I really have no intention of talking about the health care fiasco in any real detail. It’s a bad idea, its going to cause huge problems, and in the end it’ll be a ‘cure’ that was worse than the ailment. That’s pretty much as far as Im going to go with that. Its being beaten to death in other blogs, and I’m just not interested in flogging a horse that’s already left the station.
However, what I am going to go on about isn’t the health care bill per se but rather how it was campaigned and what that campaign means to us. (And by ‘us’ I mean me and the missus but also those who share some of the same values and ideas as we do.)
I have no doubt, none whatsoever, that the recent ‘success’ of health care legislation will embolden Democrats and others into attempting to pass legislation that was previously ‘unpassable’. They (the Democrats) will regard their ‘success’ with health care as proof that even the most contentious and politically-charged legislation can be brought to pass if they adopt a scorched earth policy, circle their wagons, shoot the wounded, and twist enough arms. For me, I think this portends a new campaign in regards to gun control.
The Obama administration has not made it a secret that the assault weapons ban should be reinstated (with no sunset clause, Im sure) and that that darn ‘gunshow loophole’ needs to be closed. But Democrats were dodging, ducking and avoiding the issue like Bill Clinton at a NOW fundraiser and for that time we were ‘safe’. Tip O’Neil famously described Social Secuirty as the ‘third rail’ of politics – you touch it, you die. For the last few years gun control has been that third rail and though it wasn’t enough to outright kill a political career it certainly still had enough juice to jolt the hell out of it…maybe fatally, maybe not. But, just the same, no one wanted to touch it and find out if their rubber soled shoes were working.
But, the paradigm has changed. We’ve seen that even on a bill so distasteful the Democrats couldn’t even get all their own people on board with it there was enough will, determination and political suicidal fanaticism to spend every bit of political capital to get it passed. In the end, after all the incredible contortions, bribes, threats, procedural sleight-of-hand, name-calling, party-changing, pork distribution, kickbacks and bare knuckle brawling…..they won.
Imagine how that must have seemed to those involved. They must have gone home that night and, after climbing into their coffins to avoid the dawn, had the sudden realization that if they could pass this bloated injustice they could, utilizing the same schemes, pass anything. What a heady moment that must have been…like suddenly discovering how to make fire by rubbing two sticks together over a mound of unspent bailout funds. If they could rally the troops, muster enough backbone and disregard the cost they could pass whatever they wanted. Gun control? Global warming? Estate taxes? Alien amnesty? The sky’s the limit.
At the moment, I think the only thing holding these weasels in check is that theyre waiting to see the casualty list from this last battle…even weasels have a survival instinct. I guarantee you that right now Democrat strategists are working on ways to mitigate any fallout that may taint re-election chances. You’re going to see some awesomely impressive propaganda as November approaches. When November rolls around there will be intense scrutiny at the election results. They’ll want to see if people did, in fact, ‘remember in November’ and that more than anything else will affect their future plans to use these tactics again. However, once the election season is over, and if they retain their strength and numbers, the Democrats will have no reason to not employ the same tactics for whatever their noble cause du jour is. In fact, if anything, they’ll be more eager since they’ll have an entire two years for the public to quiet down before the next election…not the politically dangerous brief span of now until November.
I forget who it was during the American revolution who, after winning a battle at a tremendous and bloody cost, said that any more such victories would cost them the war. I very much like to think this is the victory that will prove so expensive it costs them the war. Unfortunately, people have short memories in the time it takes for elections to roll around again. It’ll be up to the angered citizens to not lose that anger and sense of outrage, perhaps even nurture it and remind others whose outrage has flagged, until the elections in November. I dislike predicting the future but I would hazard a guess that this years elections will have a fairly strong turnout. I think the political dormancy of the average voter has come to an end and we’re going to see, for who knows how long, a more politically charged climate than we have seen in quite a while…on both sides. Partisanship seems to have sailed, leaving only partisans behind.
Great post. Look up “pyrrhic victory”, the history behind it is more than space available. It’s the original “the victory cost more than it was worth”.
I believe you’re referring to a British politician being informed of their “victory” at the Battle of Bunker(Breed’s) Hill.
I think you mean King Pyrrhus – the man who gave us the term “Pyrrhic Victory.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhus_of_Epirus
It’s not going to cost them much of anything other than maybe a short stay in the woodshed. Remember the Gingrich Revolution? Can you name any particular piece of odious legislation that that massive Republican Congress rolled back? So if the Rs get in in November, they’ll just hem and haw and tell us how it can’t really be fixed…and we will continue sliding down into tyranny.
To the cheers of many of Duh Voters, I might add….
I have a question, if it is proven that obumma is an illegal President, would anything that he signed be legal? I understand that he and or his political machine have spent close to 2 million dollars (dollars that are visible) to avoid having to show a long form Birth Certificate. Why? I believe that he is hiding the truth. It does not make any sense to spend the money if you can show that your Presidency is legal and in good standing. If I were running for President, I would make sure that everyone would and could know that I was born in Hill County in Havre, Mt. So why the cover up?
I do not believe that he is acting alone. I think that he is the face and mouth for a very large entity of some kind. Some people say that the Democrats and Republicans at the top of the power structure are just two faces of the same organization. A good guy, bad guy scenario. The older that I get, the more that it seems plausible to me.
The big question in all of this is how much are the American people willing to take? Revolution talk is rampant across the US. I am not saying that violence should or should not occur.
However one cannot ignore the anger that the American people are feeling.
I know that many say vote the bums out. This holds lots of merit if it can be done. From what I read on the net people are running out of patience.
Is this latest ram through of legislation going to be the straw that breaks the camels back?
I read everyday that people are calling for a second revolution. The calls are not just for peaceful revolution. Many are calling for any kind of revolution.
With the millions of firearms and ammunition that have been bought the last few years it is not a far stretch to consider that people think that they may need to use them.
All of this along with a crappy economy, anything is possible. Interesting times for sure.
Better be ready to survive.
I think that the Dems are foolish enough to apply these same political tactics to an across the board amnesty of all illegals, with instant citizenship and voting privileges. If they do this, the numbers indicate an automatic win in November, and probably for many years, possibly forever(well, for as long as the nation lasts, which may not be more than a generation).
I say foolish, because there is a VERY good chance that that would precipitate a civil war. I can foresee a huge body count, as various groups become targets as the fighting spreads. I don’t think it will stay a limited, focused endeavor, as most would expect and hope for.
The thing that concerns me with the “assault weapons ban” stuff is that pro gun groups only fight defensively. Recent gains in concealed carry aside we never get a single thing repealed.
There is no legitimate campaign to get rid of all sorts of unconstitutional (send you a buck if you can name a gun law that is constitutional) gun laws. We are not in a horrible place but a Remington 870 with a 14 inch barrel would be easier to clear rooms with and getting a legit MP5 for a sane price.
In a long enough fight I personally could take out the pretty good boxer if all he did was block, slip, bob and weave. He does no damage to me and every punch I land (from dumb luck) hurts him. Even if I land 10% of the punches if I throw 200 that is 20 punches which connect.
Re
“gun groups only fight defensively”.
So true.
There is reactive and then there is proactive.
accutrax:
If there is a revolution, other countries such as China and Russia (Not nessasserally these two, but the countries that hate America) will stick their noses into the revolution, stir up the pot, and support the revolutionists. Soon after, while America is in a chaotic turmoil, they will implore a “divide and conquer” tactic, and try to take us over. There would be no winner in a Revolution. America serieously needs to think things over.
I keep on seeing anonymous postings warning about how China/Russia will use a revolution to attack the USA. Not saying it isn’t true, but it’s weird that the postings are always anonymous and that there have been so many of them lately. Possible government agents using psyop techniques on libertarian/survival websites?
unknown;
I totally agree. Many would like to see the US fall.
Look out for Iran. Their dictator wants to be able to hit 7 cities in the world with nuclear weapons all at the same time. Several of those are in the US.
The goal of Islam is global Sharia law. Europe is pretty well on its way to that.
I do not advocate violent revolution. On the other hand, shredding the US Constitution will only allow tyrants to be winners.
However there are people saying right now that the “Tree of Liberty” needs to be watered with blood.
I am only an observer.
I myself am living a truly blessed life.
unknown;
I totally agree. Many would like to see the US fall.
Look out for Iran. Their dictator wants to be able to hit 7 cities in the world with nuclear weapons all at the same time. Several of those are in the US.
The goal of Islam is global Sharia law. Europe is pretty well on its way to that.
I do not advocate violent revolution. On the other hand, shredding the US Constitution will only allow tyrants to be winners.
However there are people saying right now that the “Tree of Liberty” needs to be watered with blood.
I am only an observer.
I myself am living a truly blessed life.
I have no idea how two of my postings appeared as one “unknown” and one as my id accutrax.
Ed