OT: A House Divided

Many times over the centuries, wise men have said that a house divided against itself cannot stand.

Today, with the polarization of America, led by the Al Frankens and Al Sharptons and Keith Olbermans on one side, and the Sean Hannitys and Rush Limbaughs on the other, we ARE a house divided. According to Limbaugh, if you compromise, you are weak and oughta move to the other side and be done with it. I'm sure Olberman and the others have expressed similar thoughts.

So...I'm convinced that America is about as divided as it's ever been, Civil War years included. Trouble is, there's no geographic divide to allow for secession by either side.

So as we live next door to neighbors we hate because of their beliefs and their politics, we as a nation are prime candidates for either civil revolution or invasion...because no one can agree on what's worth saving. A sense of community? I don't see it, and I live in a rural community. Even on this "harmless" discussion board, the hate is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Trust no one. Help no one, outside of family and very close friends. If a man loses his job, it's not because of the economy, it's because he probably wasn't any good at what he did to begin with. If he can't get re-hired tomorrow, it's because he's a career deadbeat out to milk the system and live off YOUR tax dollars. If he's over 50 and simply cannot physically do what he did when he was 18, he's a scumbag who finally got his gravy train taken away from his undeserving azz.

Or that's what I hear when I read boards like this one. Occasionally there's an encouraging sign that there is a little humanity within us, but that's fast becoming the exception rather than the rule. And this ride toward the dark side only seems to be picking up speed.

Surely I'm not the only one who sees those sort of responses here. You only have to go back one page or less on this very board to see it. So is this an example of what we've become as a nation, where "love thy neighbor" is something we only pay lip service to one day a week [if that]?

Is the heart of America really as cold, hard, and black as what I read here?

You said it much better than I ever could. wait a minute and I guarantee you that someone from one side or the other will be along to twist your post into a politcal rant.

Another good one Buzz!

You said it right man! Why do you think this economy is the way it is-everybody wanted to make money as much and as quick as they can. Forget about helping out one another and only look out for #1 is what I am seeing out there. Doesn"t it get sick and tiring when all you hear all day is about money! It seems everything and the only thing lots of people are concerned with today is money(root of all evil). Really sad!

Most likely it is, and man has no one to blame but himself. I just do what works for me, and I dont care what anyone else thinks or likes about what I do. I'll help people who really are trying to help them selfs, if there not willing to put in any effort, then go ahead and starve and freeze and suffer I dont really care. And as far as the bible goes youd have to be a fool to live by it, I mean other than the 10 commandants, even then, thou shall not kill, kill what, just people? slaughter houses kill every day, I live by those 10, the rest of the bible is for life the way it was when it was written. Like keep the 7th day holy,How many people work on Sunday nowadays>??

I hope not but I agree with your thinking. At times like this we have to pull together. That is what brought us out of the depression. Then tho everyone was in same boat now we have a fwew who think it doesn,t or won,t affect them.. Long enough it will touch everybody or someone in their midst

It seems the ethic has become "I got mine, so fxxk you!"

Viva La Revolution!!

Excellent way to put it, Money, The root to all evil. Of course thats why this country is like it is today, some only care about the all mighty dollar. Every election my grandfather would say" out with one crook and in with another" Every day the news is exposing fraud and lies, Here in NY our govouner said "we have to cut state spending" two weeks later hes giving his state emlployee friends huge pay increases. All any one ever does is talk about it, but no one ever does anything about it. I like the motto "talk with your fists and not your mouth" maybe then someone will listen.

Joe, maybe you slept through your US History classes...but Lincoln also said that about the nation. Obviously, he wasn't the first to say it by a couple of thousand years, but he did say it, in reference to the "union" of our nation.

And I don't seek followers. I don't have plans on leading anyone anywhere. I just stated my opinion,and asked if anyone else saw the same things I've seen...nothing more, nothing less. Looks like you're reading a lot more into my post than what I wrote.

I am a wildcat fan and my wife roots for Louisville, I thought that was what you call a house divided.

Dave

And how many calendars have you seen where Sunday is the 7th day, rather than the 1st day of the week?

Perhaps you should address your Bible questions to MN Joe, since he is much more expert than I am on what the words really mean.

I dont know! I thought it said to keep Sunday or the Sabbath day or 7th day holy. Anyway Im pretty sure it said keep Sunday holy. I am no expert of the bible, I only remember some of it,, and Im not trying to offend anyone who believes it.

the country is divided but it is the goverment people against the rest of us hopefully ae can beat them back before it is too late

If people looked at politicians for what they are, you would see that America is really not that divided. A lot of people just believe what one crook or another says and attach their belief systems to them when in reality, they are being used by the politician for the politician's benefit. If you were to strip the platforms and legislation of both parties of identifying material and present it to people who did not have preconceived notions of either side, there probably would not be a huge difference in people's opinions about those platforms and legislation.

I believe that we all (on this board) are pretty much centrist, and capitalists. The political parties both right and left push topics that we argue about. In person we all would probably get along ok. Dave

The difference is ultra liberals hate America and our western europeon, caucasion heritage, ultra conservatives hate goverment -- there are really not very many of either group. Most people that vote don't philosophically agree with the extreme members of their parties and that is the reason not many extremists of either party get elected.

Prov. 17:19

So true ,Now BuZZ ,, Ya got Me started on my rant of thismodern world , I am Certain You can Agree on Many Points . At the rate of decline We are witnessing, We will be lucky if Cival unrest Does not produce a lot of Dead People..
I Marval at the resourcefulness,INGUINUITY ,ambition , Can Do Enthusiasm, ANd most of ALL Patriotism of the Greatest GENERATION that tooled up and Fought WW2.
But They did not have to live under a regime of Businesses ,Unions and goverment that sold their Jobs overseas to Chinese and others that gave Money to them in Campaign Contributions,.. A goverment that Witnessed the LAMENESS of Securitys and EXchange Commission allowing us all to be ripped off by stock ,banks ,insurance,and Commodities Manipulation.., So many bad EPA regulations and redundant paperwork reporting burdens that Strangle and Rob the joy out of productivity .A tax system that does not encourage savings but promotes Debt and dispair , In 1939, CORRUPT Lobbiest did not Thrive or have near, the power in government as they do today. in 1939, Movies were Classics , Not Computerized Graphic Modern BS Garbage,... And Radio was a Young Talented Kid DJ who could sneak in Elvis or Hank Williams to do a live song without fear of being fired or sued by the mother Sydicate..Music Talent was real and more often inspired goodness that filled the Heart ,without modern acrobats , jumping ,Screaming obscenities, Confusion and Fireworks of arena concerts of today. Families,Parents that Lived and loved together,No matter what,.And took care of their own from cradle to grave, Without Goverment Help. Who raised Gardens , Chickens, Milk cows in their back yards without no concern for Modern Zoning ordinances. That Same family Could Pay their Druggist,GROCER, Family Doctor in Eggs,butter or Green Beans for Making a housecall for the common Cold ,.And Kids Knew it was Best To Always do Your Best, because they had never heard of Ritalin, And they Knew what a trip to the woodshed meant . ..
It Was Before USDA offices that could fine You more than they can Help You over a common practices that just a generation Ago made this Country Great ( PLOWING ). You could save Your Own Seed and Clean it And sell it to Your Neighbor or ship it to California without having to worry about being sued for PATENT RIGHTS and overly Cumbersome ICC regulations ... Cars had a different Look each Year and were usually better than the previous Year , Even though they Required A whole Lot More time and manpower . The 1st vehicle model hand carved of Wood (not computor modelGraphics) .
And if You Made your own Home brew And drank it No ONE cared ,If a cop noticed Your car at the bar , More often than not, He Would see You safely home upon Realizing You had too much to drink,Rather than throw you in the CLINK ... If the principal at your School saw you had a shotgun In Your Car , He would fatherly Ask You if You knew How to Use it Properly and responsibly ,And Would not Call The State Police and SWAT Team ..
Well This is My Frustration with this Modern Age ,, No doubt , Life Would had been Harder in 1939 , but Somehow it seemed to offer more promise in spite of All the unKnowns .. In Retrospect it Is far easier to Lookback on History and GOODTimes with fondness than to look into the dark or BRIGHT uncertain YET, unknown Future ,, I Yield

Well, ya got to recognize the nature of this board and the members of it. Of the roughly hundred or so boards I visit (homesteading, woodworking, welding, racing, etc), this is the most racist and bigotted.

No, I don't think the heart of America is as cold hard and black as you read on this board. Certainly this board is that cold hard and black hearted.

So folks having principles and living by them upsets you? I'm a Libertarian for the most part but I like Conservatives and Liberals that are true to their principles but find that those that are wishy-washy a waste of time. You know what happens to a dog the walks down the center of the road? He gets hit by traffic coming in both directions.

Well said.

I don't see any hate or racism here at all! What I see is a difference of opinion between those that wish to keep their rights and money and those that wish to take it away. It's that simple to me. All I hear from the Left is "you can't" and "we're taking this from you". True enough we haven't had any real conservative nnalert for a long time, but maybe having this fool external_link in the White House will change that. He sure hasn't done anything good so far.

That divided?

Before the Civil War senators literally beat each other to a pulp on the Senate floor.

In the 1960s and 1970s assassinations of political leaders were common while opposing splinter groups bombed innocents in attempt to sway policy.

The current puffs of hot air mean nothing. American will die with a wimper - not a bang.

Ya know...I've listened to Rush since 93. Listened to others along the way.I listen to NPR on the weekends. Gave up on Hannity 4 years ago because of his extremism. Gave up on Beck because he just got things in his craw that were incorrect and couldn't get rid of them. I quit listening to Rush the day after the election. Afterall,what's the point getting all emotional over something that's over and done with and there's nothing you can do about it.

I've found that I learned a lot listening to talk radio over the years,but that while I was listening,the emotions were constantly on high and I couldn't APPLY anything that I'd learned. If everybody would just tune this stuff out for a while,on BOTH sides,it would go a long way toward unity. I'll tell you,I understand where Tom 43,tlak and Trucker40 are coming from,I just don't agree with them. I don't think they could say the same thing. You have to agree with extremists of else,on either side. Somebody said a while back,turn off the TV and they continue to catch he!! for it almost everyday. But we'd all be better off if we would all ignore the talking heads and think for ourselves for awhile.

Kind of looks like she got the best of you last night,I hope she rubs it in.

I find that remark surprising coming from someone who takes others to task for violating his interpretation of scripture as it applies to contexts that could not even be imagined by the folks who wrote them down.

I should think you'd be glad that someone found a new, if metaphoric, application for a principle laid out in the scripture.

My wife and I were just talking about this very thing this morning. We were trying to figure out why these talking heads are so popular.

My concern is riots cause folks don't like to do without.

My two sons manage stores, both have been robbed in the last 2 months. One store robbed more than once.

Even Rodney King said, why can't we all get along.

I will have some respect for Rush when he agrees to sit down and participate in a legitimate debate. I would pay to watch that one.

More on the Civil War analogy...

My grandfather's grandfather came to this country from England with most of his family when he was 10 years old. When he was 29, he was serving in a volunteer regiment in the Civil War. I recently found a book that chronicles the history of that regiment. What I read there mirrors a lot of what I see on these boards.

During times of truce--such as when the terms of surrender were being negotiated at Vicksburg--the troops on both sides told jokes, exchanged gossip about both sides, and generally got along well. But mere minutes or hours before, they were willing to take the lives of one another, for what they believed to be right. And I suppose there's value to fighting for what you believe in, even fighting to the death.

But look at what America accomplished in the years after the Civil War, when the country began operating once again as a unified nation. Can you honestly say that we DON'T accomplish more when we can sit down and reason together, and work together? Prior to the 1860's the US was no more or less great than a dozen comparable nations around the world. It was only after we bound up our wounds, and put away most of our differences with our brother Americans, that we became the most prosperous and respected nation in the history of the world.

Today, it makes me sad that extremists on both sides of the political spectrum would sacrifice our very nation for the opportunity to say "I was right!" Compromise is no longer considered the province of the wise, but it's the ignoble home of the weak. In today's world, those on the extremes would have Solomon split the baby, rather than give in one iota for the sake of the greater good. It's all about "I got mine!",it seems, rather than about the greater good in our society.

And left and right are equally at fault. But as I said in other posts, it's easy to fix the blame; it's a lot harder to fix the problems that our country faces. If I thought I had the answers, I'd be at the front of the line trying to get the message out. But I'm smart enough to realize that I'm not wise enough to fix the current mess without causing other problems.

So I'm not out to lead anyone, contrary to what MN JOE suggested. I just want to ask people to THINK. Think about what would be best for America for the long term, and not just for the next week or the next month. It's expediency and short-term thinking that have put us where we are today; it'll be thinking and acting for the long term that will correct the course of our nation...or the lack of that long-term thought and action that will ensure our destruction as a nation.

Thou shalt not kill? Slight misinterpretation- the more correct form is :thou shalt not commit murder/unlawful killing. The nasty comment about -thou shall not suffer/allow a witch to live is also slight misunderstanding of translation from aramic/hebrew to Greek to Latin to English. Greek root word pharmacope(or something like that) got confused, the correct translation from the original - thou shall not allow a "Poisoner" to live. As noted-Greed/Love of money" is the root of much evil. Money can be a protection, handy to have along with a few other things- refer to Luke 22:36 -- Carry scriptum/purse/money, travel bag and sword(macharia). Now it might read have/carry cash, a gopack, and a .357 revolver. RN

Dont worry, MNJoe Im not comeing your way. Preaching is worse than politics!

Upside of this whole recession/depression thing. Maybe they'll have to lay off some people in Washington.

That would be "you're".....Slick.

The Moral Majority?