Frigidus wrote:gatoraubrey2 wrote:And, if Democrats continue to attempt to violate a portion of the Bill of Rights, maybe they should re-think their strategy as a party. Perhaps they should re-label themselves as a revolution, since they seem bent on outright ignoring the second, ninth, and tenth amendments altogether.

Yeah, it's only the Democrats that do anything more than govern the military and interstate commerce. You're so enlightened.
Starting off great. Fallacy of Two Wrongs Make a Right. I've never claimed to be affiliated with any party. I'm just criticizing the Democrats. Are their actions so indefensible that you can only argue the point by bashing the Republicans?
Frigidus wrote:gatoraubrey2 wrote:
I live in this country because I believe in the principal behind it. I believe that our philosophy of government makes us superior to every other nation on the planet, and gives me a greater opportunity for success and happiness. If we should sell out on that philosophy, I would change my living situation accordingly. I will not live in a country whose government acts as a leech, as they do in Europe. I am more than a resource to be bled dry for someone else's sustenance.
Wait, are you talking about the same country as me? Because last I heard the country was founded on rule by the people, for the people. I don't recall any mention of free markets in the Declaration of Independence. Leaving the country because elected officials choose to legislate in a way you do not approve of doesn't sound like the actions of a believer in representative democracy. The difficulty of changing the Constitution is, again, unimportant. We had to fight a civil war before the 14th Amendment could be passed. It doesn't make the spirit of the amendment any more necessary to a just country.
It was also founded on limited government, which is why we created a governmental structure which, wait for it,
limited the government! And we made it hard to change that structure without asking the people. Unfortunately, the government just ignored those limits.
Frigidus wrote:
Oh, and don't think I'm a Democrat. The Democrats supposed support of issues I care about has been demonstrated time and again to be nothing more than big talk. Obama was swept into office with wide public support and a super majority in Congress. If the Democrats had any interest in reforming health care they could easily have done so. They did not. When they are eventually voted out, I'm sure the Democrats will suddenly sound a lot more focused and unified. Big deal. It's easy to sound like you mean business when you have no power (see the Republicans).
You're right. I shouldn't characterize you as a Democrat. The party that's supporting the same bill that you're supporting, then. They're the ones who are afraid to let the people decide.
Maugena wrote:First off, I'd like to point out that you have been condescending to my friend, Frigidus.
I don't appreciate that and neither does he.
The reason for people not responding to you could be one of the following:
1. They're busy.
2. They don't want to take the time to show you how you're wrong because you seem to be the type that will not budge.
Also, you don't 'win' an argument due to a lack of people responding right away.
thegreekdog pointed out a flaw in my argument. I acknowledged it, regrouped, and came back. I'm willing to admit I'm wrong if I'm wrong, but I won't simply allow a storm of rhetoric to change hard fact.
Maugena wrote:gatoraubrey2 wrote:I live in this country because I believe in the principal behind it. I believe that our philosophy of government makes us superior to every other nation on the planet, and gives me a greater opportunity for success and happiness. If we should sell out on that philosophy, I would change my living situation accordingly. I will not live in a country whose government acts as a leech, as they do in Europe. I am more than a resource to be bled dry for someone else's sustenance.
Nationalism, wheeeeeeee.
First off, I'd like to ask you if you chose to live in this country or if you grew up in it. I'm pretty sure that you didn't choose to if you grew up in it, rather, you decided to stay put. Probably not because you thought this country has a superior government and has superior institutions, either.
I'd like to say that, with all of our assumptions cast aside, this is a decent country to reside in.
However, how can you show me that you have a greater opportunity for success and happiness in this country as opposed to any other country?
Yes, we have better living conditions than others, but can you honestly say 'best'?
You're making a lot of assumptions, though, honestly.
Have you ever lived with universal health care? -Can you speak from experience?
How do you know that Europe's governments leech off the people more so than the United States leeches off us?
Provide me with some hard evidence.
I was born here, and grew up here. I stay here because I choose to. I have the means and the ability to move somewhere else, but I still believe, even with the flaws, that this is the greatest country in the world. I'm just afraid that social progressives are rapidly changing that.
For happiness, how about a #13 overall ranking in happiness, beating over half of Europe:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/lif_h ... piness-net
For success, how about top ten rankings in GDP per Capita by all three major organizations, with only two European countries ranking higher on any list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co ... per_capita
For leeching, how about the fact that only two European countries have a lower mean income tax rate than the U.S. does (green bars on the graph):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Incom ... ountry.svg
Maugena wrote:Also, what do you mean by...
gatoraubrey2 wrote:I am more than a resource to be bled dry for someone else's sustenance.
Are you implying that you will be leached off by the poor?
If so, I would love to see you end up in a crippling accident that you couldn't possibly imagine to pay for and your family denies you help.
How would you survive?
If you were in such a situation, should we cut you off because you have been deemed a leech by a person with your mentality?
Sure, there are some that are completely taking advantage of the system.
I can guarantee you, though, that there will always be people like that, whatever the system may be.
That's exactly what I'm implying. It's already happening and it's getting worse. Go ahead and wish harm on me. I won't stoop to the level of returning that insult.
Maugena wrote:What I understand is that having the federal government provide you with something is fine.
Forcing you to contribute for it is the no-no, I take it.
Thing is, the government is already forcing you to contribute for a lot of things, disregarding the things you don't agree with.
Every forced contribution has been paid for through taxation.
I don't want them to provide it, because I understand that providing it implies funding it, which implies taxing for it. I want them to leave me alone. And again, with the Fallacy of Appeal to Common Practice. "You've already taken it up your you-know-what so many times, that it must be ok." No, it's not ok. Not when they passed those other laws, and not now, either.
Maugena wrote:gatoraubery2 wrote:The government can govern, but only in a strictly limited capacity. The states have more direct power over the people.
I'll take "Was this leading up to something?" for 500, Trebek.
It was actually led up to by your friend Frigidus implying that I was stating that the government isn't allowed to govern. I was clarifying my stance.
Maugena wrote:What's tyrannical about the act?
We choose people to represent us and this is where we have ended up.
Are you trying to say that Frigidus is Democratic?
When did he say this?
Why would the representatives be afraid?
It's tyrannical because tyranny is the opposite of liberty, and:
gatoraubrey2 wrote:
1. Liberty is defined by Merriam-Webster as "freedom from arbitrary or despotic control."
2. In the United States Constitution, which defines the powers of the federal government, there is no clause granting the federal government the power to provide healthcare.
3. The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
4. The attempt by the federal government to secure a power not delegated to it in the Constitution is, by definition, arbitrary, as well as strictly prohibited by the same Constitution.
5. If the government is arbitrarily seizing control of powers not delegated to it, the citizens do not live in freedom from arbitrary control.
6. Thus, the citizens do not enjoy a state of liberty.
And they're afraid of asking for an amendment to grant them the power to do this, because polls are showing overwhelmingly that the majority of people do not want them to do it. And politicians of all stripes love power.
Maugena wrote:I've concluded, based on my first impression of you...
You probably grew up in a conservative family, being force fed their beliefs, accepting them as the truth and taking them as your own.
You decided to take 'action' with said, biased beliefs by coming to these forums.
You come on like you know it all, yet, I'd bet that you're younger than 20.
Don't talk about my family. You don't know me, and you don't know them. As a free-thinking being, I determine the truth for myself. And logic and rationality taught me the flaws of liberal progressivism years ago.
My opinions aren't biased in any significant way, and I take action at the ballot box. The forums are fun and entertaining.
I'm not younger than 20.
Maugena wrote:
* Every system present today is flawed.
* You're not going to change people's minds in this forum.
* You're not going to change the world through this forum.
* If you're wanting to become an activist, this is not the place for you to do so.
I'm not here to change anyone's mind. Debate in and of itself is stimulating and entertaining. However, it anyone picks something up from one of these discussions that's useful, I think that's great.
I don't want to change the world through this forum.
Being an "activist" doesn't mean posting online about your ideas. However, this is the place to have political debate, as evidenced by the large number of politically-themed threads here, none of which were started by myself.
And still, after all the lengthy responses, no one can break the logic of:
1. Liberty is defined by Merriam-Webster as "freedom from arbitrary or despotic control."
2. In the United States Constitution, which defines the powers of the federal government, there is no clause granting the federal government the power to provide healthcare.
3. The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
4. The attempt by the federal government to secure a power not delegated to it in the Constitution is, by definition, arbitrary, as well as strictly prohibited by the same Constitution.
5. If the government is arbitrarily seizing control of powers not delegated to it, the citizens do not live in freedom from arbitrary control.
6. Thus, the citizens do not enjoy a state of liberty.