Why we must win the culture war.

[hrgrisso]

Recommendation

I know we talk about books that every free man (women too) should read. I would like to add one that holds much to do with this thread (I believe).

THE POLITICS OF OBEDIENCE:The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude
By Etienne de la Boetie


Jeff Snyder from American Handgunner turned me on to this about a year ago and it's something that has weighed heavily on my mind since. It's a short read, maybe two - three hours.

Consider the implications that many of our fellow "citizens" have lost sight of caring. If that is true, Oleg's point of converting our fellows to our cause becomes all the more important.

 

[bogie]

Civil war?

I don't think it'll be between Republicans and Democrats... Or the mythical rich and migrant laborers... Or kluckers and panthers...

It'll basically be between rural areas, and the urban areas which are attempting to govern them from afar - there is a LOT of resentment in Illinois, for instance, about Chicago. Same in Missouri about St. Louis, Kansas City, and Columbia. Military units will fragment. A lot of the cities will basically have supplies cut off, but then again, if they can get several million people moving, and keep them moving, it'd make Sherman's march to the sea look like a walk in the park.

It's not just about guns. Or religion... Every "it's for your own good" action has unintended consequences. They prohibit use of "wetlands," for instance, and some farmers can go bankrupt...

Make friends with your neighbors.

 

[Kaylee]

I dunno... it seems to me we are getting increasingly polarized along party lines. Whether you call it Republican/Democrat, Liberal/Conservative, Traditional/Secular Progressive or whathaveyou... we're drifting apart in a scary way.

Obviously there's lots of crossover between those camps on several issues - stick Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck in a room together and they'd argue about all sorts of things - but passionately agree on illegal immigration, for instance. Our own left/right tiffs here are another example of the same.

The thing is.. conflict sells. We're rapidly developing independent media and culture from each other. Whether it's NPR or Rush, CNN or Fox... the market now lets any of us have a media outlet that at least doesn't constantly hit us over the head with a bias we disagree with. (And how often do we really notice the bias we do agree with? I'd bet money most of the BBC folks actually believe it when they claim to be "free of commercial or political bias.")

The long-term results of that isn't going to be pretty. We have essentially two cultures growing apart from each other by the day. True Federalism would solve the problem, but neither big party seems interested in that solution. Truth be told, I'm not even convinced the bigwigs of both parties don't want exactly that to keep us in check by being at each other's throats.

If so, now would be a good time to reconsider that strategy. Them that sow the wind...

 

[xd9fan]

True Federalism would solve the problem, but neither big party seems interested in that solution.

I agree...true federalism is the key. But as you know that would mean a serious decrease in the size of the Federal Govt........and you know this will NEVER happen......without a war.