying, “thank you, Lord, for coming into our world.” And in a moment I understood the silliness of that simple prayer, given the constant reality of Christ. I no sooner said the words than I was powerfully reminded that Christ has not “come into” our world, that He was in the world; through Him the world was made. He does not penetrate our world so much as draw us into His Divine Reality, which looks nothing like what we think we know.
Remember this, too:
“Everything” is about nothing.
Everything ended with the sacrifice of the Lamb.
All is consummated.
We are forever and always at the Last Supper, at the Crucifixion, at the Resurrection.
Time ended with the tearing of the veil and the rolling back of the stone.
The rest is illusion and catching up.
There is nothing to be afraid of.
Even that jackboot, whose shadow seems poised so directly over North America, it is an illusion, because it is a shadow of worldly, earthly power, which is fetid, transient and finite. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1
Or, as Buster so ably put it, in wide-eyed innocence, a few years back:
Christ gave himself to us – freely – of his own free will. A Gift freely given. If someone takes the Gift and spits on it or whatever – they’re only destroying what was given to them, they are destroying what is “theirs.” They don’t in any way destroy the Giver of the Gift, or lessen the Giver…OR the Gift. So they have no power over it, they can’t dominate it. All they can do is destroy themselves within themselves.”
We who are surrendered to Christ and thus exiled have already freely given ourselves over to the Constant Reality of Christ, therefore while we may suffer the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” reflected -often painfully and frighteningly- in our material circumstances, we are nevertheless untouched in our deepest selves, which belong to God alone; it is there we exist in freedom and peace, and where we persevere. The very real power that comes from the interior life -from prayer, quiet and contemplation- is a most subversive and devastating weapon. It will, in the fullness of time, “awake the dawn.”
Remember these words offered by our excellent pope, Benedict XVI, in almost prescient fashion:
It begins like this: “In aeternum, Domine, verbum tuum constitutum est in caelo… firmasti terram, et permanet”. This refers to the solidity of the Word. It is solid, it is the true reality on which one must base one’s life. Let us remember the words of Jesus who continues the words of this Psalm: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away”. Humanly speaking, the word, my human word, is almost nothing in reality, a breath. As soon as it is pronounced it disappears. It seems to be nothing. But already the human word has incredible power. Words create history, words form thoughts, the thoughts that create the word. It is the word that forms history, reality.
Furthermore, the Word of God is the foundation of everything, it is the true reality. And to be realistic, we must rely upon this reality. We must change our idea that matter, solid things, things we can touch, are the more solid, the more certain reality. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount the Lord speaks to us about the two possible foundations for building the house of one’s life: sand and rock. The one who builds on sand builds only on visible and tangible things, on success, on career, on money. Apparently these are the true realities. But all this one day will pass away. We can see this now with the fall of large banks: this money disappears, it is nothing. And thus all things, which seem to be the true realities we can count on, are only realities of a secondary order. The one who builds his life on these realities, on matter, on success, on appearances, builds upon sand. Only the Word of God is the foundation of all reality, it is as stable as the heavens and more than the heavens, it is reality. Therefore, we must change our concept of realism. The realist is the one who recognizes the Word of God, in this apparently weak reality, as the foundation of all things. Realist is the one who builds his life on this foundation, which is permanent. Thus the first verses of the Psalm invite us to discover what reality is and how to find the foundation of our life, how to build life.
If you are feeling undone by recent events -and that is not unreasonable- do yourself a favor and read the whole message, which is not long, and then marvel at how well the Creator attends to his creation, providing the perfect teacher at the perfect time. Pray in thanksgiving, seeking wisdom.
Do not let a good crisis “go to waste;” put it through the wringer of faith, and see what comes.
And, in the words of the angels, and of Benedict’s holy predecessor: Do not be afraid.
Welcome: Michelle Malkin readers! A Malkin-lanch! Cool, thanks! Check out my post on The Good Ol’ Stasi!
Related:
“What it all means”
Additional thoughts On Benedict’s words
Trust is always difficult, always rewarded
Trust brings the reality
Fatima and the Rosary
November 8th, 2009 | 8:10 pm | #1
Thank you. I needed that. God is on His throne indeed.
November 8th, 2009 | 8:30 pm | #2
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Anchoress and The Anchoress, Aaron DeLay. Aaron DeLay said: Preach it Anchoress. RT @TheAnchoress: A little pep talk re events of last few days: http://bit.ly/4iW7rZ [...]
November 8th, 2009 | 8:49 pm | #3
Again, you’ve posted exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you.
November 8th, 2009 | 8:54 pm | #4
[...] The Anchoress urges us to be not afraid, even in the shadow of the jackboot. Share With [...]
November 8th, 2009 | 9:04 pm | #5
[...] ocean. Really, the only hope is that these trials are sent to us for a purpose, as the Anchoress, in a very uplifting way, believes. Share With [...]
November 8th, 2009 | 9:08 pm | #6
We’d best prepare ourselves for an America we could not have imagined even 9 years ago, and a world besieged by an ideology that seems to be heading to a victorious ascendancy.
“Seems” being the operative word.
Remember what I said back in November; sometimes bad things have to happen, have to be allowed to happen, before something great can happen in response. This is one of the lessons of the crucifix.
I’ve been watching for the crumbling of the Church in America (and elsewhere); only good can come of that particular renewal. But the upheaval that this administration and their ilk are going to cause to the country and ultimately to the world is going to be staggering. I can’t comprehend it and I’m not sure how to live within a social system that is abhorrent and alien to me – and pretty much everyone else I know.
How do we reconcile cross and country?
Suffering for your faith is one thing – suffering the demise of your country, relying only on your faith to fall back on seems incomplete – not that the faith is incomplete but we can’t just lie down and die while our country goes to shit, can we? Or are we all to die martyr’s deaths for both God and country? I’m not praying for that, but I’d do it.
Do not let a good crisis “go to waste;” put it through the wringer of faith, and see what comes.
But what practical measures can we take?
Someone help me out here with the development of this thought – I’m not getting it quite right, I know. I know Christ and our faith is essentially enough – maybe it’s the practical I’m worrying about?
And, in the words of the angels, and of Benedict’s holy predecessor: Do not be afraid.
I admit it. I’m afraid.
[Jan- What I find helpful, when I am undone, is to read John's Gospel. Also, pick up a copy of God and the World: A Conversation With Peter Seewald. It gives you such a sense of the longview, and of God's utter trustworthiness...you'll sleep better!
-admin]
November 8th, 2009 | 9:30 pm | #7
Bless you, girl, always the right word at the right moment.
November 8th, 2009 | 10:36 pm | #8
Amen. Thank you for this.
November 8th, 2009 | 10:40 pm | #9
Anchoress – please add fasting – even if it’s from something as simple (and infinitely enjoyable) as coffee. Our country and the souls of our fellow citizens are worth the sacrifice. The peace I felt after the election (yes, even holy joy) was because of the fasting and praying that I had done prior. I’ve slipped and this has been a real wakeup call.
Thank you – as always, you help keep us on track.
Your previous post mentioned the need to stay focused and not to not read the blogs so much (my words here so forgive me for not being complete). You may be pleased to know that I’ve taken that advice, and have completed a jumper for darling daughter, pajamas for a refugee child and am working on a shirt for me and dear son. Husband is next. They are all thrilled to have Mom being productive. Thank you, too for that. I’ve heard your advice in my heart but “addictions” are hard to moderate. Thus, I’m here today -
November 8th, 2009 | 10:54 pm | #10
Elizabeth:
I wish – and I am serious, and think this is rather important – that you would directly take on the progressive Catholics at Commonweal and America who are holding up support of this legislation as a Catholic necessity, and excoriating those who oppose it as nothing more than GOP tools who are indifferent to the common good, hateful toward the poor and near-heretics who think more of self-interest than the Gospel.
I would like to see a dialogue, for example, between you and Michael Sean Winters from America.
[Actually I did a little of that here, but honestly, I don't know if I have the energy for the sort of all-out fighting that would likely occur. Debate is a nice thing, when it's done in good faith, but too often -particularly when one side believes they hold all the "tolerance and compassion" cards and therefore do not need to rethink a single position (and is also entitled to mischaracterize those who disagree)- it all seems rather pointless. Michael Sean Winters and the folks at Commonweal are good folk who -in my humble opinion- have been fooled into thinking there is a pro-life victory, here. If this health care bill passes the Senate and goes back to committee and congress, I'm sure all of the abortion coverage will be restored. Then we'll be told "we've come too far..." to let it all fall apart now.
Catholics who supported Obama even though he had 100% approval from NARAL say they did so because they bought his convoluted rhetoric about his commitment to reduce abortion. Nothing he has done has indicated their faith was well-placed in him, and yet, they believe this bill will go forward without covering abortion. Forgive me, I just don't believe it. Bottom line, beyond abortion: The fact that the Congress will not submit itself to the same healthcare it wants to order for the rest of the country speaks volumes about justice, well over and above the million other points/arguments one can take up. -admin]
November 8th, 2009 | 11:05 pm | #11
It needs to be said, over and over. We,indeed, are in a crisis and are powerless if we forget from whence our power comes. Thank God for this opportunity to unite and be grateful, and do something we have been avoiding. VOTE!!!!
November 8th, 2009 | 11:10 pm | #12
What a tremendous blessing to read this at the end of a weekend that I have found troubling personally and as a citizen of this great nation! A wonderful reminder of what–and Who–is truly important.
November 8th, 2009 | 11:13 pm | #13
Today our family was unable to attend Mass together at the same time, so we split up and went to different Masses at different parishes. At Parish #1 the Homily centered on the parish’s budget deficit and why all should be more generous in these trying financial times. Not a word, even in the prayers for the faithful, about the Ft. Hood tragedy. Parish #2 Homily started out promising, focused on the upcoming Veterans’ Day and the sacrifice of those who go all in. But not a word about Ft. Hood in the Homily or in the prayers. Have the bishops issued some sort of edict forbidding priests from mentioning this terror attack?
November 8th, 2009 | 11:17 pm | #14
The post above reminds me of Merton’s comment about the place in ourselves
“which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes our lives, which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will. This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty is the pure glory of God in us. It is so to speak His name written in us, as our poverty, as our indigence, as our dependence, as our sonship. It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven. It is in everybody, and if we could see it we would see these billions of points of light coming together in the face and blaze of a sun that would make all the darkness and cruelty of life vanish completely.”
November 8th, 2009 | 11:57 pm | #15
I have not had the opportubity to comment recently but all praises for a wonderful and thoughtful article.
A quick observation on the theme that ” sometimes bad things have to happen”.
I may have placed it on a post here but I was fully rooting for the skinny snake oil salesman to win the Presidency because I thought and I believe (as events have shown) correctly that he had to win to stop the “one step forward, two steps backward” movement of conservatism of the past 40 years.
For 40 years the left have taken over the media, Hollywood and the academic world while incramentally advancing their agenda. Every time we conservatives get a little aware we stand up then go complacent again while the liberals have moved forward methodically to capture more and more ground.
Elections have consequences and America needed to put in charge the coldest, most un American, leftist incompetent willing to do anything to advance his liberal agenda before conservatives would finally wake up to the loss of their civilization. Even the Republican have their infameous RINOs , persons cloaking themselves in conservative garb while espousing liberal policies within the cocoon of the Beltway.
Unfortunately many are going to suffer as a consequence. The massive borrowing, the creation of the dependency class, the destruction of the entrepreneural class, the collapsing of the dollar, the takeover of so much of the economy is going to cause massive inflation, a permanent unemployed class and a permanent recession level economy.
Already the left has made many quiet inroads on social legislation and as you have pointed out are so emboldened that they are willing to pass legislation to control our Church.
But this would have happened anyway on an incremental basis if Obama did not come along.
He is “the bad thing that had to happen” and I think that next year in the 2010 elections we will have the chance to see if America has woken up to this walking evil.
November 9th, 2009 | 12:27 am | #16
Taking on the progressive Catholics at Commonweal and America –
I don’t read America, but reading the posts and comments at Commonweal, it is all too clear that theirs is a politicized, ideologically-informed faith, that is, their politics determines their faith, rather than the Faith informing and helping discern their politics (frequently true at Inside Catholic as well). Especially in areas of the Faith such as the Church’s social doctrine, they have hijacked and twisted the Church’s teachings for their own political ends.
Hence, to try to converse with them is to engage in a political debate. And more than that, rarely are you even on the same page with them, speaking the same language.
For example, right now, they are raging against the Church being hostile to women. One can try (as I have) to point out that the Church actually teaches about the inherent and transcendent greatness of woman, and that Pope John Paul II spoke and wrote often in favor of authentic feminism, but they reflexively reject any attempt at moving away from their narrow-minded political power concepts, which only weigh them down. To them, “solid things, things we can touch, are the more solid, the more certain reality.” They cannot begin to wrap their minds around the idea that the Word is the true reality (at least that’s the way it seems from their commentary). One can try to speak to them about the absolute joy of the Faith, but they insist on looking for ways to have distain and contempt for the Faith and the Church, both mystical and institutional.
You really cannot turn most of them from their chosen path. As bitter as “the fruit” is, they keeping on chomping away at it (yes, that fruit). But occasionally they do say or write something that one is compelled to object and sound a note of dissent against the dissent. It may bounce off most of them, but at least the record is kept straight and, who knows, maybe there is one in a million out there who see that glimmer of the light of truth and are led to move toward it.
So, if only as a spiritual act of mercy, notwithstanding the fact that you will end up with clumps of pulled-out hair if you go over to such sites, everyone should go over now and then, not only our dear Anchoress, and post a comment or two admonishing, instructing, counselling. If nothing else, it might dissuade them from their delusion that the rest of the Church thinks like they do.
November 9th, 2009 | 1:17 am | #17
are we all to die martyr’s deaths for both God and country?
God and the World is excellent, as is, of course, the Gospel of John. But at the risk of loading down our dear Cheerleader with a mountain of reading (I recommended a whole boatload of things previously), I have been quite taken by Spe Salvi, where Benedict writes of authentic and true hope, not the counterfeit species that was foisted on us last year and this.
I take comfort as well in reflecting on the martyrs and, if one has the patience to put the puzzle pieces together, the Book of Revelation, which is above all a book about hope in the midst of persecution and hardship. If they hate you, and they do (and if they do not now, they will), remember they hated Him first.
Jesus promised us, not a happy party, but persecution and hardship. So, expect for things to get bad. Indeed, for most of human history things have been bad for most people.
Things will very likely get worse in this country, and not only economically. Even with our best efforts, I thought previously that the chances of Iran, and thus radical Islam, getting a nuclear bomb were probably pretty significant. And now, with the “reset button”? The chances of them getting a nuke are substantially greater. And if they get it, they will almost certainly use it. I’ve said it before, there is a very real possibility, if not probability, that one day I’ll see a flash of light outside my window as D.C. disappears, with the resulting fall-out landing on my home.
But the martyrs faced death as well. And they faced it with joy in their hearts. From Lawrence to Perpetua to Felicity to Ignatius to Cecilia to Sebastian and countless nameless others, these “witnesses” could not be defeated. And they were not. Their blood is the seed of the Church.
That does not mean we should necessarily run into the arena, rather than fight against the oppression. We should fight. But whether we prevail in the fight and overcome oppression today, or whether we “fail” today and the oppression continues or gets worse, in the end, love and truth will be victorious. In the end, the beast and the dragon are defeated. Those who remain faithful will have their robes made white by the Blood of the Lamb and they shall know everlasting joy.
Rejoice in hope at this promise of the Lord, and be not afraid.
November 9th, 2009 | 2:01 am | #18
(I recommended a whole boatload of things previously)
…and she lost every damned one of them.
She would be grateful if you would resend them, much as she didn’t want to ask…
November 9th, 2009 | 9:29 am | #19
Thank you, Anchoress. And all this while “Germany celebrates the tearing down of the Berlin wall.”
November 9th, 2009 | 9:47 am | #20
[...] The shadow of the jackboot… [...]
November 9th, 2009 | 11:12 am | #21
Ah, The Commonweal/America crowd (who have, by the way, noticed this post)
What is most aggravating about them is that they fancy themselves the leading intellectual lights of the Church, but are apparently unable to speak in anything but vague assertions. There are a couple of good eggs over there – Peter Nixon, Father Imbelli – but most of the rest are, as Bender says, reactive ideologues who really don’t seem to believe in much of *anything.*
On this health care business – I’ll bet that hardly a one who is crowing this morning about the bill’s passage through the House can tell you one meaningful specific about the legislation other than the term “public option.” They cannot discuss the process, the costs, the specific programs that are being proposed.
It all comes under an assertion that this bill – simply because it *is* apparently – is all about the “common good” and if you oppose it you are nothing but Deal Hudson’s bootlicker, which makes you a double bootlicker because he serves no one but the GOP and National Review.
It wouldn’t be difficult to engage them. Just keep asking about specifics in the bill. They don’t know, so it wouldn’t take long.
November 9th, 2009 | 12:00 pm | #22
Bender’s Etymologist, in addition to the Anchoress’ recomendations, I’d add the works of C.S. Lewis: “Mere Christianity”, “The Screwtape Letters” and, in addition to the “Chronicles of Narnia”, his space trilogy too!
And fasting, yes, that helps. Orthodox Advent begins a week from today; maybe that would be a good time for everybody to start fasting, and praying more.
Yes, prayer—prayer always helps, too.
November 9th, 2009 | 12:01 pm | #23
Anchoress-
I am also concerned about the creeping loss of civil liberty in our nation.
However, I find it odd that when you write about the loss of lberty you write with such alarmist words (”the jackboot poised above our heads”) yet the examples you cite are so trivial as to be almost comical (you dare not smoke in a pub!).
What I am concerned about is the enlargement of government power that truly has the power to oppress us.
My examples would be the programs of government surveillance whereby the government can wiretap your phone, read your email, rifle though your bank account, all with little or no judicial oversight.
Or the assertion by government lawyers that the President has, during a time of war, nearly unlimited power- the power to suspend habeas corpus, and place American citizens in prison without a trial or even charges.
Or the assertion that the government has the authority to torture those who are in its custody.
Wouldn’t you agree that these are somewhat more a threat to liberty, more of a “shadow of a jackboot” than the than not being allowed to smoke a cigarette in a restaurant?
[The big liberties get lost after all of the small ones have been lost. If the inability to smoke in a pub seems trivial to you (I do not smoke, btw), it is not trivial to the pub owner who does not have the freedom to determine his own clientele by his own lights. Seems to me if you want to own a pub, and welcome smokers, then as long as you can make a suitable non-smoking recommendation to people, you should have that freedom. As I said, liberty is lost in inches, and increments. You get used to losing small freedoms, and suddenly, you've lost the large ones, too-admin]
November 9th, 2009 | 12:11 pm | #24
We will have our opportunity between now and November 2010 and I highly recommend that we make it our business to eject all 435 of the members of the House of Representatives, all of whom I am sorry to say have been bought and paid for in some form or fashion, and 33 of the U.S. Senate who are up for reelection. In another 2 years we can eject a socialist hand puppet of a President and an additional 33 Senators. 2 years after that, the last 34 can go from the Senate. In the meantime, term limits MUST BE IMPOSED on the House and the Senate. There is just too doggone much temptation and these are, after all, only fallible human beings experiencing a sense of some power.
Wield a mighty broom, oh ye American electorate, and free yourselves from the shadow of the jackboot!
Leave our President with the “mop” he claims to be using [to no effect except some serious damage] until such time as we can eject him from his undeserved office and return him to the justified obscurity from whence he came. And remove his handlers (Axelrod, Jarrett, Soros, Buffet, et al.) from any ability to affect our national lives.
November 9th, 2009 | 12:13 pm | #25
Hope your husband is feeling better, A. I was similarly affected over the weekend, as were a couple of my friends. We’re all fine now – having had a weekend of non-achievement pass us by. I still need to go grocery shopping, alas! My least favorite chore!
November 9th, 2009 | 12:37 pm | #26
Thank you for this article and all the links (I love resources). It mirrors exactly the thoughts I’ve been rolling over of late.
My question, as a mother of young (and in utero) children, has become: When do we leave? How long do we fight? For me, the last straw will be when the jackboot comes down on homeschooling and forbids us to teach our children the faith and morals of the Church. If it was just me, I would stay and fight. But it’s not.
Where can we go? Under the thumb of the Tudors, English Catholics fled to France so that their children could be raised in the faith. Will there be anywhere left for us to flee?
Dark thoughts at night. Thanks for reminding us of the Light, too!
November 9th, 2009 | 12:43 pm | #27
[...] a message about the transcendent power of faith over the worldy power of government from The [...]
November 9th, 2009 | 12:50 pm | #28
Thanks for the tips Anchoress and Rhinestone, although I’ve read the Lewis works. Maybe a re-read is in order, once I get through Bender’s homework.
And you are right – we don’t fast enough, although I pray almost constantly. Problem is, it’s fearful entreaty, not hopeful. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m having a real hard time with “Thy Will Be Done” right now, because I can’t imagine the demise of our country is God’s will.
Here’s the new thing with me – I’ve always been a survivor – I can make do with what I’ve got. I’ve always been able to just go with the flow – but this is a torrent unleashed. The closer we come to a national Armageddon the less able I feel I can cope with it.
Gayle is right – the government needs to be turned out.
November 9th, 2009 | 12:54 pm | #29
Anchoress, another home run…sure you don’t play for the Yankees?
Seriously though…I hold on to what came to me during the Consecration one day in July of 08. I was troubled about Obama’s winning–as I felt he would–and these words came to me. “This is right for American at this time; painful as it will be, this President will force much to the surface that has been supressed for decades. When Americans are forced to deal with the consequences of an Obama victory, good will come…even though many will be troubled”.
Well, nothing that has happened since January has made me think any differently. Sorry if this was somewhat unclear…blame the translator (me).
November 9th, 2009 | 12:55 pm | #30
I’ve got my eye on Italy. If I have to live in a country in which my life is controlled by an incompetent bureaucracy, it might as well have historical architecture, pretty landscape and a matchless food culture. And three hour breaks in the afternoon.
November 9th, 2009 | 1:03 pm | #31
the examples you cite are so trivial
Reason60 — even if that were the case, which I do not concede, you really cannot take and read a single posting in isolation and complain that it is lacking in substantial examples.
The Anchoress has been citing the substantial examples you ask for for well over a year now. Must she cut and paste all of those prior comments into each and every new post? Of course not. Read the blog as a whole and you will have such examples.
But then, by reading the examples that you provide, we can see where you are coming from, so even if serious and substantial examples were cited here, you would no doubt downplay those as well.
November 9th, 2009 | 1:20 pm | #32
I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you, Reason60, about those “programs of government surveillance.”
Even when they do spy on folks — for example, learning that radical Muslim Army majors are searching the Internet for al-Qaeda contacts, attending the same mosque at the same time as 9-11 attackers, and trying to recruit Muslim soldiers to the cause while proselytizing to wounded non-Muslim soldiers and singing the praises of suicide bombers — even when government surveillance does find out these things, it is apparent that they don’t bother to do anything about the information.
On the other hand, if you are a pro-lifer or something, then the Secretary of Homeland Security will send out memos labeling you as a probable terrorist.
It really depends upon who you are and what you think and say. That being so, like I said, I don’t think that you have anything to worry about.
November 9th, 2009 | 1:25 pm | #33
** **
\ /
Look! I made pom-pons! Well, sort of.
Those are for Anchoress, Erika, Rhinestone, Mark, Gayle, and Bender.
Okay, time to stop playing and get busy…
November 9th, 2009 | 1:44 pm | #34
[...] elsewhere…. The Anchoress over at FirstThings has a fantastic post on socialism, jackboots, and the reality of faith in Christ, and if you don’t read it, you are seriously missing [...]
November 9th, 2009 | 1:51 pm | #35
Bender’s Cheerleader, do re-read Lewis! He’s one fo those writers you can read again and again, and always find something new.
And, as my father used to say, “Nihi illegitimi corobundum est,” which is Latin (or maybe pig Latin) for “Don’t Let the Bastards get you down!”
November 9th, 2009 | 1:57 pm | #36
Thanks… made me want to cry. Feeling undone is an understatement. We are living totalitarianism- by its very definition. But I was just telling my boyfriend- this will all not matter at the end of the day. It’s like having cancer. We’ll lose the battle in life- although the battle is worth fighting, we may very well lose it. But the problem is the problem of the people of this world. I am saved, and it won’t be my problem.
I prayed and thanked Him that I stumbled on this today. He wanted me to read this. Made me want to cry, knowing He meant for me to read this.
Thanks alot, and God Bless you, and the rest of us believers.
November 9th, 2009 | 2:01 pm | #37
Bender-
I am a new reader to the Anchoress, so if she has been sounding the alarms over government surveillance and illegal detention and torture, then bless her heart.
I just didn’t see any of that in this post.
But to address your point about the possible persecution of pro-life adherents; I agree, this is a concern. When the government has unlimited power, who knows who they will persecute?
So wouldn’t it be wise to demand a limitation on government power? For example, the government used to need a warrant before spying on Americans; isn’t this a good idea?
It used to be that American citizens could not be imprisoned without being able to protest their imprisonment; Isn’t this also a good idea?
It used to be held that torture was an affront to human dignity, that it was intolerable in and of itself. Isn’t this still a good idea?
November 9th, 2009 | 2:10 pm | #38
Thank you so much for writing this post. It was a very lifting and inspiring piece of work. Thank you again.
November 9th, 2009 | 2:11 pm | #39
So wouldn’t it be wise to demand a limitation on government power?
We used to have one. It was called the Constitution. But as we saw as recently as Saturday, and everything else the government has done the last nine months, it no longer applies.
November 9th, 2009 | 2:32 pm | #40
Linked here thru Malkin.
What a great message. Thanks for the perspective.
November 9th, 2009 | 3:03 pm | #41
Another one referred by MM. Hat tip to Michelle. I too needed the reminder that the, ” things that are seen are temporary, but that which is unseen is eternal. “
November 9th, 2009 | 3:05 pm | #42
To be fair, if you look at the volunteering legislation, it seems volunteering is not mandatory. Having a volunteering program is mandatory for recipients of a certain type of grant.
SEC. 122. NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMS ELIGIBLE FOR PROGRAM ASSISTANCE.
(a) Required National Service Corps- The recipient of a grant under section 121(a) and each Federal agency operating or supporting a national service program under section 121(b) shall, directly or through grants or subgrants to other entities, carry out or support the following national service corps, as full- or part-time corps, including during the summer months, to address unmet educational, health, veteran, or environmental needs.
Having said that, most of your other points seem to be valid, and Obama really is taking the country in a very bad and dangerous direction towards less freedom.
November 9th, 2009 | 4:12 pm | #43
I get serious flack when I propose this idea to my fellow Conservatives: Let them have it. All of it. Let them pass this Health Kill bill, Cap & Tax…anything they throw at us: The People.
Then….when it has all been in place for years and the Country is going to pieces….we can firmly point at these Fascists and ask all our fellow Countrymen….See? Who did this?
And then we throw them in the gutter where they belong and repeal ALL OF IT
[You don't throw away a country to save it -admin]
November 9th, 2009 | 4:31 pm | #44
Reason60, we were told that, when Obama came into office he’d stop torture, and repeal all the allegedly bad thngs Bush did, when he was in office. He’s been in office nearly a year, now; your complaints might be better directed towards him, and Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi.
(I believe the Anchoress probably has archives, by the way, so you can read those for the many times she’s talked about this subject.)
November 9th, 2009 | 4:38 pm | #45
Malta. That’s where to go, save, of course, for the fact that they have a very restrictive immigration policy.
A Catholic nation that outlawed abortion in 1981. Yep, OUTLAWED.
Italy? Fuhgeddaboudit. Malta’s where you want to be.
November 9th, 2009 | 4:43 pm | #46
The problem with your plan, Alan, is that once these people take power, it’s very difficult to get them out. Throwing them in the gutter may not be an option, and there might be no way to repeal any of their legislation.
The country’s already going to pieces. We can’t save it by speeding up the process.
November 9th, 2009 | 4:46 pm | #47
Bender, you’re right; our limitation on power used to the Constitution. However, some progressive souls decided it was a “living document”, so its power to protect citizens has been sadly diminished.
(And, as you pointed out earlier, if Ft. Hood teaches us anything, it’s that the FBI doesn’t act on the information it gets.)
November 9th, 2009 | 5:07 pm | #48
Maybe we are getting the leaders we deserve. I have no doubt that abortion on demand has alienated us as a nation from God; and now circus freaks like Pelosi are trying to make us all pay for it. I shudder to think what is in store for us if things keep going down this Obama road.
November 9th, 2009 | 5:23 pm | #49
Rhinestone-
You are correct, in that Bush is history; responsibility for what transpires now on the torture/ illegal detention/ surveillance front rests squarely on Obama’s shoulders.
Well….his shoulders, and the shoulders of Congress, the Courts, the punditry class, bloggers and all those who defend and promote it.
November 9th, 2009 | 5:26 pm | #50
If Catholics or any person of faith sees this health bill, this government as compassionate or Christian, they have a very troubling idea of what it means to be Christian. There are two big issues here for me, first the greatest gift God gave us is free will. Without free will the resurrection never would have happened, we never would have sinned in the first place. To take that away from other people and force them to buy health insurance because it is good for them (in somebody else’s opinion good for them), is doing the devil’s work. Second to even try to justify your deciding for someone else what is best for them, you have to think that your opinion, nay, your knowledge, your wisdom, is far superior to those whom you are helping. You must also believe that they can NOT help themselves, and without YOUR help and YOUR wisdom they will suffer and die. Where is Christ in that? Where is God’s help, God’s wisdom, God’s grace? When you truly believe in God, you often have to get out of the way, and show the patienceof true faith.
November 9th, 2009 | 5:28 pm | #51
Thanks for an excellent post. And I’m thrilled to have found a post w/ comments that are thoughtful and respectful. Thanks for the resources, too. My question is to Gayle:
… I highly recommend that we make it our business to eject all 435 of the members of the House of Representatives, all of whom I am sorry to say have been bought and paid for… and 33 of the U.S. Senate who are up for reelection.
And will we have a pool of 468 talented pro-life candidates from which to replace all those we vote out of office next Nov? Wouldn’t that be great!
November 9th, 2009 | 5:46 pm | #52
some progressive souls decided [the Constitution] was a “living document”
It ain’t living no more. It’s a nice piece of paper, to be argued over by dinosaur, out-of-touch conservatives who don’t know that it is a new day. But it is now as alive as Marley.
November 9th, 2009 | 6:08 pm | #53
[...] keeping with the theme of my post, I highly recommend “The shadow of the jackboot…” by the brilliant Anchoress. Go read it [...]
November 9th, 2009 | 7:06 pm | #54
there may be the shadow of a jackboot, but someone better remind its owner that there are a helluva lot of nails down here waiting to be stepped on, and tetanus can be fatal.
Molon Labe.
November 9th, 2009 | 7:26 pm | #55
I see a duality here. On the one hand disagreeing with the Obama administration (or at least this “healthcare” bill) on somewhat Catholic principle, and referencing one of the most liberal popes of all time; Benedict XVI, A.K.A Joseph Ratzinger, friend to such wacked out theologians as Hans Kung and other periti who contaminated the documents of Vatican II and supplanted Catholicism with Liberalism.
[I fear you make an unjust accusation re Benedict and Ratzinger. As Pope, he has to reach out. Clearly, that has not translated into listening- admin]
November 9th, 2009 | 7:29 pm | #56
And, as I said, Reason60, your complaints might be better made to them, than to the Anchoress (who really has gone into detail on a lot of this stuff.)
November 9th, 2009 | 7:32 pm | #57
I don’t know, Bender, at least Marley gets to run around and howl a bit, and put the fear of God in his old partner, Scrooge!
That’s something more than being a piece of paper that gets argued endlessly over. Poor old Constitution. . .
November 9th, 2009 | 7:44 pm | #58
Cool post. You are correct. Victory is already ours if we just hold to the iron rod of truth.
November 9th, 2009 | 8:27 pm | #59
Just when I had begun to give up hope, here comes your post. Thank you and God bless!
November 9th, 2009 | 8:59 pm | #60
Remember though that God will not interfere in temporal things. God Almighty gave us minds and a conscience. We are required to take the initiative and defeat evil such as Obamugabe and liberals. Thank God for the 2nd Amendment. Bring it on.
November 9th, 2009 | 9:53 pm | #61
Remember though that God will not interfere in temporal things
Some time ago I read something that gave me a lot of hope. Please bear with me as I muddle this out because I can’t find the source at the moment.
It went something like this: God lives in eternity and we live in time. God, hearing our pleas from time might certainly be moved in eternity, to answer our pleas.
Not to mention, God does answer all prayers, and He doesn’t always say ‘no’. Yes?
Now, it’s true that in the past, our forebears couldn’t possibly have anticipated what we would be experiencing today, but still their prayers as generalities might just apply to us, just as our prayers for our children and grandchildren and their futures will perhaps move God.
Does that make sense?
November 9th, 2009 | 10:41 pm | #62
Remember though that God will not interfere in temporal things.
Certainly God does not override a person’s free choice of the will. That would be an act of violence contrary to love and, hence, contrary to God Himself.
But God, who transcends time, does also act in time. God has not only entered time in the Incarnation, but He also continues to interact with His creation. God is not a mere clockmaker who, having once created the world, has now retreated to the comfort of heaven, sitting with His feet propped up on clouds looking down on us in amusement.
Rather, God continues to involve Himself in the affairs of the world and, thus, in temporal things. He did not abandon us, but, in His Divine Providence, continues to watch over and provide for us. Not only did Jesus promise to be with us until the end of the age, but He also promised to send us the Holy Spirit to guide the affairs of mankind. And so He has. This does not mean overriding free will. Just as He is not a clockmaker, neither is He a puppet-master. Instead, He prompts and prods and enlightens and speaks to those who open the ears of the heart to hear Him.
To be sure, all things exist by and through Him. If He were to totally remove Himself from temporal affairs, then the world would cease to exist.
At the same time, the almighty God who is need of nothing and dependent on no one has chosen to need us, He has chosen to be dependent on us for the work of salvation. He does the heavy work, certainly, but He asks us to help Him. We see this from the very beginning, at the Annunciation, where God asked for Mary’s help, and thereafter made Himself physically dependent upon her for His very life.
Part of that helping Jesus in the work of salvation is praying for others, as Jesus has prayed and does pray for us to the Father. And, God being eternal and existing out-of-time, to pray in communion with Him is to make our prayers eternal, just as the Mass is One eternal sacrifice, joining us in communion with all the faithful across time, past, present, and future. So, yes, our ancestors’ prayers can help us today, and our prayers today can help our descendents.
We are indeed required to take the initiative and work to defeat evil. If we don’t do it, it ain’t getting done. We are to be “soldiers for Christ.”
At the same time, I don’t believe that what Jesus has in mind in the way of being a soldier for Christ is the Second Amendment and the natural right of revolution, including armed insurrection against tyranny.
November 9th, 2009 | 11:12 pm | #63
[...] Anchoress is always able to see through the histrionics and find the divine reason behind current, disturbing events. We’d best prepare ourselves for an America we could not have [...]
November 9th, 2009 | 11:26 pm | #64
Geez Bender, make me look like a light-weight chump.
A classic case of the master putting the student to shame.
Just so y’all know, Bender here is my mentor:-D
November 10th, 2009 | 12:26 am | #65
I understand all your concerns, and believe me I am no Obama fan, but I can’t help but think this speculation about America going down the tubes and where we’re all going to live if it does is merely the conservative flip side of the panic attacks Hollywood liberals like Barbara Streisand, Rosie O’Donnell, etc. had when Bush 43 got elected — insisting they would leave the country if that happened… but I don’t think any of them ever did. They realized it wasn’t the end of the world after all.
Also, we’ve survived worse stuff than this before — the Civil War, the Depression and World War II weren’t exactly strolls in the park. Lincoln suspended habeas corpus; FDR interned Japanese-American citizens and attempted to pack the Supreme Court to get his way.
Terrorism on American soil? Nothing new really. Ever heard of Bleeding Kansas, Harper’s Ferry, and the Potawotomie Massacre? Or of the original Jayhawkers, who were NOT a basketball team? Most people have little idea how close we came in the 1860s to being just like Bosnia, Chechnya, Sudan or any number of perpetually strife-torn states.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t pray or take threats to our freedom seriously, but I’m thinking we need to have a little more perspective here.
November 10th, 2009 | 12:39 am | #66
It took women claiming they could be priests and practicing gay clergy for the Church to bring home Anglicans after several hundred years.
God creates good out of every evil; he uses every opportunity to offer us something better than we could ever understand.
I do not know why we humans had to have Hitler rise to power, but God gave Israel its homeland back after the Holocaust.
I do not know what God has in store for us. I do not know if America will be something that survives this evil that has sickened its culturally, seemingly fatally–a culture that can’t allow its military to name a traitor in their midst for fear of being viewed as not “diverse”, a culture that even after that traitor is unmasked by his own actions, will not name him traitor. The abortions haven’t stopped yet either.
But our Redeemer lives, so something good will come of this. Still, that doesn’t mean America will still be that shining light on a hill at all.
We must not despair, but that doesn’t mean we should wait for God to turn things around for us.
November 10th, 2009 | 1:20 am | #67
I’m thinking we need to have a little more perspective here
I understand your point, Elaine. But then again, the perspective today is 50 million innocents slain pursuant to anti-constitutional judicial fiat. The perspective today is “God is dead” and “God is not great,” the denial and even outright rejection of truth and, consequently, a perversion of the idea of freedom. The perspective today is that the law is whatever the judges or bureaucrats say it is. The perspective today is the your money and private property ultimately belong to the government, to be taken from you at a whim and given to whomever the government dictates. The perspective today is the dictatorship of relativism.
Violent as past ages were, they still believed in things such as God and truth and freedom. Government had not injected itself into every aspect of a person’s life, and that same government understood itself to be limited and subject to the people, rather than an unrestrained elite oligarchy.
If it does not appear to be “all that bad” at present, well, neither does it appear to be all that bad to the frog in the slowly heated water. But before you know it, the pot is boiling. And for us right now, the water is simmering.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine would not recognize the America of 2009. In the past, we would have risen up by now in armed rebellion against the Leviathan as philfl63 suggests. But we live in a more civilized age today. Fighting for liberty is not something we do anymore. The commandments on the barn wall are changed and we do little but scratch our heads and argue about whether they have changed at all.
November 10th, 2009 | 8:36 am | #68
[...] in Fascism, Freedom, Liberty, Socialism, Totalitarianism, Tyranny. trackback The Anchoress writes about the shadow of the jackboot that is hovering over the United States of America, ushering in a virtual dictatorship, the likes [...]
November 10th, 2009 | 9:59 am | #69
“Violent as past ages were, they still believed in things such as God and truth and freedom. Government had not injected itself into every aspect of a person’s life, and that same government understood itself to be limited and subject to the people, rather than an unrestrained elite oligarchy.”
Maybe so, but 1) some of our most influential founders like Thomas Paine did NOT believe in God; 2) they didn’t necessarily believe in freedom for everyone (the original Constitution allowed something called “slavery”); 3) government was “subject” in most states only to white males who owned property since no one else was allowed to vote; 4) government DID insert itself into every aspect of your life if you were black (even if you were a free black) or a Native American whose lands were being coveted by white settlers; 5) there were still plenty of people around before, during and even after the Revolution, who would have been cool with the idea of having Britain continue to run the show, or with having Washington or someone like him become king, since they had absolutely no proof that this democracy experiment was going to work. Oh, and that time the Brits marched into Washington and set fire to the White House? I’d say things were looking pretty grim then. The long-term survival of America was not assured until at least the 1820s or so, and maybe not even until the end of the Civil War.
Now again, I’m not saying we don’t have serious problems or threats to our freedom going on now. I’m just saying, let’s not fall into the trap of idealizing the “good old days” and thinking that nothing could possibly be worse than what we have going on now. We probably have many ancestors in the Church Triumphant and Church Suffering who would beg to differ.
November 10th, 2009 | 10:35 am | #70
It’s true that every age has it’s difficulties. It’s also true that we need to learn from the past so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past, and I don’t think anyone here is ‘idealizing the good old days’. The facts are that despite your arguments, Elaine, the personal liberties of those of us alive in the USA today, no matter our race or creed, are under full attack. And I’m not talking about free speech – I’m talking about the right to own your own piece of earth without worry that it’ll be taken from you, or being told what you can or cannot do with it. I’m talking about the government not confiscating our guns and our money. And ultimately, I’m talking about the government not dictating how many children we can have.
The founders of this country had a goal to ‘form a more perfect union’ and as Ben Franklin said when asked at the Constitutional Convention, “what have we got, a monarchy or a republic”, said, “a republic, if you can keep it.”
One of Elaine’s points in particular always riles me up – I believe that only property owners should be entitled to vote (no matter their color or gender); I’ve said this before – there should be something at stake before you step into the booth. (This isn’t discrimination. If you want to vote, work to own property. If you want a Benz instead of Yugo, work for it.) Or, to quote Franklin again, “When people find they can vote themselves money, that will be the end of the republic.”
This administration may be beaten back some, but we are long past the opening salvos that signal the end of the republic and it won’t take much to bring it the rest of the way down. I’ve said this before, too – most people younger than myself will not blink an eye at freedoms lost as long as they have their damned personal communication devices.
November 10th, 2009 | 11:04 am | #71
It amazes me that the Left screamed and howled so loudly about any ‘infraction of liberty’ done duing Bush and now there is nothing buy utter silence.
Are they really that blind to their god?
The question is rhetorical.
November 10th, 2009 | 12:42 pm | #72
Can I be “Bender’s other, other, other cheerleader?” Maybe the watergirl? Peanut vendor?
Anyhoo, I agree that we should return to a restricted voter base, as the original: property owners (those with a stake); but then, I am a Texas redneck, so whaddaya gonna do?
This blog and all the dear friends huddled around the fire are the perfect antidote to the winds of change howling outside. Lest we forget: God is omnipotent; that means all-powerful. He is perfectly in control (I know, Bender said it gooder and cooler than me.)
And Anchoress: fantastic pic of JP2 and Ronnie Reagan. Miss them both.
November 10th, 2009 | 1:05 pm | #73
Sally June,
Bender says everything gooder and cooler than any of us, except for Anchoress.
Welcome to the squad!
But don’t forget, I’m the one who doles out the pom-pons. Just have to keep the pecking order intact.
You are so right about the ‘friends around the fire’ analogy here. I haven’t been here long but it didn’t take long for me to feel right at home.
And I find that I now worry about some of them…
November 10th, 2009 | 1:10 pm | #74
Bender’s C:
I used to spend a lot of time worrying about running out of food or such. Now I come here and pray with y’all. And, what with the Anchoress and Bender, I also revel in the fantastic prose. I am so grateful that Miss Elizabeth “wastes” here time here with us.
November 10th, 2009 | 2:09 pm | #75
[...] MORE [...]
November 10th, 2009 | 3:06 pm | #76
STOP IT!
Bender’s already oversized ego will get even more inflated and monstrous in size.
November 10th, 2009 | 3:46 pm | #77
STOP IT!
Bender’s already oversized ego will get even more inflated and monstrous in size.
Dog.
November 10th, 2009 | 3:58 pm | #78
Let’s try that again.
STOP IT!
Bender’s already oversized ego will get even more inflated and monstrous in size.
Dog.
It was supposed to be italicized.
Check your e-mail, fool.
November 10th, 2009 | 7:49 pm | #79
By “property owners,” do you mean ONLY people who own real estate should vote?
In that case, you’ve just disenfranchised me, because I had to sell my home 4 years ago and now rent an apartment.
Do you assume I have NO interest or stake in what happens in my community — whether it’s safe, whether jobs are available, whether there are decent roads or infrastructure, whether or not the schools are any good (my daughter does attend a public school) — simply because I don’t own any land? If property taxes go up, my rent goes up. And I pay income taxes too.
Sorry, but when you say only property owners should vote, you assume that poor people or people who don’t have the means to buy property have no interest in the good of their community, and I find that to be a highly un-Christian attitude to take. Oh, by the way, wouldn’t that also mean members of religious orders who live under vows of poverty would also lose their right to vote?
November 10th, 2009 | 7:53 pm | #80
And by the way, owning land or buildings doesn’t guarantee that you have a stake in the community; ask any absentee landlord who lives thousands of miles away from the property he or she owns, or anyone who rents or works land or buildings owned by some mysterious corporation or trust or development company or whatever.
November 10th, 2009 | 8:13 pm | #81
Give me one rational reason why someone should be able to vote themselves an entitlement. And, I never said a stake in the community. I said there should be something at stake. In place of that what we have is a crap-shoot lottery vote where politicians pander to the downtrodden or the lazy or whatever.
I’m not as clear on this point as I should be, but I believe that exemptions would be made for people such as those in religious communities, and possibly for other circumstances. I just don’t know how that would work.
I do know that it is flat-out wrong, no matter who you are, for you to be able to vote to take from me, for yourself.
November 10th, 2009 | 8:55 pm | #82
BC, just because I don’t own a house or a piece of land doesn’t mean I’m some kind of lazy leech trying to “vote myself an entitlement.” There are actually plenty of reasons why for some people, it makes financial sense NOT to own a house. Yet you’re arguing that they should have no right to vote?
I work full-time. I support myself and my husband who is disabled due to an injury TOTALLY on my salary. We do NOT draw welfare, food stamps, Medicaid or any “entitlements,” unless you count certain veteran’s benefits that he EARNED during his military service as “entitlements.”
I married and had a child IN THAT ORDER. I pay income and sales taxes. I am NOT a socialist, not in favor of government regulated health care, pro-life and pro-traditional marriage all the way. I can’t even remember the last time I voted for a Democrat!
Yet you assume that because I don’t own a house with a picket fence and all that, that I don’t have enough of a “stake” to deserve a chance to vote. So just living in a community isn’t enough of a stake? Thanks a lot. Sorry if I’m ranting or taking this personally but I am. I DID used to own a house but after I lost my job, had to move, husband got injured, etc. we couldn’t afford to buy another.
November 10th, 2009 | 9:11 pm | #83
I didn’t mean to offend you, Elaine. I’m sorry for what you’ve had to bear, believe me, more than you know!
My point is that there has got to be a standard of some sort – not everyone is as responsible as you nor has the integrity that you seem to have. I certainly was not referring to people such as yourself as one who votes the lottery. I don’t think you would do that.
I really wish you well and I wish you the peace and contentment that you deserve for the strength you are showing as a wife and mother. Your husband is lucky to have you.
God bless.
November 10th, 2009 | 9:14 pm | #84
Ok, I promise this is the end of my rant. Several years ago my elderly mother sold her home of 50+ years and moved to a nursing home as she is in ill health. She has lived in this town nearly all her adult life, raised my brother and I there, and nearly everyone she knows lives there. Meanwhile a gazillionaire developer (who doesn’t live there) built a fancy water park and hotel in the same town. Are you saying the gazillionaire developer has “more at stake” because they own land and buildings, and therefore more of a right to vote for the town’s officials than my mom does?
November 10th, 2009 | 9:15 pm | #85
BC, I finished my closing rant before seeing your last comment. Sorry to get so riled up about this, but for obvious reasons, it’s a sensitive subject. I apologize for going overboard. God bless you
November 10th, 2009 | 9:31 pm | #86
No apology necessary! I get bent out of shape all the time here but I think they still like me.:-)
Actually, the developer you spoke of has no right to vote at all in the town where his water park is because he doesn’t live there.
That aside, how much is the water park contributing to the community? I would think that the corporation that owns it would pay taxes, and possibly it is a tourist or visitor draw? The only other thing I can say about this, because I’m not really the brains in my family, is that the country is built on a monetary system whereby we are free to succeed or fail as we see fit, with obvious exceptions such as your situation, and there has to be some benefit electorally for that.
That’s about as far as I can go without it being made patently obvious that my education is sorely lacking.
November 10th, 2009 | 9:40 pm | #87
This kind of hyperbole is irresponsible. There is no jack-boot poised over the USA. The sooner we get past this sort of weak in the knees persecution fantasies the sooner we will take back government, reduce spending, strengthen the military etc. I don’t seem to recall many of us bleating about fascism when our president that we voted for basically wiretapped everybody, or usurped the right to declare an
American citizen an enemy combatant and lock them up indefinitely without access to a lawyer. Settle down, put on your big girl panties and deal with it…
November 10th, 2009 | 10:22 pm | #88
Actually, the water park contributes quite a bit to the community and is a big tourist draw. And it does generate quite a bit of tax revenue. I have nothing against it, neither does my mom.
I was simply using it as an example of how, if one used property ownership ALONE as the standard for determining who has enough of a stake in a community to deserve the right to vote, the developer would be allowed to vote but my mom would not.
Obviously actual residence can’t be left out of the equation, otherwise real estate tycoons would have dozens more votes than everyone else
If we want to enshrine the basic principle behind the property ownership requirement without actually demanding that ALL voters have to be property owners, it could be done this way:
Lengthen the standard residency requirement for voting in state and local elections to at least 2 or 3 years.
Grant an automatic exemption from the waiting period to anyone who owns their principal residence or owns or operates a business in that state or locality. They would be eligible to vote immediately.
An exemption from all or part of the waiting period could also be granted to custodial parents of children enrolled in local schools (public or private), to persons who had been employed full time in the community for a certain amount of time, or in other circumstances determined on a case by case basis by the local election authority.
November 10th, 2009 | 11:34 pm | #89
Of course, there was, once upon a time, the quaint ideas of the right of private ownership of property and equal application of the laws. Accordingly, even with a universal right to vote, it was not possible for one faction, by force of their superior electoral numbers, to simply take the property of some other group.
Once upon a time, it was understood that, under our constitutional system, 50.1 percent of the population did not have the legal authority to seize all of the property of the other 49.9 percent. Rather, tax laws had to apply equally. Today, what is there to stop such legalized theft by taxation or otherwise?
Moreover, at least as far as land is concerned, there is no private ownership of real property. Again, private ownership of real property is an illusion in this country. Even if the bank did not hold legal title to the property, still, because of real property taxes, you do not really own the property — you merely rent it from the government. As in feudal times, the sovereign owns it all and we are merely serfs working the land.
My parents are in the same situation as many seniors. They have paid off the mortgage and so, on paper, “own” their home outright. The problem is — they are finding it harder and harder to afford living in that home. How could they possibly not afford to live in a home that is fully paid for? Property taxes. Sky-high property taxes that are threatening to go higher (they live in Michigan).
And if they do not pay these taxes? The government takes the home and evicts them. These are not taxes and they do not own the property. They are tenants paying rent to the landlord-government, period.
The right to vote, and thereby have the power to take from society, should indeed be contingent upon some stake in society, some contribution to the commonwealth, you should have to give in if you want to have a say in taking out. Originally, it (and land ownership) was tied to military service. I don’t know that it should be restricted to the landed classes, but no one should have the power to engage in theft by electoral means.
November 10th, 2009 | 11:55 pm | #90
In the debates over the Constitution, the Anti-Federalist “Brutus” wrote of the evils and potential for abuse in giving Congress the power of taxation —
This power, exercised without limitation, will introduce itself into every corner of the city, and country — It will wait upon the ladies at their toilett, and will not leave them in any of their domestic concerns; it will accompany them to the ball, the play, and the assembly; it will go with them when they visit, and will, on all occasions, sit beside them in their carriages nor will it desert them even at church; it will enter the house of every gentleman, watch over his cellar, wait upon his cook in the kitchen, follow the servants into the parlour, preside over the table, and note down all he eats or drinks; it will attend him to his bedchamber, and watch him while he sleeps; it will take cognizance of the professional man in his office, or his study; it will watch the merchant in the counting-house, or in his store; it will follow the mechanic to his shop, and in his work and will haunt him in his family, and in his bed; it will be a constant companion of the industrious farmer in all his labour, it will be with him in the house, and in the field, observe the toil of his hands, and the sweat of his brow; it will penetrate into the most obscure cottage; and finally, it will light upon the head of every person in the United States. To all these different classes of people, and in all these circumstances, in which it will attend them, the language in which it will address them, will be GIVE! GIVE!
–Brutus No. 6, 27 Dec. 1787, Storing 2.9.67–82
When you no longer have the right to keep the fruit of your labors, you are no longer free. To be sure, they did not start it, but Obama, Pelosi, Reid, et al. have fastened such heavy chains upon us all — we are way past passing the bill to our children and grandchildren — that it can hardly be said that we are still truly free.
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