The American Spectator : The Worst Is Yet to Come

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The Worst Is Yet to Come

11.7.08 @ 6:01AM

Make way for the Obamalinsky Administration. Too white right. Blaming McLame. Plus more.

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OVERTIME
Re: Stuart Koehl's letter (under "KO'd?) in Reader Mail's Govern Us If You Can:

I ask for the patience of the editors of TAS one last time. The "filoque" controversy is probably an arcane matter to most of the reading public; but such is the way of the world that "little" matters turn out to be at the heart of many of the world's conflicts and tensions.

I have reread the very document Mr. Koehl last referred to ("Clarification on the Procession of the Holy Spirit") and found it to be an unexceptional example of such ecumenical documents -- especially those issued by the Roman Church. The very first part of the document seems to make a major concession; yet if one reads the entire document one learns that Rome is doing nothing of the kind. Mr. Koehl believes the Eastern Church is about to grasp victory in a centuries old disagreement; but even a casual reading of this and other publications from the Vatican shows that Rome still adamantly believes and defends the "double procession" of the Holy Spirit from both the God the Father and God the Son.

I still stand by my suggestion that John Paul II and Benedict XVI endeavor to bridge long standing doctrinal chasms by a faith that what appears to be two conflicting statements ultimately will be found to have "equivalent meaning" at some future date. This controversy is no different. Some may find this approach patronizing. I see it as respectful, generous, and a sincere effort toward a visible and united Church of all Christians. I don't believe it works "on the ground"; but it does help us understand what Rome is trying to do.

Lutherans are much more disposed to discussing and citing Scripture to explore questions in theology rather than calling forth ancient authorities. Nevertheless, as something of an outsider, it is apparent that the Latin Fathers are no less authoritative than the Greek Fathers within the deposit of the Faith. No less than St. Augustine taught the procession of the Holy Spirit from both the Father and the Son. Tertullian, Origen, and Ambrose the same. Among these one also has to consult the Athanasian Creed. These (especially the Athanasian Creed) are far more decisive for the Western Church than the fact the Orthodox Church is irritated and resentful that they hadn't been consulted a thousand years ago.

I am confused that Mr. Koehl is confused over Martin Luther's support/teaching/retaining the "filoque" in Nicene Creed. In spite of Mr. Koehl's snotty suggestion that Luther might have been ignorant, Luther's writings on the subject are readily available. Only a modicum of intellectual curiosity would put them at your fingertips to study.

Lutherans and the Orthodox have had a steady stream of discussions between them since the days of the Reformation. Lutherans have repeatedly offered a willingness to agree that the Nicene Creed in its original would be the only ecumenically binding version among all Christians. The Orthodox have one time after another refused these olive branches -- insisting "total surrender" as the only viable option. This attitude is puzzling to Lutherans. Equally puzzling is Mr. Koehl's triumphalism for the Eastern Church's "complete" theology about the Holy Spirit. Before the ineffable mystery of the Triune God, are we not all beggars?
-- Mike Dooley

GETTING REAL
Re: David R. Bass's The Campaign for Change Starts Now:

Let's get real here. Republicans have become what we called moderate democrats in the 1970s. Ronald Reagan was the last living Republican and Conservative. Today's so called conservatives agree with the loony left's basis for their spending and taxing policies.

Is there a Republican who doesn't buy into the philosophy that EVERY American has a right to medical care? No, of course not. Acceptance of that ridiculous premise is the foundation for the rejoicing in the streets among African Americans. As one young woman put it: "I don't have to pay my mortgage, or food or gas anymore!"

Conservatism is dead. If you need proof, look at Mitt Romney. They call him a conservative.
-- Jay Molyneaux
North Carolina

I'd like to keep Bobby Jindal in the Louisiana governor's office for a while, not have him chasing higher office right away. Besides the problems of perpetual campaigning and perpetual campaigners, so much so that by the time the election comes around you just want to be rid of them all...well, let's get Louisiana fixed first.
-- Robert Nowall
Cape Coral, Florida

SEIZE THE DAY
Re: Thaddeus G. McCotter's Now, Seize Freedom!:

Those principles are a great place to start. The problem is the party will continue to lose votes as incomes continue to be depressed. We can't all be "C" level execs at S&P 500 firms who make millions in the name of private sector superiority, yet give such a horrible raw deal to their brothers on the lower levels. If they will not pay a wage to live on and prosper, the people will always eventually chase a promise of security. Also, you can't have family values when both spouses must slave to keep food and shelter.
-- John Cupo

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Letter to the Editor View all comments (22) | Leave a comment

Appleby| 11.7.08 @ 6:33AM

Its the end of the world as we know it -- which has happened to me at least 6 times during my adult life and each time I have survived it. This time will be harder and I suspect it will take less time for the hoi polloi to discover, in the words of Malcolm X *ya been had.* And as we who have lived long enough can attest, when the hoi polloi discover that they WILL have to pay their mortgage, food, gas and other bills and they are STILL unemployed, fat and ignorant, the retribution will be swift and deadly.

The Chosen One will have more to fear from his own than from Whitey -- we will know we are getting just what he promised us; they will realize he is giving them nothing but excuses, is not inviting them to the White House (which will not be renamed the African-American House) and is in fact *Acting White* -- and anybody who remembers the Watts Riots, the Rodney King Riots, or if you live in Atlanta the Freaknik ... well, there was a book called The Fire Next Time and you better get a fire extinguisher.

frost| 11.7.08 @ 8:17AM

Love those Pabulum Puke words/solutions! Words like "inclusiveness" and "diversity" -- and "empathy?" Spare us, Mr. Morrow...
Better, words like cajones, guts, Guiliani, strength, and maybe Palin.
As long as the "right" is saddled with inept "leaders" like Dubya, Bush-the-Elder, McCain (and his Rick Davis blame-game advisors), the California clown-congressman who pandered by proposing a ban on the Morning After pill -- or the others who wanted to ban Internet Wagering, 'n thought they were "watching out for us'ns..."
Face it, gang, we're in mighty serious trouble, and those words like "inclusiveness," "diversity" and "empathy" make me wanna throw up.....

IMKessel| 11.7.08 @ 12:09PM

Mr. Morrow,

Ideas do not come in colors. Conservative principles have been carried forth by people of great thought and understanding. Their countenance is not the issue, though many people outside of the Libertarian/Conservative circles certainly feel a compelling need to point out issues of skin tone. Could be a case of the kettle calling the kettle black -- if that is still allowed.

Marc Jeric| 11.7.08 @ 1:07PM

The fault is in us, as the Bard said. Bush with his "compassionate conservatism" and "ownership society" has been a proverbial wimp. He left some 6,000 Clinton appointees (including 53 District Attorneys and the CIA Director) to continue working in the government, to undermine his aims (you remember how that disbarred felon Clinton fired all the District Attorneys?). He did not mention 550 tons of enriched uranium found in Iraq that were transported to Canada; that would have put the end to the far-left cry "he lied, soldiers died" and to the lies of Wilson/Plame debacle. He advanced the socialist programs by allowing subprime mortgage financial crisis and compounding it with his one trillion buyout plan. Then came the "maverick" McCain with his "my friends" BS that made me cringe every time I heard it. Bush I was a wimp, Bush II is a wimp, and McCain would have been another.

ThinkTank| 11.7.08 @ 1:35PM

Ha ha!
Spectator readers are just so cute with their apocalyptic visions of National Socialism and prison camps for conservatives.
Yep - it's all a big conspiracy. Obama the anti-Christ will be coming to load you into cattle cars any day now. Keep on believing it

P. Aaron| 11.7.08 @ 2:02PM

Hey ThinkTank; Obama ain't the 'anti-Christ. (I am sure he'd like to think he's at that paygrade) Obama represents the party that is against individual liberty. Y'know, those 'God-Given' ones outlined in the Constitution...that old white guy document.
The 'One' will stay out of it, but his allies will do the dirty work of making the dissenter's life miserable.

ThinkTank| 11.7.08 @ 2:23PM

He's against individual liberty - how? Oh yeah, he proposes raising taxes on the rich.

Folks - you're facing a ONE TRILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT THIS YEAR! Are there any REAL fiscal conservatives left in your country?

Get real - if you want to balance the budget, it's gonna require tax increases in addition to spending cuts.

Get serious about your country's future. It's not a game

Red Neck| 11.7.08 @ 3:42PM

Brains in a Tank:

For starters, Obama could give some thought to the Laffer curve, if he wants the Treasury to be remunerated more robustly. But he might need a Republican to explain it to him. If he just wants it to LOOK like he's spreading the wealth, he'll do as well to punitively tax Joe the Plumber.

Red Neck| 11.7.08 @ 3:53PM

BinT:

Oh, and one trap of offering such a big bail out in the first place is now that everyone in sight of that honey pot is coming to Uncle Sam with their hands held out. With the place simply lousy with Democrats will they be able to say no? Recall that Obama actually twisted the arms of the black caucus, who didn't want to give that much dough to "the Man."

frost| 11.7.08 @ 4:51PM

Water under the bridge, almost, the Dubya Debacle -- Mr. Jeric was not only "right," but 100% correct. I've used the word "betrayed" about both Bushes; their so-called "Compassionate Conservatism" has been appropriately termed Liberal Lite. Never expected much from Bush-the-Elder, but NEVER have I been as disappointed as with Dubya!

ThinkTank| 11.7.08 @ 6:16PM

Take a page from Canada - the place most of you call a 'socialist paradise'.

Our feds have run a SURPLUS budget for 14 consecutive years.

Your government has been recklessly cutting taxes and running record deficts - and that was DURING the good times! How bad you think it's gonna be now?

I'm a Canadian and a strong and proud conservative - but a fiscal conservative. You all seem to have forgotten the most important tenent of the movement.

DJ| 11.7.08 @ 6:35PM

ThinkTank said :

"Ha ha!
Spectator readers are just so cute with their apocalyptic visions of National Socialism and prison camps for conservatives.
Yep - it's all a big conspiracy. Obama the anti-Christ will be coming to load you into cattle cars any day now. Keep on believing it "

I'm not worried about it, they can try to come get me. I'm a libertarian I've been preparing for a totalitarian government for years! :)

DJ| 11.7.08 @ 6:44PM

ThinkTank | 11.7.08 @ 1:23PM
He's against individual liberty - how? Oh yeah, he proposes raising taxes on the rich.

Folks - you're facing a ONE TRILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT THIS YEAR! Are there any REAL fiscal conservatives left in your country?

Get real - if you want to balance the budget, it's gonna require tax increases in addition to spending cuts.

Get serious about your country's future. It's not a game "

Obama is against indvidual liberty, he voted for a FISA law that violates the 4th amendment. He wants Americans to undertake against their will "community service" projects. Some guy named Adolf back in the 1930's was a big fan of "community service"

Ron Paul proposed a federal budget that would eliminate the personal income tax for everyone. Don't tell me we need tax hikes. Eliminate the IRS, DEA, FBI, CIA, Dept of Education, NASA, Homeland Security, all of the Foriegn Aid, The Iraq War, "Green" energy subsidies and put a stop to any and all future stimulus/bailouts and you will see the debt paid off in no time flat.

DJ| 11.7.08 @ 6:47PM

How silly of me, in the heat of my rant I forgot to propose abolishing medicaid, medicare and social security.

ThinkTank| 11.7.08 @ 7:00PM

DJ - I'm somewhat of a libertarian myself... but look what happens when Wall Street bloodsuckers run the show without government oversight?

You can't be serious about this list. America is already falling behind in education, and you're advocating privatizing schools?

No more intelligence community? That will help when the next 9/11 strikes.

You missed the most obvious department to cut back though. I'm speaking of course of the Defence Department.

You know their budget for 2009 is $650 BILLION, right? And look what they're asking for: high-tech weapons like the F-35. Meanwhile, the enemy is fighting you with a $10 rocket launcher...

ruth| 11.8.08 @ 3:01AM

We have enough native born ass-hats to deal with, do we have to listen to foreign ones, too? The government (Dodd, Frank) bullied banks into making bad low-income loans, it was the liberals' social engineering that started this mess; they needed the oversight. Public schools are failing, as you stated, why shouldn't private schooling be added to the mix? We won in Iraq and haven't been attacked since 9/11, may be this time it will be your turn to feel the heat. Mind your own business.

Theresa| 11.8.08 @ 7:20AM

Think Tank:
Get real - if you want to balance the budget, it's gonna require tax increases in addition to spending cuts.

-------------
With the new President Elect we will get half of this done - raise taxes. He will not cut spending. Yeah he may redistribute spending but not cut spending. Well maybe just maybe we can pull out of this in four years without facing a depression. Why don't they say those words anymore I have heard the word depression since he won the election

Theresa| 11.8.08 @ 7:24AM

The reason McCain lost this election:

BAILOUT

The reason Obama won the election:

MESSIAH

The reason we will all pay for both of these:

NEITHER ONE WILL BE PROVEN TO BE TRUE

DJ| 11.8.08 @ 12:02PM

ThinkTank :

Of course the defenSe (i know you canucks spell it with a C i'm just having some fun with you.) budget needs to be slashed. I sort of assumed that went without saying. You can take 120 billion a year off that by stopping Iraq. Getting our troops out of Germany, Japan, Korea and Cuba will save countless more billions of dollars.

Military Intelligence and counter terrorism can be handled by the military. All the CIA does is meddle in the affairs of foreign nations. That's why the world doesn't care for us too much.

Where I live in Broward county florida the gov spends aprox 10,000 dollars per kid per year on public schools. Private schools provide a superior education for about 5 - 6,000 per kid.

We can take care of our defecit within a few years if we tighten up and eliminate the bull crap our government spends money on.

DJ| 11.8.08 @ 12:02PM

ThinkTank :

Military Intelligence and counter terrorism can be handled by the military. All the CIA does is meddle in the affairs of foreign nations. That's why the world doesn't care for us too much.

Where I live in Broward county florida the gov spends aprox 10,000 dollars per kid per year on public schools. Private schools provide a superior education for about 5 - 6,000 per kid.

We can take care of our defecit within a few years if we tighten up and eliminate the bull crap our government spends money on.

Thomas| 11.9.08 @ 12:55PM

DJ,

I applaud your Libertarian ideals. And while we can certainly phase out many Federal bureaucracies, there are valid reasons for keeping some of them. The CIA, with proper oversight provides a second source of intelligence reports for the President. It is wise not to rely upon a single source of intelligence when making decisions, Verification is a must. As for recalling all military forces from around the world, that might have been advisable in 1830, but it is hardly a valid solution in a world where a man can move halfway around the world in 17 hours. Social service agencies are fair game, however.

As for Think Tank, pay him no mind. He is a proud citizen of a once great country, the People's Republic of Canadastan. He should be careful, though. Canadians may have to pay true market value for their drugs when the U.S. consumer no longer subsidizes Canadian meds.

Ed Morrow| 11.11.08 @ 2:00PM

I was just contacted by a friend who asked me about a post by “Ed Morrow” on this site. Since I am also an “Ed Morrow,” who has advocated conservatism elsewhere online, he was surprised at its contention that conservatives don’t know the value of “inclusiveness, diversity and empathy.” He feared I might have contracted Christopher Buckley-itis or Peggy Noonan Syndrome. The post remarked negatively on the “sea of white faces” at the Republican convention. This oblique insistence that anyone who didn’t vote for Obama is a racist is itself a glaring example of racial divisiveness. While there are kooks in every corner of politics, legitimate conservatives base their acceptance on ideology, not skin color. Any ethnic group is welcome if they share conservative views. If you believe otherwise, please identify a conservative non-white who has been barred from conservative circles because of their race. On the other side, liberals love identifying themselves with virtue while demonizing anyone who diverges from their way of thinking, using race- or sex-based tactics they would bitterly decry if used by conservatives. Ask Michelle Malkin how vile Asian stereotypes have been used to attack her. Ask Walter Williams or Thomas Sowell or Clarence Thomas how many times they’ve been called “Uncle Tom.” In addition to race-based attacks there was plenty of sexism in the attacks on Sarah Palin’s appearance, "Caribou Barbie" intellect, and wardrobe (Obama spent twice as much in a single hour on TV ads and no one asked how much his suits cost) or the criticism of her daughter’s pregnancy or Palin’s decision to keep Trig or even her choice to have a career outside the home. For that matter, ask Hillary Clinton if she thinks sexism was used by the Obamites to attack her. There was precious little “inclusiveness, diversity and empathy” in any of this—just a lot of sanctimonious hypocrisy.

A different, conservative Ed Morrow