Dead Horse

[onesonek]

This is in context with the Holder thread.

But I feel like I'm beating a dead horse!

I to a point agree with this analysis, or theory.

About the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in
1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of
Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some
2000 years prior:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a
permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until
the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from
the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for
the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury,
with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose
fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."
"The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning
of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these
nations always progressed through the following sequence:
>
1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage "

While it seems us gun owners are struggling to stay within complacency, I fear more so or see more apathy happening however.
But as a nation as a whole,,,,
I think we went from abundance in #5 to apathy of #7 in 20-30 years time. And in the past 10+ have been sliding more into dependency. With the bailouts of the past 2 months,,,I wonder if we ain't knee deep in the dependence crap.

Dave

[skarke]

The quote often attributed to Tyler he never wrote.  It is urban legend.

HOWEVER, I really wish that the original author, whoever he is, would have claimed ownership of these TOTALLY accurate words.  I have never heard a more accurate synopsis of at least the fall of the Roman Empire.

Capitalism isn't driven by the acquisition of money, rather, it is the acquisition of the means of production!!!!

No one can leverage (borrow) themselves into long term prosperity, but we can absolutely borrow ourselves into poverty.

For those few of us that think that borrowing a couple of trillion $s is a good idea, I hope that they like carrying their cash around in wheel barrels, because hyperinflation will surely follow loose monetary policy.

Remember Jimmy and stagflation?  You will!!!!

[onesonek]

Yeah, I don't know the accuracy of whom said it, but like you don't think it matters.
I think big problem all the way around, the majority ignores history, and hindsight is blind rather than 20/20.
I remember hearing (during the campaign something like spending 3 billion a month by the GWB Admin. was costing us. Well what is 18.75 billion going to get us, it sure ain't liberty or abundance,,,,,sounds a whole lot more like dependence
What's taking place defies logic and common sense. We're in for some "change" alright.

Dave

[Dee]

I don't know nor care whom wrote it. Whom ever did had an excellent perception of human behavior. It in my opinion is dead on.
In my 59 years of life, I do not remember how many times when the discussion came around of politics and voting, where I heard: I voted for the one I had heard of. I never heard of the other guy. Complacent-Apathy? I think so.
It is as the VERY POPULAR THEORY and TENDENCY, of voting the lessor of two evils. This is where it gets confusing on the authors order of things. This habit I would attribute to LACK OF COURAGE, and LACK OF RESPECT OF LIBERTY. But that is just me.
If I have three men standing before me and I have to choose, the choice can be easily made. Pick the most honest member of the group. If one is aware that two are dishonest in their dealings, it is a no brainer. Thus, my signature below. Some one once said: Right is right, even when everyone is against, and wrong is wrong, even when everyone is for it. True statement, but difficult for some to make the decision.

[Ga.windbreak]

I agree I don't know who said it but they were/are spot on!

I also agree with Dee I don't vote for the guy that makes me "Feel" good; I want a leader and every leader I've ever known has challenged me to do more or be better. I've not always liked him or agreed with him but I can truly state I've always respected him. The last true leader we've had IMHO was Ronald Reagan. President Obama, for all his talk, doesn't take a stand. We NEED a leader and I'm sad to say we have someone who votes "I'm present."

My three best personal leaders were My Spanish teacher in HS, he was a bear, and in the Navy I had two, A Commander who was a WWII fighter pilot and a mustang Lt Commander who had Captained Destroyers. Either one of which I would have followed straight into hell itself.

Dee the man who made that statement was William Penn; he was quite a guy.