Which isn't exactly titled that, but is here, I've had similar thoughts to those expressed in that thread.  

Now, I don't think this particular post belongs in the Religion forum, but give this a read and tell me what you think.  I wrote it back in December, and I wouldn't change a word of it today.  

For those disinclined to click on the link, it's a post on my blog entitled "On Guillotines and Gibbets," and it starts out,

Personally, I’m interested in keeping other people from building Utopia, because the more you believe you can create heaven on earth the more likely you are to set up guillotines in the public square to hasten the process.

Damn.  Nobody  has a comment?

Quoted: Damn.  Nobody  has a comment?

About what ?

What do you want me to say, exactly?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Damn.  Nobody  has a comment? About what ? Such as if the above is correct or incorrect, and where?

Quoted: ...but give this a read and tell me what you think...

Yes.

Quoted: Which isn't exactly titled that, but is here, I've had similar thoughts to those expressed in that thread.   Now, I don't think this particular post belongs in the Religion forum, but give this a read and tell me what you think.  I wrote it back in December, and I wouldn't change a word of it today.   For those disinclined to click on the link, it's a post on my blog entitled "On Guillotines and Gibbets," and it starts out, Personally, I’m interested in keeping other people from building Utopia, because the more you believe you can create heaven on earth the more likely you are to set up guillotines in the public square to hasten the process.

I would think that strict conservatives would be faster to start public executions than strict liberals, if that's what you're talking about.

Quoted: I would think that strict conservatives would be faster to start public executions than strict liberals, if that's what you're talking about.

Hmm...

Perhaps spontaneous hangings.  Rope, lamppost; some assembly required.  Or shooting looters in the act.  But organized mass executions?  Nope.  The Left shys away from individual action.  That requires individual accountability.  Mass activities can always be blamed on others.  And generally, they have to work themselves up to it.

Quoted: Personally, I’m interested in keeping other people from building Utopia, because the more you believe you can create heaven on earth the more likely you are to set up guillotines in the public square to hasten the process.

Communism/Socialism was tried in the USSR, Red China, Cambodia, etc... It didn't work even AFTER they killed their own citizens by the millions to make ends meet. The Europeans are trying the experiment as well, theirs is a slower decline (low birthrate) because they want to "live the good life".

Totalitarian regimes flourish "ad extra" - winning converts to their Utopian cause thanks to normally brilliant (and monopoly) propaganda ministries. Commies were brilliant in keeping each local city or town convinced that the Revolution "was really going great guns somewhere else"... that all the bad news was only a local abberation, not the generalized condition.

But ad intra, while they also were masters at scape-goating and show trials, convincing their captive audience that any bad result was exclusively the result of enemies of the state, not the incompetance or malign intentions of the state and bureaucrats themselves.... their very real anti-human tendencies to crush opponents without mercy eventually leads to large numbers of captives who know the truth about their teeth of steel hiding behind smiling faces.  

Only once a sizable majority of people outside and inside the system realize that the propaganda is BS do conditions allow a change to the system. When they have to start defending the indefensible both to would-be converts as well as growing numbers of "the people" they claim to champion, the wheels come off.

In our country the Left has a stranglehold on public education, Academe, the arts, MSM, and now the Democratic party. But they DON'T have a monopoly on education as millions of students are either home-schooled or attend private schools.

They DON'T have a monopoly on Media outlets either - which is why they lose elections. Give it some time. Most Leftists are dying out (literally) thanks to their "lifestyles", low birth rates, and inability to attract young people in sufficiently large numbers TO THEIR IDEOLOGY.

THEY DO do a fine job corrupting the youth to their MORALITY...but that doesn't always translate into political action much less organization as they discovered in 2004.

Finally, let's not get carried away with scape-goating "Democrats" per se. Lots of RINOs are "evil" too on some issues. Power is corrupting - and addictive, perhaps more than any drug. Gaming the system is so easy for some people that a serious challenge via ballot box is considered an act of war against their whole world view.  Politics was always dirty but nowadays anyone running for serious, federal level offices needs deep pockets, impeccable credentials and lots of lawyers.

To wield the kind of power Senators and Judges have without abusing it or the common good requires grace and extraordinarly human virtue.

Quoted: In our country the Left has a stranglehold on public education, Academe, the arts, MSM, and now the Democratic party. But they DON'T have a monopoly on education as millions of students are either home-schooled or attend private schools. They DON'T have a monopoly on Media outlets either - which is why they lose elections. Give it some time. Most Leftists are dying out (literally) thanks to their "lifestyles", low birth rates, and inability to attract young people in sufficiently large numbers TO THEIR IDEOLOGY. THEY DO do a fine job corrupting the youth to their MORALITY...but that doesn't always translate into political action much less organization as they discovered in 2004.

Yep, they are going down! When the Democraps have to rely on welfare recepients and gays, then you know they will decline within a few generations.  Welfare households are less likely to create successful adults and gays don't have kids.

Quoted: Finally, let's not get carried away with scape-goating "Democrats" per se. Lots of RINOs are "evil" too on some issues. Power is corrupting - and addictive, perhaps more than any drug. Gaming the system is so easy for some people that a serious challenge via ballot box is considered an act of war against their whole world view.  Politics was always dirty but nowadays anyone running for serious, federal level offices needs deep pockets, impeccable credentials and lots of lawyers.

Note that in my essay I mentioned "Leftist" not necessarily "Democrats."  There are people in both parties (and out) who don't fall within a "conservative' or "liberal" descriptions.  Zell Miller is still a Democrat, but he's hardly a Leftist.

But it does seem to me that the far Left wing of politics has seized control of the Democrat Party, and is driving it (and attempting to drive the rest of us) to ruin.

Quoted: Which isn't exactly titled that, but is here, I've had similar thoughts to those expressed in that thread.   Now, I don't think this particular post belongs in the Religion forum, but give this a read and tell me what you think.  I wrote it back in December, and I wouldn't change a word of it today.   For those disinclined to click on the link, it's a post on my blog entitled "On Guillotines and Gibbets," and it starts out, Personally, I’m interested in keeping other people from building Utopia, because the more you believe you can create heaven on earth the more likely you are to set up guillotines in the public square to hasten the process.

\\Nothing more needs to be said.  This one hit target perfectly.

The extreme left is just like the extreme right...

Funny thing though, the extreme left are bunch of extreme hippies who smoke themselves stupid, the extreme right hates everybody and has lots of guns.

If liberals knew what was good for them they'd be snapping up ARs just as much as the right. Outrageous statements like "liberals threaten the American way of life" in that thread reflects that. If liberals are really so evil, why doesn't the army just go kill liberals like they do terrorists???

You have to watch out for both the left and right, blindly following ANY political party is a bad idea.

Quoted: The extreme left is just like the extreme right... Funny thing though, the extreme left are bunch of extreme hippies who smoke themselves stupid, the extreme right hates everybody and has lots of guns. If liberals knew what was good for them they'd be snapping up ARs just as much as the right. Outrageous statements like "liberals threaten the American way of life" in that thread reflects that. If liberals are really so evil, why doesn't the army just go kill liberals like they do terrorists??? You have to watch out for both the left and right, blindly following ANY political party is a bad idea.

See the "utopia" quote above.