If you weren’t depressed enough, here’s an article by Mark Steyn on how the health care bill could be the beginning of the end for the U.S. Is he right? Who knows? America has always been a black swan; there’s nothing we can really compare it to, and everything we do is unique in its own way. Thus, it’s pretty hard to predict what will happen with us. Is Obamacare the ton of rocks that breaks the camel’s back, or is it going to severely harm us like the “Great Society” but we’ll continue to limp along as always?
So what do I predict? I’m going to be optimistic and guess this isn’t going to quite kill us just yet. But it’s going to be a load of fun when the bills come due.
What do you think?
What do I think?
We’re in The Funniest End of Civilization Ever.
Just cause it’s funny (Joe freaking Biden is VP, how much funnier can you get?), doesn’t mean it’s not endy.
It’ll be high-larious, right up until the cities start going up in nukular fire.
And that’s why I’m rooting for an asteroid.
I think our ancestors who fought at Trenton and Gettysburg would call us a bunch of wimps at how quickly we start proclaiming doom and gloom. By god, we haven’t even started the shooting phase yet, and we’re already ready to surrender?
I see a coming second Civil War pitting red states that want to secede in order to preserve the intentions of the Founding Fathers against blue states that don’t want to lose their ATM.
But that’s cool because none of the pantywaist liberals will know how to use, much less own, a firearm so they’ll end up writing a bunch of angry blog posts.
I believe massive turmoil is ahead, but I must be optimistic. If we are blessed by God, perhaps people will learn from coming events.
Hope is a thing not seen; for if it is hoped for, how can it be seen? And without hope, all is lost.
I like Byron and even his wacky name, but someone needs to make him stay after school to write the follow-up that outlines a battle plan for avoiding the mess that others have made for themselves.
And Frank, you’re toying with us. Yesterday, it was “Think Positive.” Today, it’s “You Are So Royally Screwed.” We dutifully ride the roller coaster of your pearls of wisdom.
I have some extra crutches in the garage.
FormerHostage, I don’t think it’ll come to civil war. More like civil disobedience. Some of the red states like Texas will simply vote to exclude themselves from Obamacare — opening the door to excluding themselves from all kinds of other federal overreach, like the income tax — and the liberals in Washington will simply back down from enforcing it. Or maybe they’ll send the Marines, who will promptly sit down with the Texas National Guard and enjoy a cold beer and a football game and go home.
From the article cited:
“…in the words of Arnold Toynbee: “Civilizations die from suicide, not from murder.””
Now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna peek in kerrcarto’s garage. I rather suspect there’s some blued steel in there of some kind.
We need a “Rebirth of The American Spirit.” (another slogan)
The beginning of the end was before any of us were born. You might choose the end of voluntary membership, which sort of disproves the “Republic” concept; the removal of States representation in DC is another ‘beginning’…
NFA/GCA; Congress abdicating the ability to declare war; socialism security and it’s siblings; this is neither the first nor the worst nail in the coffin, but certainly it’s the same direction.
Joe,
I wasn’t serious about a shoot out. However, I would not be surprised if one or more states *cough*cough*texas*cough* does float the idea of secession. If they do, then I think their biggest problem will be border security with all right thinking people flocking to the last free nation on earth.
Right, the idea of secession will be mentioned, but I don’t think they’ll ever have to actually pull the trigger, because our Democrat overlords don’t have the guts to oppose de facto independence. The red states (and I think Montana and Wyoming may precede Texas) may just opt out of the federal gravy train without actually having to cut ties or give up the flag and national anthem.
If it does come to shooting, I hope that our side keeps the USA. Rather than the red states seceding, why don’t we force the blue states to leave?
This is the end, beautiful friend, the end
This is the end, my only friend, the end
The end of our elaborate plans my friend
The end of everything that stands
The end…..and all the children (and politicians) are insane.
America has been pretty entertaining. Like a good movie, I would hate not to be around for the end of it.
Well, one thing is for sure even though our political future is hard to predict. Our legal commitment to tens of trillions of unfunded entitlements is GOING to sink us financially. It’s not avoidable now. It’s just a matter of time.
“Do you hear that sound, Mr. Anderson? It is the sound of inevitability. It is the sound of your death.”
Financial death by monetary trainwreck. Clever people will find a way to survive and prosper anyway.
America will do just fine. Remember we get to vote all these homosexuals out of office and put Cheney back in control!
The United States of Amsterdam? We will be so like Europe it will be time for us to join the EU. Wimpy nanny nation can’t even put men on the moon. Civil disobediance? Nah.
Wait…must shake myself out of this funk. Time to face punch a hippie. That always cheers me up.
The only way we are doomed is if we give up. The fight to reclaim the country is too important. We’re not done yet, these Commie bastards won’t stop, so we must not stop. Otherwise we may as well wish for that asteroid to finish us off. If we give up, the Communists will have won.
I think this health care thing is all a distraction engineered by the tranquilizer dart-addicted monkeys.
This aint shite….. “Was it over when the german bombed Pearl Harbor”?
So many factors involved here… and as Frank pointed out our model isnt exactly a easy read. Seccession is a possiblity. Look at a map that shows the states that are introducing legislation. If a contiguous block of states runs from the North to the South they could band together. Last I saw the map it was close. I think seccession will play out if all other avenues of approach fail. But before that the states will have to refuse to recognize the program and then be penalized etc. etc. California has effectively told the Feds to EF off regarding marijuana, you have “sanctuary” cities for illegal aliens. But again I think that will take awhile to play out…. so train your children well…. I will still be around but not in tip top fighting shape…. my son will have reached his majority.
The only other scenario I see involving violence is if the upcoming election is tainted in a serious way….
What we have is three distinct cultures, we have the urbans, the suburbans, and the rurals… of the three, who has the resources & skill sets immediatly at hand to survive? (Keyword RESOURCES). The red states could easily disrupt the urban supply lines cause most of the “hubs” are on the far edges of the burbs. Where does the urbans power & water come from? The majority have no concept of the infrastructure that supports them… water, power, commo, food.
The upcoming election will be the tell……
When I was a kid growing up in the 50s, there were a lot of cowboy heroes. The good guy always wore a white hat and he let the bad guy take the first shot, then the good guy drew his six-shooter and shot the bad guy’s gun out of his hand. I’m not sure I could make that shot, but I’m damned good at head shots.
I’m guessing years ago, folks were blogging about how the King was oppressing the colonies and there was no hope. Well, okay, they weren’t actually blogging, but they did scribble it with their quills dipped in ink pots…so, pretty much the same thing.
Never bet against Americans. If Obama had actually grown up in this country and learned what it meant to be an American, he and his power-hungry, mentally insane democrat cronies would realize that you NEVER bet against the American people…no matter how much the Indonesians or Kenyans he was raised by would like to see us fail, or are convinced we can be “controlled” it ain’t gonna happen.
It is hard to believe and alarming that these out of control liberals have been allowed to get by with this. WE MUST vote those Democrats s that have clearly revealed a lack of integrity out of office. We simply cannot afford them on any level.
Gloom and doom talk is what liberals do. CMON FRANK! America will always live on in some form, it just may be more reflected in the people than the government. But really, isn’t that how it has always been?
If you want to talk about cool/entertaining what ifs; Texas turning into a bit of a Quebec (minus the pansy french part) and always talking about leaving could hurt or help them. We probably will never see a full blown civil war however, the US is just too transient in population. National Guards these days are serving more and more often overseas, so it’s not like we have many state minded militias hanging around (unless you think III percenters could do any damage *loz*).
We aren’t exactly a nation where the millitary and the government are at odds with clashing leadership. The US is too big for any large scale wars to go down. I would pay to see Texas, California, and NY to become spheres of influence but I fear Arizona (my home state) would get screwed. Do you think Texas would attempt to take Northern Mexcio? Because as much crap as we give migrants, there is a lot of oil in the coast…
We’ll know more on November 2nd. If the turnover is as catasclysmic as it could be, then the public gets it and I think we’ll be fine. If the public anger cools or, God forbid, shifts, then yeah, we’re screwed.
I think we just blasted past the economic event horizon.
Instead of the Shoe Horizon in Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, its a Bureaucrat Horizon, beyond which the government economically falls in on itself and no light of reason can escape from the government.
The only other scenario I see involving violence is if the upcoming election is tainted in a serious way….
Nothing says tainted like 20+ million “hispanics” who all come from places that have never done…….anything…. other than reproduce like insects, suddenly becoming voters for whoever is giving out the welfare that they can now get (not only with their “real names” but with all the names they’ve stolen) “legally”.
Yes, he’s right.
Psalm 37:25-28, 34
I have been young, and now am old;
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging bread.
He is ever giving generously and lending,
and his children become a blessing.
Depart from evil, and do good;
so shall you abide for ever.
For the LORD loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints…
Wait for the LORD, and keep to his way,
and he will exalt you to possess the land;
you will look on the destruction of the wicked.
We’re in a ‘tares among the wheat’ situation right now, but that will change.
26, you are seriously cheapening the argument against amnesty with crap like that. They obviously did something productive since they do the lowest paying jobs in the US. The jobs dried up and SURPRISE people are heading back to Mexico. Labor is a commodity, pure and simple.
In the near-worst-case scenario of secession & violence, who would the actual opposing forces be?
Obama’s union thugs,
commie rabblerousers,
crips, bloods, ms13, etc.,
old media,
plus a few terrorists fresh outta gitmo
vs.
the entire US Armed Forces,
new media,
plus a hundred million “bitter gun-clingers”?
Sounds to me like the 0-crew would be bringing a knife to a gun fight…
I meant “collectively” and historically, the countries they come from have done nothing in modern history. (Other than supply the US with drugs and criminals.) The only reason any of them do what the welfare state pays millions of dead beats to sleep all day NOT to do is the fact that they can work and collect AND send BILLIONS back to their 3rd world hell holes. The ones who invaded while 8.5 months pregnant certainly aren’t going back, the ones here selling drugs aren’t, the huge numbers of them in prison aren’t (even after they get out). As soon as Odumbo makes 20 million “legal” and basically says “welcome to America, please sign this voter registration so you can start receiving your free everything” not only will they not go back (or work), they’ll invent entire “families” to bring here too. Yes, labor is a commodity and if you honestly think there’s 20 million of them “here to work”, you’re insane. By the way, many of them do work that shouldn’t be low paying, it’s only low paying because they’re doing it, have you seen the ‘quality’ of anything they do? I guess not. You get what you pay for and when you don’t pay $hit, $hit is what you get.
The beginning of the end came with the Whiskey Rebellion and the subsequent federal response. It accelerated with Mr. Lincoln starting the Civil War to prevent the South from doing what they had every right to do – withdraw from a Union that no longer secured their freedom.
The 12th Amendment set the stage for today’s CONgression circus, taking away state control over Seantors.
FDR kicked the process into overdrive, using the first Great Depression as an excuse to grab massive chunks of government power over previously free enterprises.
Supposedly conservative Republicans passed the Patriot Act and other laws that ignore the Constitution.
Osama just continues this long tradition. The second Great Depression is just getting started.
The rest of this year should be very interesting.
The blueprint of how a state can accomplish the separation from an aggressive central government is well laid out in a (fictional) book I just read: Molon Labe! by Boston T. Party.
And his book Boston’s Gun Bible should be mandatory study for grades 6-12.
I live in LA, and I know a few illegal immigrants. (Let’s say “a friend” has them as co-workers.) Yes, they are nice people, and they have jobs. They also get housing comparable to mine at about 1/4 of the cost. They get free medical care, while I pay hundreds a month for coverage. They eat steak and drink wine. And when they leave their jobs, as they do from time to time, they smile, and hug their co-workers, and promise to write, and clean out the cash register.
In the term “illegal immigrant”, the critical word is “illegal”. Remember these are people who have made a choice, and continue to make the choice every day, to violate another country’s laws for their own gain. They have convinced themselves that they are morally justified in taking what belongs to others. As nice as they may seem at a dinner party, they have a defective moral compass. And yes, I mean every single adult one of them — if they were lawful and moral, they wouldn’t be in the category.
The government already has a near monopoly on education in this country. They would not have been able to pull off the crap they have over the last 60 years had they not been in control of education. Use this summer to protest public education – make plans not to send your kids back. This will show our overlords that we aren’t as dependent as they think we are and have the added bonus of drying up NEA & DNC coffers.