Where are we? Where are we headed?

[M]

Reprinted with permission of the author;

If you want, see the video 'sirens song' on You Tube, it compliments the theme of the post; https://www.youtube.com/embed/ujAfhLLVM7E for in my humble opinion they who are running are simply singing a siren song to gather our votes without intending to do what we expect them to do. What America needs so desperately are Statesmen, not Professional Businessmen/Politicians at this critical juncture in

Sitting here on March the 5th, I am seriously considering throwing in the towel. I don't know how to effectively oppose the monied powers that seem to have already chosen Trump and Hillary as the choices they will give us for the office of President. I have contended since 2009 that the people needed to get realistic about the Primary process and pick their candidates. this has not happened yet. I am thinking that we as a people are eliciting the Mob Mentality that has an IO of 50. I don't know the exact date that American Citizens decided to abandon their birthright, but it must have been in the last 70 years or so, and it may also have gone back 130 years.

We are faced with a situation that is reminiscent of Jason and the Argonauts when they were placed between Scylla and Charybdis. ( Look it up in Greek Mythology if you don't understand the overall meaning). We have absolutely no actually viable candidate for the Dog and Pony show that is the Presidential Primary. It looks like the Monied powers that be, have already decided that we will only be able to vote for Trump or Hillary. I shudder to think what that would mean to the continuing demise of our Constitutional Republic. Actually there is an alternative they have set in motion. We could be voting between Sanders and Trump, or Rubio and Hillary or Sanders, or even between Trump and Biden which would make the people sigh with relief, that is NOT conducive to restoring the Republic in my opinion. It's just another way to bluff the public.

I can see where it is necessary for the American Public to hedge their bets and install a buffer between whoever becomes the President and our real issues and desires for an American future. You would be amazed at how the Progressive left is brainwashing the no to low information public about us and the GOP.

Read this article from the avowed left CNBC news even though it's mostly a Trumptastic anti-conservative piece. My commentary to it will be in bold Italics within the article;

Source; http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-gop-must-die-ex-160828701.html

*

We have a very serious political problem in this country. Our system of government works best when it is balanced between roughly equal political parties, one on the center-right and the other on the center-left. 

"Who says that's the way our government works best? Seems that when the Socialist Democrats had a Super Majority they would have nothing to do with this tactic and now that they are not the majority they want to scream foul and squirm when the same thing is happening to them."

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Unfortunately, what we have is a centristDemocratic Party and a far-right Republican Party. Therefore, the system is out of balance, creating gridlock even as the public cries out for action on serious problems such as our deteriorating public infrastructure, epitomized by that in Flint, Michigan.

"Can anyone actually believe that the Socialist Democrats are a centrist party? Maybe they would be considered a centrist party if they were in Josef Stalin's politburo, but not here in our Constitutional Republic."

I believe that Republicans made a deal with the devil in 2009 when they embraced the Tea Party , a populist group who were just mad as hell and weren't going to take it anymore. In Congress , the Tea Party has been aggressive in destroying all the norms that made it work for more than 200 years. 

"It never ceases to amaze me how the Uber Left tries to spin and denigrate and demean anything that they don't agree with by using deliberately constructed rhetoric to achieve those ends, and shifting the blame for things they caused onto others, making those others scapegoats, and continuously villifying them. It's similar to when Leon Trotsky in 1927 coined the word RACIST to villify anyone who did not think as the Communist Party wanted them to think, similar to how it's used today."

The government was shut down, increases in the debt limit are constantly at risk, nominations to even the most minor administration positions are blocked and, now, the president has been denied the opportunity, which is his right under the Constitution, to name a new justice to the Supreme Court .

"Somethings really rotten here with the accusation of shutting down the Government and other things of note. It was Harry Reid rejecting out of hand any and all attempts to provide a budget that was the actual cause of the Government shutdown, in fact it was and still is Reid that is the Major Stumbling Block to Bi-Partisan cooperation in Congress. Bear in mind that no essential service like Social security payments or Government pensions were disrupted by the shutdown! This goes further to prove what the left will do to shift the blame from them to a hand picked scapegoat."

Flush with such "victories," extremists of all shapes and sizes were attracted to the Tea Party ranks—Christian religious fanatics, gun nuts, anti-gay bigots, nativists opposed to all nonwhite immigrants, secessionists, conspiracy theorists and, of course, racists.

" Need is say more on how the Progressive Socialist Democrats use their rhetoric to make anyone who is not in complete compliance with their Party Line as evil sub-humans and generally as lunatics?"

What binds them together is hatred. Hatred of government, yes, but also hatred of liberals, minorities, homosexuals, non-fundamentalist Christians, environmentalists, feminists, and many other groups.

" I ask you who is the haters here? Those who have legitimate concerns about the fate of their nation and want to correct what they see as critical problems? Or. Those who accuse anyone who does not march in lockstep with their goals and self aggrandizing agendas as haters?" "You actually get to choose what you believe here, which is more than the Progressive Socialist Democrat Elitists will let you do."

Donald Trump , to his credit, figured this out instinctively and pandered to it brilliantly. He channeled the anger and hatred of many whites on the fringes of the economy and society who blame "others" for stagnant wages and other real problems that Republican gridlock in Washington has prevented legislative action on.

" again it's the Socialist Democrat party that has traditionally been the stumbling block for proper movement of Government. How many time have the ultra Rich Democrats condemned the "Rich" for the financial troubles? They only condemn and talk about the "Rich" who are not part and parcel of their Elite Network.

Trump understood that these people didn't so much want solutions to these problems as someone in power to acknowledge their existence and give voice to their frustrations.

Nature abhors a vacuum and also abhors gridlock. Gridlock, in turn, creates fertile soil for fascism—the simplistic desire to get stuff done, much of which does need to get done—regardless of the political cost.

Trump taps into this desire very, very well with his long and carefully developed persona as a brilliant businessman who gets things done. He was perfectly positioned to capitalize on the true populist nature of the Tea Party, which cannot be easily characterized as either right or left in terms of policy.

Trump offers them a mishmash of left and right policies—attacks on the war in Iraq and promises of new public infrastructure for the left along with right-wing favorites such as big tax cuts and a wall across the Mexican border.

" Here again is the Pot calling the Kettle Black so to speak. On one hand the Socialist Democrats condemn the GOP and TEA PARTY  for not working something out, and when a candidate uses a pick and choose tactic that may work to alleviate some of the problems by drawing from both sides (like a bi-partisan compromise is supposed to do), they complain and readily condemn that candidate for their own nefarious purposes."

View gallery

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Mike Segar | Reuters. The GOP must suffer a massive defeat to be purged of the crazies that have tak …

Trump's opponents never figured him out and now it is too late as he is poised to win the Republican nomination. Many in the Republican establishment are horrified, fearing that he will lead the party to a historic defeat in November. I agree with their fears and that is why I voted for Trump in my state's primary on Super Tuesday.

" It seems to me listening to the complaints from both sides that both parties are afraid of Trump, not for the right reasons I might add, but because he is snookering them, and pointing out their basic faults, foibles, and self aggrandizing rhetoric."

Read More Super Tuesday takeaways: Winners, losers & questions 

I believe that only when the GOP suffers a massive defeat will it purge itself of the crazies and forces of intolerance that have taken control of it. Then, and only then, can the GOP become a center-right governing party that deserves to occupy the White House.

" I have to state my idea about that. The GOP Establishment is doing things that will lead to their dissolution by not listening to the majority of their constituents and holding a line mandated Karl Rove, which is totally out of date and is not valid any more since the paradigm has shifted."  

The death of today's Republican Party is, therefore, necessary to its survival, in my opinion. And Donald Trump can make it happen, which is why I voted for him.

" Here is another point, is not the Socialist  Democratic Party destroying itself by continuing to back Hillary in spite of all the negative and some downright illegal and possibly Traitorous things she has done that are still coming to light?"

" Furthermore, I don't trust the Donald to be the best that can be. I believe that we don't have any perfect candidates running in either party. I feel we must focus on loading Congress, State Legislatures, and even Local positions with true conservatives who will directly oppose the creeping Progressive Socialism that is rotting our Nation from the inside out."

Commentary by Bruce Bartlett, who served as domestic policy adviser to Ronald Reagan and a Treasury Department official under George H.W.Bush. He also worked on Capitol Hill for the late Rep. Jack Kemp. He is now a writer living in Virginia. Follow him on Twitter @BruceBartlett.

Finally a closing comment from one of my Mentors and someone I am honored to call a friend;

Where are we? Where are we headed? I honestly have no reasonable
conjecture? I fear, I question, I doubt...mostly I fear. Given that
reality, I work to tend best my own 'garden'. I prepare, i save, I have no
debt, I plan for a future of self-reliance and safety. I pray a lot. I
speak where I can have effect. I recognize sadly the chaos of the state of
our nation...I believe where I am is as stable a place as I can be living
among people who believe as I do. Our most important job is to load in our
library the history and the solution. I think there will come a time when
we sorely need them both.

Lady Boots

Think long and hard on these things;

The Tradesman

[Virginia Foulk]

Expresses my own feelings - though I will vote and against Hillary. Not because I support the GOP, not because I believe in Trump, or Cruz, or any other, but I must express my rights by voting. And can only hope that enough voters will stick it out and vote against Hillary Clinton. Then we will have to fight against the policy center of President, Congress and the Supreme Court. While we also fight against the colossal failure of the 4th Estate and our educational system.

[M]

Virginia,

None of those things failed on their own. They were systematically taken apart by the Elitists and the public sat idly by, Complacent and Brainwashed, believing the twisted lies and spin that the things being done were in our own best interests. Propaganda so carefully put out by those who want only to have absolute power, and in such a way, that we did not recognize them for what they were until it was too late..

[Rhodes]

Where are we?

On the cusp of collapse both economically and socially. That has been obvious for as long as I can remember.

We may count the process slow as viewed real time but consider it took other empires centuries to rise and fall this one has done both relatively quickly. I am not sure anything can be done to reverse it, far too many variables working here. It may be slowed to hope for a miracle but that has the potential to make it worse when it arrives.

Damned if you do damned if you dont aint no way to live.

 

Where are we going?

I_do-not-know. Neither does anyone else.

Like looking down into a dark pit, no way to see how deep or what is at the bottom.

Depressing? damn straight it is, bet Ron Paul is looking real good now....

[jack ludwig]

America's entire success was achieved in 50 short years, 1875 to 1925. All of the technical developments were accomplished during this period of time. Most of it were done in America because it had the best environment to allow innovation to be tried and it was done with primarily foreign-born scientist and engineers because they were not available in America. Those technical discoveries of those 50 years were the foundation for everything we have achieved so far. Technology is the solution to our problems today. Until we get back to being the leader in technology we will continue to spiral down to a lower grade country and be threatened by stronger countries.

[M]

Jack, 

I would push that back to 1913 when Wilson changed the Financial structure on it's head and Secretary Know simply declared the 16th as ratified. We have been going faster and faster down since then.

[jack ludwig]

yes M there was setbacks along the way, that will always be the case. I wanted to stress the importance of technology and education to show that is the fasted way to success for any country. Except those in the leadership of technology with bad intentions will prevent other countries from being successful. That is the state we are in right now. Many countries are holding us back because we are so far behind them.

[charles royer]

Trump threatens uncharted waters AKA "the silent majority". The republican establishment who don't even follow their own credo may be forced to accept a candidate they don't want.
This from RNC current website https://gop.com/platform/, what part have they followed in the last 7 years?
After the latest stunt by WILLARD will they have the balls to try and stuff the convention ? If they do they will face a rebellion like they can't imagine.
What have we learned so far? When one runs for potus they become liars & cheaters one & all.

Little Marco, Lying Ted  & Bull moose Trump all better than Mitt the CHOKER IMHO 

[M]

Yes Charles,

The Paradigm has definitely shifted. To what, I am not clear on yet, but it bodes no good for our nation unless we work together to maintain our beliefs in God, Liberty, Freedom and observe God's rules for us along with observing the rules of the constitution as it was originally intended. There is no real discrepancy between what God wants us to do and how we are supposed to live, and the precepts incorporated into the Constitution by our God Fearing and God Obeying Founders. Otherwise why would they protect the unalienable rights that stem from God, and codify blocks in our Founding Documents that were supposed to prevent the Godless Soulless government from infringing on them?

[charles royer]

Think voter fraud is not a problem?
Huffington Post: “Eight out of the 16 states that have held primaries or caucuses so far have implemented new voter ID or other restrictive voting laws since 2010. Democratic turnout has dropped 37 percent overall in those eight states, but just 13 percent in the states that didn’t enact new voter restrictions. To put it another way, Democratic voter turnout was 285 percent worse in states with new voter ID laws.”

[M]

Charles,

The new ID laws probably reduced the Graveyard vote, and the illegals votes.

[jack ludwig]

voter turnout for democrat primaries is never high unless there is something or someone in danger. In this case, Hillary is not in any danger of not getting the nomination and they don't need to vote until the general election which they will be out in droves like they usually do in presidential elections

[Virginia Foulk]

Jack - Question. Have you been following voter trends over the years? It appears that you have a handle on general happenings in elections. Just wondering. I never looked closely at the voting process over the years, now I'm wondering if that wouldn't be a good idea. Sure does seem interesting if a person is involved or enjoys following trends, especially of voters and voting.