It is much safer to be feared than loved because ...love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.I really hadn't ever put much credence in Obama's vow to "fundamentally transform" America. Sure, he's a radical who wanted to; I just never thought he'd be effective leaving that as his legacy. Now I'm not so sure:
- Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
It is impossible to overstate the importance of the victory won in the desert today. While the behind-the-scenes details are not clear yet, it is obvious that something unprecedented in the war on the west that has been waged by the imperial federal government has, against all odds, happened. The feds were routed -- routed. There is no other word that applies. Courage is contagious, defiance is contagious, victory is contagious.
Secession, while still unlikely, is now possible to discuss as a potential outcome. An arrogant and bumbling Fed.Gov threw their weight around, and the People stared them down. As it escalated towards gunfire, the Governor of the State made the Federales back down.
Think about that, and about what it means to the attempt to centralize all power in Washington D.C. The Governor of a State made the Feds stop what they were doing and leave.
Barack Obama is a screw up - he forgot Tip O'Neil's immortal words: all politics is local. Organizing For America has pull in Chicago and the Northeast; not in Nevada or Idaho or Montana or Texas. The Feds just showed how weak their hand really is. The Republic has just seen that Fundamental Transformation is being pushed by arrogant incompetents.
Is a breakup likely? Certainly not. However, it wasn't even a possibility to consider seriously last week. That's changed now, as we see who the Strong Horse is, and who the Weak Horse is. We're seeing the People's - and the Governor's - calculus on this matter rather a lot lately:
The feds ordered the state of Wisconsin to close several state parks that receive federal funding. However, Governor Scott Walker has decided to ignore that order and a Fish and Wildlife Service order to ban hunting and fishing on federal lands. State officials said that Wisconsin provides more than half the funding for the parks, so they will be kept open with state money.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.Oops. Let the mockery commence:
- Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
Hat tip: Claire.
9 comments:
We have to keep pushing. If the Park service pulls its bs again, we need to fight back. If blm pulls its bs again, we need to fight back.
Does anyone have a link to the beginning of the story? All I can find is some veiled nuance about Harry Reid, the Chinese, and grazing cattle on BLM land without a permit.
What the hell happened here?
Goober, it probably refers to this:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2014/04/standoff-at-bundy-ranch-ends-with-photo-of-the-year-so-far.php
How about reverse secession? Instead of some collection of states breaking off, we expel DC from the Union? (And maybe a few states, too, but please wait until I'm out of California.)
I digested this thing and posted about it at my place.
Long story short, I know why we're rooting against the feds, here, but let's be somewhat careful about making this rancher our poster boy - he isn't exactly a saint in this circumstance, either.
Eric - one requires walking away. The other requires forcing someone out against their will.
If things got bad enough, I would stand for one, but will always be against the other.
Initiation of violence instantly makes you the party in the wrong. Disagreement over political policy got us here. Violence won't get us out. History has shown that nothing will be gained by committing an entire generation of young men to slaughter because of political disagreement. So let's not start it, okay?
No, Mr. Bundy is no saint. He's probably (I'm giving the benefit of doubt here) well behind on grazing lease payments for reasons the courts won't uphold. BUT the BLM screwed up big time, H. Reid's fingerprints don't help, and enough people have gotten fed up with the federal government that it doesn't take a saint to bring out the neighbors, just a man who says what a lot of people feel and does what a lot of people want to do.
Goober: OK, so how about if a supermajority of states pick up their marbles and walk away from DC? If, e.g., 38 states leave, do they get to take the name and the Constitution with them?
Well said Alma.
Eric: pretty theoretical territory. Theoretical enough that I'm respectfully disinterested in the discussion. I don't mean disrespect, the topic just seems so "out there" that it isn't catching my fancy.
I just want folks to be cautious about tough talk associated with initiating violence. We're already branded violent reactionaries. Why make the demonization easy for them?
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