Just as I happen to be an ex-Democrat, now-Independent sympathizer with classical liberalism / semi-conservative libertarianism.

Finally, government is a good thing. We’d still be living in caves and foraging for berries if it wasn’t for people getting together, getting organized, and getting roads built, and irrigation canals dug, and walls erected, and on and on.

What a contorted viewpoint. Yes, government is a good thing – When it does what it is supposed to do, which is: bring the use of retaliatory force under objective control. Government is supposed to evaluate (as objectively as may be possible) who has injured whom, and then redress the matter, isolate the offender, etc., so people won’t destroy society with private wars and vendettas. Also, government is to be the designated agent in preventing and/or fighting foreign wars. Yes, government is good, insofar as it fulfills those purposes. But the rest of what you mentioned is bullcrap. Government’s job is NOT to build the Pyramids. Government’s job is NOT to “get people together”, and only a closeted fascist (a closeted worshiper of State power) thinks otherwise is.

Government has given us the freedom to be creative and scientific

No, Levi. *GOD* has given us the freedom to be creative and scientific. Governments are merely something we all institute to protect that. And government very often fails to protect it, becoming the oppressor that must be protected against.

You’ve taken something granted by God and attributed it to government instead, thus placing government in the place of God… Good job, as I said earlier, of worshipping State power.

Yeah, and Dorothy wishes she could go back to Kansas.

Regards,
Peter H.

Elephant – I’m not a Democrat.

Perhaps if Levi didn’t perfectly parrot Democrat talking points, people would not get that impression.

The idea that we can now discard government, when human civilization is as large and as complex as it has ever been, in favor of pure, free markets, is just utter insanity.

Nobody is talking about “discarding government”. What we’re talking about is the subordinating freedom and liberty to arrogant bastards who think they know better than we do, those who believe that we’re too damn stupid to spend the money that we earn.

but no one really gives a shit.

You don’t think the folks who have created failure after failure after failure in the medium give a shit? The only people who don’t give a shit here are the people who don’t want to listen to liberal bullshit.

You also forget Harry Reid already abused his power demanding that Rush Limbaugh, a private citizen, be silenced and several liberals in the senate signed on to it. If nobody gave a shit, they wouldn’t be taking such desperate measures. Al Franken wouldn’t be trying so damn hard to matter and make a little coke money in the process.

Elephant – I’m not a Democrat. That party is a total joke, and you seem to hold them in higher esteem than I do

You’ll pardon me if I call bullshit. If I had a dollar for everytime I’ve read such a comment, I’d be in the bracket for Chairman Obama’s punitive taxes.

They’d probably need 75 seats in the Senate to even begin to think about nationalizing health care.

They already have begun nationalizing heathcare with the expansion of SCHIPS and the federal health care czar they slipped into the stimulus. Try to keep up.

while the Republicans you send to Washington are giving themselves tax cuts

…and everyone else who pays taxes, which of course doesnt include Democrats. Most of you dont pay any to begin with, and the rest, like just about everyone Obama has nominated, simply cheat.

and figuring out how to get away with war-profiteering

So far the only people guilty of war profiteering are Dianne Feinstein and Jack Murtha.

The idea that we can now discard government, when human civilization is as large and as complex as it has ever been, in favor of pure, free markets, is just utter insanity. I think it’s you who needs the history lesson.

Well that’s clearly the straw man, so you must be Dorothy! Or perhaps the wicked witch?

Who said anything about not needing government?

I said Democrats were trying to increase the size of government, and make Americans dependent on it, which is a pretty good definition for soft tyranny.

I’m also totally capable of understanding the importance of talk radio to the conservative movement and to conservative electoral success. It keeps you all nice and placated, frothing at the mouth about illegal immigration or abortion or General Betray-Us ads or GOD DAMN AMERICA, while the Republicans you send to Washington are giving themselves tax cuts and figuring out how to get away with war-profiteering — but Oh! Look over there! Obama isn’t wearing a flag pin!

Finally, government is a good thing. We’d still be living in caves and foraging for berries if it wasn’t for people getting together, getting organized, and getting roads built, and irrigation canals dug, and walls erected, and on and on. Government has given us the freedom to be creative and scientific, governments have saved the world from tyranny. The idea that we can now discard government, when human civilization is as large and as complex as it has ever been, in favor of pure, free markets, is just utter insanity. I think it’s you who needs the history lesson.

That’s not to say that government has no cons, or that free markets have no pros. Devoting yourself singularly to either of those philosophies isn’t just unwise, it’s suicidal. If we’re smart about this, we can have enjoy the perks of both while minimizing or even eliminating entirely the drawbacks. What’s wrong with that?

I know it makes you guys feel good to think that Rush Limbaugh is threatening to liberals, but no one really gives a shit. I’ll bet you million dollars that there is no fairness doctrine implemented under President Obama, sound good?

Levi,
There is a great deal you need to learn about your own party and about history. Democrats lost control of Congress in 1994 after about 30 years in the majority. They subsequently lost the presidency in 2000 and 2004, as well as midterms that they believe, and history dictates, they should have won.

They lay a large part of the blame at Rush Limbaugh and conservative talk radio’s feet even if you do not.

What’s more, if you were paying attention, you would notice that everything at the top of their agenda, from the deceptively-named “stimulus” to socialized health care, to immigration reform, to seizing control of the census, is designed not to help American’s, but to make Americans more dependent on big government, and thus them, and make it impossible for them to ever lose power again.

But you are right about one thing. Obama is not terribly eager to pass a new “fairness” doctrine — he wants to accomplish the same thing with “local control” and direct FCC regulation. So while he may not go the fairness doctrine route, he is still very much intent on driving conservative radio off the air.

Fascism always comes from the left.

I’ll bet you million dollars that there is no fairness doctrine implemented under President Obama, sound good?

Let’s see… At the rate Presidents Obama, Geithner, Bernanke, Pelosi and gReid are (1) deficit-spending, and (2) hyper-inflating the money supply, by 2012 a million dollars should be worth about $10 in today’s money… so… Yeah. Sounds good!

What are four Senators going to do?

Persuade 47-53 other Senators who are philosophically inclined to regulate speech – since government regulation, or increasing the power of the State, is already their answer to absolutely everything.

C’mon, Levi – Don’t ask questions with such obvious answers. Don’t throw us such obvious softballs.

I know it makes you guys feel good to think that Rush Limbaugh is threatening to liberals, but no one really gives a shit. I’ll bet you million dollars that there is no fairness doctrine implemented under President Obama, sound good?

March.On.Washington.