Here's a Republican that I could vote for!

[Makalakumu]

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more then 30 cities. It is two electrical power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some 50 miles of concrete highway. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more then 8,000 people. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican President of the United States of America

Thoughts? What happened to people like this? What ever happened to these ideas? BTW - this was said at the height of the Cold War, so just give that a thought or two before bringing up the so called "war on terra".

 

[Twin Fist]

"provide for the common defense'

i could SWEAR i have read that somewhere..................



In all seriousness, all those things listed are the responsibility of the LOCAL governments. Not the federal government. Plus, since when does the government build houses?

 

[tellner]

That's what happens when generals become President. They avoid wars, shrink the military, concentrate on the logistics of running the country and greet their old employer's self-serving propaganda with extreme skepticism. Those dirty Commie traitors

Twin Fist as usual throws in a non-sequitir. Nobody says that Eisenhower neglected his duties as President. But he was smart enough to see that an out of control expensive military was not compatible with the other parts of the preamble - form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility ... promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. He also coined the term "Military-Industrial Complex" and argued with the voice of prophecy that it would be destructive to the United States if it were allowed to take root.

 

[5-0 Kenpo]

I am sure that we could all find thing from the opposing party that we could agree to. Hell, even I probably would have voted for Kennedy (were I even alive at the time).

 

[Empty Hands]

"provide for the common defense'

i could SWEAR i have read that somewhere...........

Reading the works of the founders is instructive in this case. Many of them, exemplified by Jefferson and the anti-Federalists, were extremely suspicious of and opposed to a standing army for the US. They were highly suspicious of the potential for militarism, foreign entanglements, and the threat to liberty that a standing army represented. Their conception of providing for the defense, a conception that was definitely put into practice during the Revolution, was an army of citizen-soldiers (the "militia") that would disband after the war was done. They would have been strongly opposed to the type of military we have today, all other things being equal.

Now, one could argue that given the modern face of warfare, a called up militia would be unworkable compared to the professional force we have today. I would probably agree with this argument. Nonetheless, using the Constitution as support for the military we have today runs counter to the actual views of most of the drafters of that Constitution.

 

[tellner]

Hell, even I probably would have voted for Kennedy (were I even alive at the time).

If you lived in Chicago that wouldn't even have been a requirement

 

[crushing]

This thread brings me back to the documentary by Eugene Jarecki, Why We Fight.

 

[Twin Fist]

T

Twin Fist as usual throws in a non-sequitir.

ad hom, and beneath you. Or at least beneath what you like to think about yourself.

I have busted you, at LEAST 10 times now, for posting falsehoods.

You never retract, you never even ADMIT that you were wrong. Once you start doing that, i might care about what you have to say.

 

[Lisa]

Gentlemen,

I am asking you all to keep it civil. Please refrain from any form of personal attacks.

If there is one thing I have learned in the years I have been on the forum is that Americans take their politics very seriously and I understand that debate can be heated, especially so close to an election. What it doesn't have to become is personal. Everyone has a right to their opinion, what they don't have a right to do is be rude or condescending to other members of this forum. I fear this thread could go that way and I would hate to see it escalate into that.

Help a Canadian Girl out here. Teach me what is important in country and what candidate is best for the job. Don't teach me that it all just ends up in name calling and rudeness.

Thanks a bunch.

Lisa

 

[mrhnau]

Help a Canadian Girl out here. Teach me what is important in country and what candidate is best for the job. Don't teach me that it all just ends up in name calling and rudeness.

For all the problems in this country... I blame CANADA!

hehe

Seriously though, Thanks for the reminder Lisa I imagine understanding the political process must seem strange for an outsider (well perhaps not Canada).

 

[mrhnau]

Now, one could argue that given the modern face of warfare, a called up militia would be unworkable compared to the professional force we have today.

I think it is doable. In countries like Israel, basically everyone is in the army and can be called up to active duty. In down times, they serve for a limited portion of the year, kind of what our reserves are supposed to do. Would require a serious societal change, but I think spending some time in a boot camp would really change the perspective of some of our loud mouthed citizens...

 

[Makalakumu]

Cut the military budget so it equals China and Russia. Let citizens carry firearms. Protect the borders. Reform immigration so that people can do it easily. Half of your federal tax money is now back in your pockets. Unless you decide to spend it on schools or hospitals or all of the other things that Eisenhower suggested.

My dad, a life long democrat, always said that Eisenhower thought the way he did because he knew what kind of damage the war industry would cause. He was a scholar had had saw what it had done throughtout history! Why can we expect it to be different, when our leaders act no different?

Conservatives need to remember that limited government means limited military. Allow the people to bear arms and take care of their own. Self defense is the ultimate personal responsibility!

 

[Twin Fist]

If you lived in Chicago that wouldn't even have been a requirement

ok, I dont care who you are, that right there was funny..........

 

[Josh]

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more then 30 cities. It is two electrical power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some 50 miles of concrete highway. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more then 8,000 people. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.”

*puts on best right-wing radio voice*

Far left loon! He should go to FRANCE with all the other *******! America hater!!!!

*dies of heart attack/pain killer drug overdose..Rush syle*

 

[Archangel M]

Yet some here have complained about how our troops were ill equiped to go into Iraq, what with outdated body armor, unarmored hummers etc.

Its not the issue, its the politics of the people posting them.

 

[Big Don]

Only strength can cooperate. Weakness can only beg.

DDE

 

[Tez3]

I have to echo something Lisa said about Americans taking their politics seriously, In the UK we don't in the least. We think politicians are there to be lampooned and made fun of...it's good for their souls lol!

Here's how our politics/government works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6b2OT3C9KY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90f9Qm60tU8&feature=related

 

[thardey]

I have to echo something Lisa said about Americans taking their politics seriously, In the UK we don't in the least. We think politicians are there to be lampooned and made fun of...it's good for their souls lol!

Here's how our politics/government works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6b2OT3C9KY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90f9Qm60tU8&feature=related

The first two made too much sense, but the last one about killed me!

Don't worry too much -- many Americans feel the same way about politics, we just don't get too involved in threads about voting for past presidents.

Me, I figure all politicians are crooked -- I just get to help pick the lesser of available evils. Thank God (or Hamilton, or whoever) for the three-party system!

 

[Tez3]

The first two made too much sense, but the last one about killed me!

Don't worry too much -- many Americans feel the same way about politics, we just don't get too involved in threads about voting for past presidents.

Me, I figure all politicians are crooked -- I just get to help pick the lesser of available evils. Thank God (or Hamilton, or whoever) for the three-party system![/quote

This one may explain a lot too! These programmes while being very funny also hit a nerve with us, we have always been convinced this was how governments actually did work! While laughing, we just knew it was also the truth!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZUOkGxGUVs&NR=1

 

[thardey]

This one may explain a lot too! These programmes while being very funny also hit a nerve with us, we have always been convinced this was how governments actually did work! While laughing, we just knew it was also the truth!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZUOkGxGUVs&NR=1

That sounds like my Dad's take on politics. He figures that whoever manages to actually win an election is probably the "most skilled" politician, and therefore the best equipped to lead. (Tongue planted firmly in cheek, of course.)