First point, I guess, is to remind one and all that DADT happened under Clinton. Not only am I well aware of that, I’ve never much trusted Sam Nunn since ‘93 since he was an early supporter of DADT; I’ve always seen that monstrosity as the embodiment of soft-headed eagerness to please and compromise that should be avoided by the current Democratic president.

As to whether repealing the policy would be a “breeze,” I think there’s no question (and I’ve acknowledged it myself) that opposition to discrimination based on sexual orientation can be softened if the right puts enough resources into re-framing it, and preying on some latent fears of fence straddlers. I don’t think it’d be enough to derail the legislation itself, but it might play well in some of the moron belt. Long term, per usual, it’d be terrible for Republicans but short term it might help them hang on a few seats.

Jefferson’s definition of restraint had an odd little hitch. He massively opposed a group of people getting together to form a CORPORATION to “restrain men from harming each other”

The founders beleived that a man was only entitled to the fruits of his OWN labor, and not the fruits of someone elses through wages. The usual circumstance during their time was an
apprenticeship, where the student worked for a business owner for his complete keep. Food, room and board…basically a LIVING wage. As soon as the apprentice finished his tuition there were two options. They could leave and start their own business..OR they could become an EQUAL partner in their old masters business.

They knew that no man could make excess wealth by his own labor alone, and made laws that extremely limited the formation of corporations. Corporations could not operate interstate, and they were only temporary organizations that formed for a single business venture and then had to be dissolved.

Virtually all of Jeffersons statements about government not interfering with business refer to the labor of a single individual. In fact to be consistant with Jeffersons TOTAL ideas, the employer who pays an individual LESS than the full profit his work creates, would “take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned”

Cause that’s actually not the definition of a Democracy. If it was, we could hold an election now, and if we wanted to declare conservatism an illegal political position and only liberal parties could exist and run for the presidency, we could.

This is essentially what happened in Iran a few years ago. Iran, regardless of the general opinion, has been a democratic Islamic Republic. Each locale elected a representative from the clerical community, and then they get together to elect a “Supreme Leader” who would be the equivalent of a “Prime Minister” in a parliamentary Democracy. When “W” pulled his “Axis of Evil” speech, however, a state of emergency was voted on and the result was that they banned all but conservative parties from being able to run.

Our founding fathers created a long method of PREVENTING majority rule, but rather created a system in which majorities can make policies, but they cannot take away the rights of minorities.

The members of the military could not vote to deny gays to serve in the military because constitutionally the rights of minorities have to be protected in a Democratic Republic. Thus all sort of votes that require more than fifty percent plus one to pass, and all sorts of conditions where one branch can prevent another from having its way with a mere simple majority vote. The filibuster, for example, allows a minority, a mere 41 percent of the representatives, to block the will of the other 59 percent. The presidential veto can block the majority party from passing legislation.

Also we live in a nation where we purposefully require the military to be under CIVILIAN rule and rules. The military does not get to decide how it operates, the civilian elected government does, to prevent the sort of military dictatorships that always occur in governments where the military is independent from civil control.

It would be unconstitutional for those who are serving to decide who can and who cannot serve in the military. Thats why blacks were allowed to serve after the Civil War, and why women are allowed to serve. If it had been up to the troops of those days, neither of these would have occured.

When Truman integrated the military, there were large numbers, very large percentages of those in the military who objected to serving with them. Before hand, they were segregated.

He’s heard of it–he just doesn’t believe in it.

Have you heard a little thing in the U.S. called civilian control of the military?

“You people who would never voluntarily join the military, or who would run screaming and kicking if drafted, just aren’t qualified to make this decision for those who put their lives in harm’s way so that you may live safely in freedom.”

You mean like all the Republican chickenhawks who started the Iraq War?

You libs love to talk about how great “democracy” is; you know, the whole “majority rules” thing?

Fine. Let’s have a vote. Gays in – gays out – don’t ask, don’t tell. Pick one of the three.

But here’s the kicker.

You only get a vote if you are currently serving in the military. See, the people who have to live with the consequences of their peer’s actions should be one ones to have a say in this. You people who would never voluntarily join the military, or who would run screaming and kicking if drafted, just aren’t qualified to make this decision for those who put their lives in harm’s way so that you may live safely in freedom.

You aren’t their peers, so you don’t get a vote.

How about that whole “democracy” thing, now?

May 10th, 2009
12:56 am

I don’t watch Greta much anymore, but she’s developed a fascination with the Palins, almost as bad as Jay’s.

The fix is in?

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/42427

Obama is going to have to accomplish any reform by rewriting current regulations. Congress is paralyzed, and it will only get worse when the lobbyist get fully wound up. But maybe that’s the way the Founding Father’s wanted it.

Good night TnGelding.