Who is there without ambition, to share with them, the applauses of their countrymen, and of all posterity, as the defenders of Liberty, and the procurers of peace and happiness to millions in the present and future generations?
So, what do you think? Have "future generations" conducted themselves as worthy and grateful heirs of the Liberty procured by the sacrifices of these men?
That's one o'them rhetoricomical comments, ain't it?
ReplyDeleteNot a fair question David. It cannot be answered with a "yes" or "no". A "yes" pays due homage to generations of Americans up until circa 1960, when yes they upheld and sacrificed for the ideals of liberty as set forth by our founders. But, it excuses the next generation, with more schooling and less mettle who were more than willing to compromise their duty to liberty. This started as the children of those who fought WWII and Korea came of age.
ReplyDeleteThat was not due to any laxity on the part of the parents of these shirkers to impart their philosophy of liberty and responsibility to it, but rather to the increased governmental control of the educational system. A system that has inculcated the belief that government is the bestower of rights (privileges, when done that way) and the final arbiter of acceptability of the actions and beliefs of the individual. It took them a long time, but children in nomal age driven rebellion against their parents are fertile ground for sowing of aberrant and errant philosophies.
A "no" besmirches the contributions of earlier generations and the current brave men and women who have lived to the highest standards of any previous generation, despite the generation or two between them and those spoken of earlier here. Many are too young to buy a drink here at home, some are older, who have lost homes,and jobs to serve when called up with their guard and reserve units.
There is no doubt that for 40 or more years the denizens of our political offices and their supporters, who are in the majority, have not lived up to their duty, nor have they contributed anything of merit to the perpetuation of liberty, the ideal of self-reliance, nor the recoginition of unalienable rights.
So the answer to you question is most have, only a small few in terms of our history, but a majority during one half century segment of it, have betrayed us, liberty and the founders.
The good news is that more of their children coming of age now are seeing the betrayal, unlike the generation that came of age 20 years ago.
Mixed bag, but we have reason to be cautiously optimistic.
Not meaning to start a debate, SA, as I'm out the door, and I will stipulate percentages favor your arguments, but earlier generations gave us unconstitutional New-Dealism, and before that, Americans stood by while an alcohol prohibition and income tax were imposed, as well as outright assaults on the Second Amendment as Americans who had forgotten their militia heritage and duty let it happen without even a whimper, from Sullivan Laws to Miller. And we could go back earlier and marvel that states--which had voluntarily entered an association--were forbidden from leaving same.
ReplyDeleteThe truth is, erosion began the instant poolitical opportunists realized they could use their power to appropriate and control to their benefit--and "the people" allowed it all to happen, at times out of the brutal realities of eking out a living, but then out of self interest to promote this union's objectives or that businesses' subsidy or tariff...
I know this is disjointed, but as I said, I'm in a hurry--up until recently I workled in the fireworks business--those lobbying cities to ban them were invariably from my parents' generation. They would invariably preface their demands with how they used to enjoy them when they were kids, but times have changed, and now it scares their dogs, or keeps them awake, or they're afraid, or...
Ah...nuts. Perhaps I'll turn into a selfish old bastard turning to the state every time life doesn't break my way, too, at some stage of my dotage.
All good points, David, but not really reflective, I don't think of the attitudes of the majority for the earlier time frames. And yes the generation of your parents was the worst in our history. I should know, that is my generation.
ReplyDeleteWe must remember that earlier in our history the politically influential lived in proximity to the decision making and legislative process. Communications were nowhere near as good then and many laws and erosions of rights came as a fait accompli by the time the average citizen heard of them. In a large part of that time, people would sometimes gather from miles around to listen to the one radio accessible. For working people this was a huge extra effort that usually had a negative effect on their livelihood, if only because of the rest they would lose in travel time.
It was during the period you speak of when it was possible to spring a surprise on Americans who did not live in large cities near print media. As an example of the effect of slow to no communication to the public bear in mind that despite the claimed ratification of the income tax amendment it was actually 16 states short of the 36 needed for ratification. By the time it was sorted out, government guns were enforcing an illegal amendment. It has never been properly ratified. However, the people did not know what had happened or how or about the terrible fraud Secretary Knox perpetrated.
There was a transition in attitude that made it unnecessary to present a fait accompli after earlier betrayals had not been shown to be unbearable to that point.
You are correct that the ink wasn't dry on the Constitution before politicians were working to get around its strictures, but they are politicians and therefore America's only natural criminal class. It was stealth at first, then threat, now it is expected by the subjugated as some false benefit.
Remembering that a fait accompli was the only vehicle some of this would have come into being riding upon, reminds us that now we have a new generation who know instantly what is afoot and for a large number of them they reject it and align with those of us who would return us to constitutional government.
As for the secession of the south, it was unconscionable that a voluntary membership could not be voluntarily quit. But if you recall, the issue was hotly contested.
Didn't mean to start a debat either, but let us not forget that all of us are not sheep.
Y'know, this blog is worth the effort if for no other reasson than the quality of regular visitors who leave comments for me to learn from. That bit about the radio was a needed grounding and perspective for me to consider in the comfort of my air conditioned home office with the headset allowing me to talk on my cordless phone and input to a computer at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI just bought a flash drive--the damn thing stores 4 GIG. My first computer had a 512K floppy drive, amber monitor, daisy wheel printer--and I was at the head of the curve.
I remember inputting assembly parts lists and bills of material and engineering changes using 80 column forms that we'd then take to a department called key punch to turn into the cards that would then go to a tape-driven mainframe that would print out exploded and indentured assembly parts lists.
I remember going down to the hardware store and testing tubes to see what was wrong with our B&W TV.
Getting far afield, eh? Well this is downtime, i feel like just rambling.
My Dad tells us the story of listening to the radio as a boy to some pseudo-hobo announcer called "Pie Plan Pete." He xcouldn't for the life of him make any sense out of the guy's name.
Years later, on Guam with the Marines, circa the height of some of the heaviest action in the Marianas, afer they'd secured themselves and could finally get a decent night's sleep, he woke suddenly one night with an epiphany of sorts.
It was "Pipeline Pete," and the heavy W Va accent just didn't make sense to young Ohio ears.
Anyway, you're right. I know how hard those people worked to provide a better life for their children, but at the risk of starting another debate, I will stipulate that the baby boomers are possibly the most selfish generation of whiners and weaklings and just plain fricking spoikled ass hypocrites...
The good thing is, and I have hope--those of us who are awake and are not sheep are teaching our children well. My boys are so far ahead of where I was at that age in so many things.
Gotta go--wife called us to dinner and has already said grace. I have enough problems fighting BATFU. I don't want to face a competent adversary.
"I will stipulate that the baby boomers are possibly the most selfish generation of whiners and weaklings and just plain fricking spoikled ass hypocrites..."
ReplyDeleteAgreed. That is why it is so heartening to see their children and grandchildren aspiring to liberty and self-reliance.
I have lived in more than one home when a youngster that couldn't have used a radio for we had no electrickery. And couldn't afford a floor model battery operated Philco. I now have one, but it doesn't work. I did a lot of homework by coal oil lamp. Coal oil was also a cure-all. Didn't know that, did you?
Yeah, I kid you not if coal oil, either rubbed on or taken internally with a spoon of sugar couldn't cure you, you were beyond help. I can remember having cobwebs wrapped around a cut. Oh, I forgot we did have mustard plasters and different poulitices also.
No self respecting home had no one who knew how to prepare a poultice to draw out the poison. Surprisingly, it sometimes worked.