No thanks, not a big fan of Tea anymore...

I can't believe I have to say this..."Harry Reid was right"...there...I said it.  Excuse me while I throw up.  Harry Reid prognosticated the demise of the Tea Party over a year ago when he said, "The Tea Party will fizzle out when the economy starts to improve." And oh boy...how the fire has gone out under the TeaPot.  I remember, hell I was screaming about how we would throw any GOP out of office if they didn't adhere to the strict principles of smaller government, cut spending, cut taxes and restrictions on businesses...and then...well, then presidential politics and FOX news started the war on "Anyone but Mitt".  The list of candidates who were truly fiscal conservatives was long...and not distinguished enough to make a run at the Mitt advertizing agency that is FOX news.  So what was needed was good old fashioned Tea Party enthusiasm...and we got...
   "Mitt is the best candidate to beat Obama."  "Mitt isn't really conservative, but he has the best chance to beat Obama."  "Mitt flops on a lot of issues, but he is electable."  Does anyone see how easy it is to dismiss true vision, true fiscal conservative principles, and jump on the GOP machine's band wagon based on the opinions of commentators who are only allowed to speak when a hand is shoved in their...sheesh!  What happened to "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!"  What happened to true conservatives willing to buck the system to make a statement?  I'll tell you what happened to them...they got in line with the rest of the Republicans and are willing to shut the hell up and HOPE we get CHANGE from a puppet candidate who is willing to say anything to get his shot at the White House and do the same things the past GOP presidents have done...the bidding of the GOP establishment. 
   "Oh, but who will we rally around?"  really?  You now ask that question when one by one, the true conservatives were drummed out of the race.  Ron Paul is the only conservative left...and you still don't know what to do, because you have been told he's a crackpot.  Shame on you, you deserve what you get, and when you cry wolf again, in four years...I will say what Harry Reid said about you Tea Partiers...you are just whining about the economy, but you don't have conviction.  You aren't new, you aren't "reborn"...you are just a vocal part of the same old party of slightly less bigger government.  "But what about us...who aren't supporting Mitt?"
   You mean you Santorum characters who are ok with bigger government, as long as it bombs Iran, prosecutes porn sites, and wants dictatorial control of the internet content "to save the children"?   Why don't you be a fricking parent if you want to save your children?  Too hard?  Then let the schools and government do your job, and vote Democrat next time...so we can get to the tyranny we are heading towards.  I'm tired of the indignation from the "Right Wing"...who then fall into line with the most centrist/left leaning candidate, or his rival...the ultra religious/righteous spending machine who can't even win his senate seat, let alone 1/100th of the independant non-religious votes who are DYING for someone else to support that isn't one of these clowns.  What the hell does a conservative have to do to be able to not be ashamed of his vote?  Vote Libertarian?  But Ron Paul is a libertarian, and the media makes fun of him...so I need someone that won't get me laughed at...
   OK, fine.  One more time...I will help you out of this jam.  Not because I think Ron Paul is anything short of an American icon for freedom and principled government...but because he can't be on the Libertarian ticket, and shame on you for not having the convictions to support a man who lives his convictions.  You don't deserve to have him represent you.  But, back to saving your soul...who can represent you, while not being a throwaway vote and not embarrasing you with your friends.  Have you looked into Gary Johnson?  Have you?  "Wasn't he that Republican that quit early?"  Yes, he dropped out of the GOP race.  "He wasn't bad, but I didn't really hear that much about him in the campaign."  Yes, you sure didn't.  He doesn't have Mitt's advertising money...so he ran an old fashioned campaign with his record (which he is proud of), and not bashing the fruntrunners...but challenging them to be compared to a real conservative.  "But I'm still throwing my vote away, he's a libertarian and can't get elected."  If you vote for Mitt, and lose...you have sent NO message to Washington, except that you are willing to give your vote to anyone they prop up if they lose an election every 12 years or so to a radical socialist...so basically, you are HELPING democrats by not forcing the process to embrace TRUE conservatives.  You want to waste one vote, or your ability to ever vote for a respectable candidate?  Up to you, but the upside to this election being Waterloo for the establishment, is that it can turn the tide of the WAR on America in favor of true conservatives...and isn't that what the Tea Party was all about?  Throwing out the bums, and giving Americans who care and are representatives of US a chance?  Well...time to put up, or just get in line and take it.  This is the moment our Founding Fathers KNEW would happen, and they set up our system to allow us, YOU AND ME, to take back our government...and it takes courage.  Join that fight, say no to STATUS QUO.  Abandon the party that has abandoned you, and make a stand.  It has to happen, and it will.  The question is, do you want to help sink the ship while there is still time to save it, or do you want to join the fight for freedom. 
Personally, I just wanna shove those words Harry Reid uttered, so far down his throat.  We aren't done, we aren't quitting, we are just getting started Harry...you ain't seen nothing yet, and YOU won't see what happens next until it is too late.  Revenge and Tea...are best served COLD. 

-REV

Are you patriotic?

What is patriotic?  What do we associate with patriotism in 2012?  What did we consider patriotic in 1983?  1955?  1863?  Does "Patriotism" change?  In the 50's, being against communism, loving mom and dad, and apple pie was "American", but was it patriotic?  In the 80's, smashing Honda Civics, rock and roll, and rubic's cubes were "American", but were they "Patriotic"?  The question is not meant to define which era of American history was more patriotic, but rather, what is the meaning of patriotism, and how (and SHOULD) we go about showing it?  Websters Dictionary says a Patriot is one who loves his/her country and supports its authority and interests; and "Patriotism" is love for, or devotion to, one's country.  But is blind patriotism good?  Jefferson said we should challenge the authority of the gov't, so is that unpatriotic? or is there a difference between the interests of our government, and our country?  Clearly our country doesn't want the graft, insider trading, tax evaders and endless corruption the members of our government perpetrate on us through the government...so is it patriotic to hold our representatives in government accountable to OUR standards...since it is WE THE PEOPLE who are our government?
     If so, then maybe, just maybe, it ISN'T patriotic to go along with all the wars these corrupt politicians get us into.  To see a "Support our Troops" magnetic ribbon on an SUV, right next to an "Obama Biden 2012" or "Romney/Santorum/Newt whatever 2012" sticker makes me think that if you really care for "our troops"...perhaps we should support a candidate who doesn't want them sent into hostile foreign countries with the goal of...well, actually I don't think we have an actual goal...maybe "kick ass?"  When Sherman drove to Atlanta, he burned, killed and destroyed every damn thing he could in order to break the will of the South.  This was brutal, and effective.  He did not go house to house looking for people wearing the wrong color uniform, or stop by the churches to see if they could point them to the "bad guys"...he brought Cronos' Sickle to the fight, and let god figure out who was guilty...because it is not the job of the military to build roads, water and power utilities, and protect religious artifacts...it is the job of the military to blow stuff up and bring the enemy to their knees in order to obtain an unconditional surrender.  I'll say one thing about the emperor of Japan in the 1940's...he wasn't going to surrender to the USA unless 400,000 of his citizens were vaporized in a matter of seconds.   "War is hell"...but at least you only have to do it once.  Right now, we have children of people who served in Afghanistan signing up to join the military and join the fight.  Are we stupid?  or are we "patriotic"? 
     If we truly love our country...truly...and want what is best for our COUNTRY, not our political figures, military contractors and foreign leaders getting American money in exchange for their "help"...we would bring our troops home to get jobs, raise their kids and be productive members of society.  And if we truly love our troops, and want what is best for them...then we need to stop sending them into unwinnable situations with politics trumping military strategy.  If we support our troops, then do this one simple thing...and I don't care if you are Republican or Democrat...do this:
If you HAVE NOT donated to a political party or candidate...take your checkbook and look up "Wounded Warrior Project", this is a private organization dedicated to truly helping our kids who have lost legs or other parts, or have been burned or even worse, had serious emotional trauma and need help to do the simplest of things from tying their shoes, to learning how to speak.  This is patriotism, my friends.  And if you have already donated to a party or candidate, match that donation to this cause.  These kids who went to fight, they are not getting the help from YOUR POLITICIANS and they need your help more than some bastard politician who uses them as pawns for their own good.  I'll be damned if I could live with myself if I espouse the tenets of either major political party and then claim to be "patriotic" or have a bumper sticker on my car saying I support my troops...so if you feel you are a patriot...then do what is right for the country...not your political party.  It's the least you can do to support the troops you are helping send to face what we can't bear to think about.  "War is Hell", and they suffer while we bicker about 1% of this, and $4 gas.  I support our troops...without supporting our politicians.

_REV

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel...samuel johnson

Why do we call someone who cheers for war, a patriot; but want of our youth to be home raising their kids and sleeping in their beds...we are called horrible things? I dare call any man who prefers our soldiers in far away lands doing the bidding of politicians, a man no more than a moron is a scholar. True patriotism is shown when we welcome home those who were sent into harms way for no more good than whistling into a hurricane.
The great Alexander was at war for decades, and through it all he sent tribute, plunder and trophies of his conquest to his home...and the progress that has come from centuries of learning...is now, after we fight and conquer...we send our money to those lands we have fought in. Oh, civilization, how much better do we sleep knowing we have literally paid for our sins.