Comments on: Thoughts On Liberty

By: Thoughts From The Cake Scraps » Blog Archive » Thoughts On The Christmas “Bomber”

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:39:30 +0000

[...] we’ve ever faced.Â It is far too easy to quote people, and yet I will do it anyway (from TenthAmendmentCenter): The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be [...]

By: Michael Boldin

Michael Boldin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:11:31 +0000

@w stine – I can verify that you’re correct about that statement. But, that doesn’t mean that it’s any less correct. I think it’s an excellent perspective on the powers of government – at any level, and at any time in history.

By: w stine

w stine — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:01:45 +0000

You attribute a quote to Thomas Jefferson: â€œA government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.â€

Incorrect.

These words were from President Gerald Ford on August 12th, 1974 in his speech to both Houses. Jefferson never said these words.

By: passmeabrew

passmeabrew — Sat, 02 May 2009 12:19:11 +0000

Two words: ‘Patriot Act’

By: Michael Boldin

Michael Boldin — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:39:17 +0000

John, from what I see, you’re absolutely right that Ford is the one who said it. It’s most unfortunate that people care more about who said something than the words themselves. If Chairman Mao said it, it would still be right.

By: Northern Observer

Northern Observer — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:31:25 +0000

Pop Quiz:
Who is this politition?
- member of a socialist party
- consolidated near absolute federal power
- pushed for a strong civilian security force that was ‘just as strong and just as well funded’ as the regular military
- very charismatic
- elected during national/international financial crisis
- pushed through agenda to nationalize major industries
- belief that major industries were best run by the government for the People
- felt that his race had been victimized by another race that controlled his government and the governments of other countries

By: Northern Observer

Northern Observer — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:20:17 +0000

The central issue that has caused the American population to accept all of these unconstitutional actions of the federal government is the general confusion of Rights and Freedoms. The more Rights that a person is given, or thinks that he is entitled too, the less Freedoms are available.

My freedom to throw my fists around is restricted by your right not to be hit.

People now think that ‘Happiness’ is a right and not a freedom. Therefore the government has to provide this ‘happiness’ and not leave the individual the freedom to pursue his own happiness.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:51:51 +0000

@Bill: Just because you know something well doesn’t mean you will follow it well. It can also mean you know how to get through the loopholes and not get caught.

I wish that people would stop taking political sides and look at all politicians as Neal here is. Democrat or Republican, every politician is out for their own best interests before the interests of the people. They do what will make them popular, they do what will get them the most campaign dollars from lobbyists, they do what will get them more power. I think that Obama pushing for a bigger government, running banks and car production, protected by a “civilian defense corp” is a very bad idea. I also think that Bush’s use of executive power and allowing torture was a bad idea. No human being is perfect, and the checks and balances that our founding fathers put in place reflect that they realized that. Politicians of the last hundred years think they do know best and don’t need checks or balances.

By: Bill Moore

Bill Moore — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:28:01 +0000

I’m not sure how it is you’re comparing what Obama is doing now with a corrupt power hungry government. I believe we just got RID of one of those. I also suspect Obama, who is a pragmatist and doing what he (and apparently over 70% of the population agreed) thinks is the right thing to address some pretty serious problems, also is a constitutional scholar. He taught it at the University of Chicago Law School (i.e. constitutional law).

Something tells me has a better grasp on the the intricacies of the constitution than you, I or any other president in the at least the last 100 years.

He’s been at it 100 days. Let’s give him a chance to succeed (or fail) before we pass judgment. I say: 2 years from now, we’ll know.

By: John

John — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:22:26 +0000

Gerald Ford said this not Thomas Jefferson. Seems as if libertarians will jump at the chance to baptize any dead white guy under their mantle, even if they’re falsely attributing quotes to said dead guy.

http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki/index.php/Government_big_enough_to_supply_you