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1. Remember when Sony was working on a movie about Kim Jong Un and North Korea? North Korean hackers took Sony’s computers down. Sure would be a shame if Twitter, Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook got hacked.

   Notice how the media has taught us it is OK to burn down businesses for 100 nights straight, but when some Neanderthals broke a window and entered the Capitol building, well, now we have terrorists attacking the heart of our country. And, these seditionists were goaded by the President, who told them to demonstrate peacefully at the Capitol just a few minutes after they had entered. I know, I know. I can’t expect fairness, logic or consistency from the Left. I just need to submit to them and allow them to build a utopia for me.

   Xi Jinping gave us the virus.

   Donald Trump gave us the vaccine.

   Donald Trump fought the swamp, and the swamp won. He sure did a good job though. Too bad no one helped him.

2. Friend Roger Wilco, the swamp is an evaporating mirage. Appearing in the mist is a woodpile with skunks running out. The skunks are spotlighted to a fare-thee-well. Their political stinking days are numbered. Looking at the impeachment hearing, we find that one chief skunk looks like a Darfa Vader from Star Wars in her nifty gown-and-mask. She and another chief, Irish-American no less, managed to turn down requests from the Capitol Police Chief for National Guard riot troops on January 6, enabling a relatively small group of thugs to hijack a peaceful Trump Rally and get five people killed, including two valiant police officers, and to disrupt electoral reviews. Down with the skunks, and up with Trump!

   • The liberals have now installed over 15K troops in D.C. for the coronation of Aunt Kamala and her imbecile sidekick Crooked Joe. I guess they did this out of concern that Donald Trump may beg his Soviet buddy and handler Vladimir to sent Russian paratroopers to disrupt the joyous ceremony of the Democrats on January 20th. Biden could have just asked his CCP handlers to dispatch Chinese troops to bolster American Soldiers in the spirit of unity.

     With so many soldiers, and more arriving every day, the coronation will start to look like one of those massive Nazi rallies of the late 1930’s Germany minus the banners with Swastikas. While Hitler was crazy and yet inspiring, Biden is just confusing and boring. Welcome to the Brave New World Order. We’re in for a bumpy ride and hopefully will survive.

     • Yeah, but according to John Farnam, they’re all unarmed.

       _________________

       “We want our individuals to have the right to self-defense”

       This is from Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau on Monday, reacting to last week’s incidents in DC.

       That statement was then further defined by DOD shortly thereafter:

       “National Guard troops in the Washington area would not be far from their weapons.”

       “… not be far from their weapons?”

       This sounds like Pearl Harbor on the morning of 7 Dec 1941, when all weapons and ammunition were locked-up in armories, and the guy with the key just somehow could not be found!

       I can imagine a deployed and isolated National Guardsman speaking softly to an armed and aggressive assailant:

       “If you intend to harm me, I have this to say:

       Before you make another move, just understand that my weapons are not far away!”

       I’m sure the bad guy will be really impressed!

       Once again, our so-called “armed forces” going armed is currently a concept so utterly foreign within our modern military that there is apparently no one capable of thinking outside the “box,” with which we have boxed ourselves in!

       Can our magnificent troopers be trained to safely carry small arms in a high state of readiness routinely?

       Apparently not!

       /John”
       ____________________________

       So glad I’m not one of those National Guard soldiers that my commanders sent into harm’s way unarmed.

     • Whoofa Goofa:

       Remember the dark days when Bill Clinton was POTUS and made some speeches with hundreds of uniformed law enforcement officers standing behind him to present the image of them supporting him? How many of those grim faced cops do you think had cartridges in their sidearms and spare magazines, or were even allowed to carry a knife?

   • How the swing states of the 2020 elections are like Bart Simpson when he is caught misbehaving: “Prove it!,” says Bart. The Covid-19 election, replete with bajillions of phony ballots, voting ghosts, disappearing votes, tally flipping, etc. Many totally expert witnesses vs. historically weaponized software and computer-based fraud ignored, deplored, devalued, gaslighted, triangulated, etc., so “Prove it!” “Prove the candy was stolen,” says the swing state Bart Simpson, “certifying” that the missing candy was not even stolen, the ultimate falsehood. No search of Bart’s pockets for candy, no smelling his breath, no noticing his sticky face and hands. Just a will to spoil the child, and to cowardly destroy democracy.

3. Just a short few comments concerning Mas’s request in his above commentary. I believe this is not only a prudent request, concerning the times but should always be the attitude of articulate and responsible people. As a libertarian (and now a libertarian/republican) the initiation of force is against my principles as is also the advocating of using force. Self defense is one thing but only “to stop the threat”, as Mas has written.

   Besides that, this forum is the property of others and Mas clearly has the right to eject those that violate their (or his) standards of conduct. Period.

   A point was made in relating historical information about “The White Rose Society”, which everyone should read and be familiar with, as we are facing eerily similar times. But the brave members of that and other groups, DID NOT operate in their own names nor publish their addresses and the accidental discovery of their group, led to their beheading. Even more important, concerning Mas’s request and in relation to my own philosophy, they were advocating a non-violent intellectual resistance.

   Let us all respect the Duffy’s and Mas and treat their home and publication with the respect they deserve. I thank them for their years of service and for allowing comments that they did not necessarily agree with but published anyway in the spirit of Freedom.

   • @ Tahn – “A point was made in relating historical information about “The White Rose Society.”

     Yes, we are facing “eerily similar times”. Yet, I wonder about the youth of today.

     Hitler tried to indoctrinate the young people of Germany with his “Hitler Youth” program. Likewise, the Leftists have used public schools to create a “Politically Correct Youth” Program. Have the Leftists been more successful in their efforts than Hitler was in his?

     The members of the White Rose had been exposed to Hitler’s indoctrination efforts but, after seeing first hand the results of Hitler’s policies, they rejected his brain-washing. Will any of our youth do the same? Or has the Leftist brain-washing been too perfect? Let’s face it, the youth on today’s college campuses seem to be among the most ardent of this new generation of Marxists and Totalitarians.

     As things continue to get worse, will some of them wake up, as the members of the White Rose did, and reject the brain-washing? Only time will tell, I suppose.

     In the meantime, I offer a direct quote from the 3rd leaflet published by “The White Rose”. These words were written almost 80 years ago but they still ring true in 2020 America:

     “Why do you allow these men who are in power to rob you step by step, openly and in secret, of one domain of your rights after another, until one day nothing, nothing at all will be left but a mechanized state system presided over by criminals and drunks? Is your spirit already so crushed by abuse that you forget it is your right—or rather, your moral duty—to eliminate this system?”

     This was a good question to ask in 1942. It is still a good question to ask today.

     • TN_Man,

       This is indeed an excellent and still relevant question to ask and I fear that many of today’s youth will not respond or even understand the question but I have hope and faith that many will. My home schooled Grandchildren and even many young people I know, who attended government schools, understand and comprehend but they are responding by quietly living their lives in a peaceful manner, while attempting to change what they can and not violating the rights of others.

       Sometimes, they ask piercingly honest questions, concerning the left/right, democrat/republican divide, such as, “didn’t the Republicans pass the unconstitutional drug war and the equally unconstitutional “Patriot Act”, among others. I try to explain that totalitarianism comes in many forms and all attempts should be rejected, as much as possible but the ultimate and supreme principle of civilization is this. “NO ONE has the right to initiate force against another person or their property, nor to authorize nor delegate such use.”

       I believe MamaLiberty was correct when she observed, “The root of all evil, is the desire or lust of some, to control the lives or property of others.”

       This lust is expressed and attempted by both parties, many corporations and most governments. This lust is the real enemy and the desire to cause harm to others, merely feeds it. Self defense is one thing and a natural right and morally correct but until we all adopt the Supreme Principle of Civilization, as stated above and recognize that everyone owns their own body (and no one else’s), has the right to keep their rightfully acquired property (including guns) and the right to keep and defend their homes and land, there will be no peace. Right now, the Republican Party is the lesser evil of the two major American parties by a fairly large degree but times change and “power corrupts”.

       Initiating or advocating violence against others is not the answer, in my studied opinion.

       Peace, Love and Brotherhood
       Through Property Rights, Equal Firepower and Civility.

4. Considering that even a perfectly legal use of firearms in self-defense will result in six figure legal bills, probable loss of job, health issues, dissolution of relationships, and a whole host of other life-changing costs, I avoid posting nasty messages to people, rallies, parades, political gatherings, protests, or any other activity that could put me anywhere near violence. When high school kids organized a BLM march in my town, I called the police to ascertain time and location. When the dispatcher asked if I would be attending, I responded, “Hell no. I want to be as far away from those yahoos as possible.” When I determined that they would come nowhere near my house, I went about my business, being sure to avoid the protest area.

   One question. Am I the only person who has a feeling that the riots in DC were premeditated, not to support Trump, but to destroy him, and justify more attacks against conservative civil rights? We’ve had protests and rallies for 4 years that have been peaceful, and civilized, and all of a sudden, Trump people decide to turn into BLM and Antifa goons, and destroy property? It doesn’t make sense.

   • Friend Whoofa Goofa, you may wish to sign up with ACLDN Inc. ASAP, if you haven’t already, to help advance everyone’s financial survivability, including yours, of course, of a necessary firearms discharge in a self-defense scenario. Also, let’s join the Second Amendment Foundation, and donate willingly. Both organizations are highly affordable to most of us, and strengthen our collective position in life. We are so very lucky to live yet in a republican democracy with a Constitution like ours. Let’s pray for the best, but prepare for the worst, and begin every day with doing all we can under the law, which is not inconsiderable. We do have varmints in our political framework, but they are their own worst enemies, and will fail.

   • Communists and Socialists have a long history of using peaceful demonstrations as cover to cause mayhem and then lay blame on the other side. For example, in the 1930’s the Nazis burned the Reichstag building in Berlin and blamed their enemies for that act. It’s not far fetched that Democrats and their cronies like BLM and Antifa would insinuate themselves into the peaceful protest(s) in D.C. to do violent stuff, which they would then blame President Trump and his supporters for committing. Liberals use the tactic described by the saying “The ends justify the means.” They will commit any heinous act to achieve their goals.

5. Anyone who dreams of civil war, or taking up guns is deluded. Civil war is NOT some patriotic concept with visions of Johnnie Reb marching to music and fluttering flags.

   Civil war is hell on earth. Maybe worse.

   In civil war, all of the things that keep our thin veneer of civilization intact disappear. There’s no longer food in the supermarkets because the farms have been destroyed, the transport system in tatters, and the warehouses and supermarkets looted, trashed, and burned to the ground. There’s no longer any gasoline, heating oil or diesel because the refineries are gone, and there’s no trucks or drivers willing to risk being on the streets to deliver.

   There is no more electricity, water or city services because the facilities and people who run them are gone. That means everyone is hungry, freezing, filthy, and out of money. People like this no longer care about being decent, so they’ll smash through your door, shoot your entire family after raping the women to take your last loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter. Forget the cops, the courts, the National Guard or 911. The 911 system is gone anyway, but there’s no longer any law an order. Your entire life is now spent scrounging food, and anything that might keep you warm, while trying to avoid the roving gangs of thugs who are now in charge.

   Think I’m being paranoid and making stuff up? Read what happened in Bosnia during their civil war. Read about Venezuela. What happened in China, the Soviet Union and Cambodia when things fell apart. Your delusions about the grandeur of civil war, and taking up arms will disappear in a puff of smoke.

   I pray for peace, stability, common sense, and calm. Every single day. It’s what I learned from LFI1, my time with John Farnam, and Russ Lary.

   To quote that classic line from Stripes, I have this to say to all the gung-ho “patriots”.

   Lighten up, Francis.

6. Given current events, it might be useful to do a historical review of Totalitarian Regimes and how they live and die. Basically, there have been four (4) main approaches to confronting an oppressive society:

   1) Use passive, peaceful resistance to promote reform,
   2) Use democratic means and institutions to promote change,
   3) Use armed force to make change occur and,
   4) Simply do nothing and wait for change to come on its own.

   Let us look at the historical application of the approve approaches.

   Passive, peaceful resistance can be highly effective if the oppressive regime is not driven by a totalitarian ideology. If it is still civilized and functioning under the rule of law. For example, the British, in their rule of India, did not see themselves as oppressors. They viewed themselves as bringing civilization and law and order to India. Their oppression was driven by economic colonialism rather than by a totalitarian ideology. Therefore, the use of non-violent resistance by Gandhi was highly effective. The situation was similar in the American Civil Rights Movement under Martin Luther King. Although the oppression there did not arise out of colonialism but rather the historical effect of Jim Crow Laws and racism. Both of which arose largely from the efforts of the Democrat Party. It should always be remembered that it was the Republican Party that fought for the abolition of slavery. The Republican Party’s sin was to sit on its hands and allow the Democrats to implement Jim Crow.

   However, when such non-violent methods are used against a truly totalitarian ideology, they fail. Witness the destruction of the White Rose Movement by the Nazis.

   Likewise, democratic means can be highly effective in a society where the rule of law and democratic institutions are still strong. For example, the Prohibition of Alcohol movement, of early 20th Century America, became more oppressive and totalitarian over time. It is likely that the people driving the movement would have put alcohol drinkers in concentration camps and conducted summary executions if they could. However, the American People had had enough of it. They voted the Prohibitionists out of power and then voted to Repeal Prohibition entirely. Thus, the ideologically oppressive Prohibition Movement was destroyed before it could reach such levels of oppression.

   On the other hand, the Marxist Regime in Venezuela deliberately corrupted the elections in that country. They conducted massive fraud to ensure that the regime stayed in power. Thus, democratic means will fail without rule of law and free and fair elections.

   Armed destruction of the totalitarian regime certain is effective. The regimes of Hitler, Mussolini and Pol Pot were all destroyed by armed force. On the other hand, the attempt to overthrow the oppressive regime of Castro in Cuba was a complete failure. It was sponsored by the U.S. (who could have certainly thrown in the resources to make it a success) but the U.S. did not want to openly do it. Instead, they supported surrogates and failed to provide adequate resources. Thus, the effort failed.

   The armed resistance can be from either internal or external sources. Most oppressive regimes will disarm their civilian population so as to prevent an internal rebellion. Therefore, it took external forces to overthrow Hitler, Mussolini, and Pol Pot.

   The final approach is to do nothing and wait. Unfortunately, this seldom produces results. An ideological totalitarian regime can exist for decades if not destroyed by internal or external forces. They may moderate their oppression a bit once the founding leader dies. This happened after the deaths of Stalin, Mao and Castro. However, the oppressive regime will still live on under different leaders. Witness the fact that the ChiCom regime is still going strong many years after Mao’s death.

   So, what lessons can we learn from the brief historical review above? Here are some points:

   1) Passive, non-violent resistance can be highly effective against oppression that is not driven by a totalitarian ideology. However, if the regime in question IS DRIVEN by a totalitarian ideology, such resistance will be ineffective.
   2) Democratic methods can also be highly effective against oppression PROVIDED the Rule of Law is in force and the Elections are Free and Fair. However, if the oppressive regime has corrupted the Rule of Law and is “rigging” the elections, then democratic methods will not be effective.
   3) Armed resistance can be highly effective and, if successful, will destroy the oppressive regime. However, such methods are always very violent and bloody. To be successful, the armed force must be absolutely dedicated to the destruction of the oppressive regime and must have adequate resources to do the job.
   4) Simply doing nothing is not effective against an ideological, totalitarian regime. Once installed in power, the regime can remain in power for many decades. Conditions may moderate a bit, over time, especially once the “Old Guard” dies off. However, without force being brought to bear to effect change, an oppressive regime can “dig in like an Alabama tick”.

   So, based upon the above, we can assess our current situation. The questions that we need to ask ourselves are:

   1) Are we facing an oppressive regime?
   2) If yes, then is it an ideological totalitarian regime or is the oppression merely arising from economic and historical forces?
   3) If the regime is of the ideological, totalitarian type then non-violent resistance is unlikely to work. Are the remaining democratic and rule of law mechanisms still adequate to rein it in?
   4) If the regime is totalitarian and cannot be controlled by peaceful resistance or democratic change, are you willing to live for generations under its rule? If so, then doing nothing and allowing it to rule is the way to go.
   5) If it is a totalitarian regime and the People are unwilling to live under the oppression of that regime for decades and generations to come, then the only option remaining is to attempt its bloody destruction by means of armed force.

   As the above logic indicates, non-violent and democratic methods to promote change should certainly be tried first. If they happen to work, then the People are fortunate to get rid of an oppressive regime cheaply.

   If they fail, then the remaining options are not so pleasant.

   • TN_MAN,

     Very well written as always. You mention China as an example of a totalitarian regime. North Korea takes first prize for being a cruel totalitarian regime which continues for decades also. Try to imagine an American living in that dictatorship. He or she would probably commit suicide.

   • TN_MAN:

     You’re just too logical, a trait not liked by liberals. Are you related to Mr. Spock?

     • Last time I checked myself in the mirror, I did not have pointed ears. The last time I cut myself shaving, the blood was red in color, not green. Therefore, I am certainly not related to any Vulcan! 🙂

       Many scientists and engineers (if they are any good) do have very logical minds. Their training and mental make-up predisposes them in that direction. As a trained engineer myself, I tend to think very logically and, if I can, very coldly and without emotion.

       This probably explains why I am not a Leftist. Left-Wing Ideology is built upon hot emotion rather than cold reason. It is all heart but no brains!

       It probably also explains why Mr. Spock was my favorite character in the original Star Trek series. 🙂

     • Live long and prosper, TN_MAN.

7. Guys, I’m an outlier here, I’ll be up front about it. The reason I’m here is because I’m frankly scratching my head trying to understand what you’re talking about when referring to Dems as tyrants and totalitarians. They’re not angels. Both parties have their bad apples, their abuse of power, their political maneuvering. But tyrants? Can you explain/defend that?

   You won’t surrender your 1st or 2nd Amendment rights. Great! Me neither. So who specifically is asking you to? Background checks? Nothing to fear if you’re legit (not a criminal). Buy back of weapons? So don’t sell. What’s the issue?

   I’m pretty familiar with what’s going on politically. Frankly the only tyrant/totalitarian I’ve seen lately, per your definition (“A totalitarian cannot tolerate any level of defiance and will use fear to cowl the People into obedience.”) is DJT. He’s fired everyone who disagreed with him, just for starters. Virtually every Republican Senator for the past four years has been scared to defy him for fear of being primaried. Who fits that on the Left? Maybe there are some I’m not seeing. Just wanting to be educated. And political differences don’t count.

   We’re far too polarized. This post is my attempt to understand and hopefully open a dialog. Am I naive? 🙂

   Peace.

   • Geoff Hughes,

     You make a good point. We believe we see where the Dems are trying to take us. That is why you see us concerned. Imagine what the last four years would have been like under President Hillary Clinton. Imagine President Alexandria Occasio-Cortez. Thankfully Ilhan Omar cannot be President because she wasn’t born here. Do you know what she and I have in common? Only one thing. Both of us have been circumcised.

     It’s true many in the middle class do not seem to be oppressed yet, but we see where the current is taking us, and we want out. We want no part of their utopia.

     • Roger, don’t think for a second that Omar cannot become POTUS because she wasn’t native born. Obama got into the White House 😉

   • You don’t have to sell your guns to the government. If you make that choice, they will simply take your guns and if you resist, they’re simply pry them from your warm, dead hands.

   • Geoff Hughes,

     Keep in mind that Americans have a lower tolerance for tyranny than other nations, including similar nations like Canada. Imagine looking down on the earth in the 1770s. Which oppressed group of people would you expect to rebel? There were slaves in Africa, the Middle East, South America and North America. There were English speaking colonists in North America and islands of the Caribbean. I think the Irish were feeling oppressed by the English, too. Well, it was free white men in the 13 colonies who participated in the rebellion against the “tyranny” of King George III. Some of those colonists were rich. King George III taxed the colonists at 3%. He was not a tyrant like the tyrants we knew in the twentieth century.

     Now fast forward to the 1960s and 1970s. American women rebelled against their station in life and their men. They rebelled, yet women in Saudi Arabia could not vote at that time or drive cars. I doubt they could divorce their husbands either. Yet it was the American women who rebelled, not the Saudi Arabian women.

     So, you see we can smell tyranny approaching. What has all of our rebellious spirit gotten us? Well, it made us the most free, the most wealthy, the most comfortable, and the most inventive nation in history. I believe you can’t simply succeed by rebelling. You must follow good laws and good principles. But putting tyrants in their place (see the Virginia state flag and motto) has certainly helped Americans prosper.

8. @ Geoff Hughes – “Am I naïve?”

   No, you are not naïve. Rather, you have a Worldview that has been shaped by years of indoctrination and exposure to left-wing media propaganda. For years now, the media has pounded you with lies, distortions, smears, and outright character assassination aimed at Donald J. Trump. While some people can recognize this concerted effort at character destruction for what it is, and reject it, most people end up being tainted by it. They cannot help but form a negative opinion of DJT after such continuous brain-washing efforts.

   However, DJT is not a totalitarian under my definition. He has taken no action to oppress the American People. On the contrary, his theme of “Make America Great Again” is a positive one for all true Americans that love this country. The fact that it makes members of the Democrat Party gag shows their hatred and scorn for their own country. In fact, I recently read a comment from a man who had immigrated to the U.S. from New Zealand. The hatred of the Democrat Party for their own country really stood out to him. He said that, in New Zealand, even the Leftists at least love their own country. He found it sick and perverse that the American Left hates, even loathes, the land of their own birth.

   As for his firing of people in Washington, did you ever consider that they deserved it? DJT was elected President. He had a right to expect the Executive Branch to support his policies. Instead, vast number of Obama holdovers formed a “Resistance” to sabotage his polices. Maybe you think that was heroic? Well, it was not. It was treasonous. The biggest mistake that DJT ever made was in not firing every Obama holdover in EVERY Government Department the moment he was sworn into office. Instead, he waited until they were clearly caught sabotaging his policies. This was usually too late.

   I bet that Biden won’t make that mistake. I bet that he will fire every Trump holdover soon after he is sworn into office. Tell me, will you be even-handed and accuse Biden of being a tyrant because he “fires everyone who disagrees with him”?

   The Democrat Party, and their friends in Big Tech, are currently trampling all over the 1st Amendment in an effort to de-platform and silence Conservative voices on the Internet. They will soon come after the 2nd Amendment and, believe me, they won’t stop with merely pushing background checks. Let us remember that Biden promised to put Beto O’Rourke at the front of his anti-gun efforts and Beto is famous for saying “Hell Yes, we’re going to take your AR-15”.

   As for “Buy Back – Just don’t sell”. How do we know we will have that option? Many of us expect that it will be “Give up your Guns for peanuts or ELSE go to prison”.

   In fact, the Democrats are going wild, at the moment, in an effort to punish DJT (with a second useless Impeachment) and in an effort to punish his supporters. Not the way for Biden to unify the Country, don’t Ya Think?

   The Democrats, and their friends in the media, Blue State Governments, and Big Business, are currently trampling all over the Bill of Rights. Often with Covid-19 as the excuse.

   Do you really not see the totalitarian nature of these moves by the Democrats? Or has your mind been so brainwashed with hatred for DJT that you think that half the Country deserves to have their Rights taken away because they COMMITTED THE SIN of supporting DJT for President?

9. Agree with Mas about not doing crazy violent opposition. But what do we do?

   Working on some legal ways to resist what amounts to a colonial regime. Ireland and Israel are probably the gold standard here. The adversary wants to pretend that the Constitution is still in effect. We can take advantage of this. Suggestions are strikes/boycotts, shunning of the security forces (in our case, especially the FBI), setting up of parallel institutions like schools, courts and banks. In the case of schools, after school programs, teaching history and patriotism. In the case of courts, it would have to be civil law, set up as arbitration forums. Banks should probably emulate the Islamic banking system. Been working for a thousand years and still working in the US now. If anyone is expert on this, think about it. Need to do some more work on Gandhi and Walesa to look for more ideas. Gandhi, I know was big into boycotts and self reliance.

   • Gandi would have made an excellent Democrat. In public he preaches peace and unity while in private, he instructs his henchpersons to terrorize the British and foreigners to force them out of India. Gandi would be so proud of what Aunt Kamala, Crooked Joe, Pelosi, Schumer, and other high ranking liberals have done.

     • Having a hard time seeing the problem here.

10. sigh

11. Fantastic advice. I agree that the Capitol breach did NOTHING for our side and was Manna from heaven for the Left. To win, we have to be twice as smart as the Leftistas, because everything we do will be mischaracterized by the biased media.

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