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Goodbye Jesus

A Liberal's Memorial


The Paineful Truth

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On this anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, I thought it appropriate to remember a couple of his most memorable quotes:

 

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage—and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

This much we pledge—and more.

 

A rising tide lifts all boats.

 

Classical, progressive liberalism died with him and was replaced immediately with "The Great Society". Johnny, we hardly knew ye. How did we go from him, a Catholic capitalist, to today's deist/atheist socialists? Answer, the least noticed but most deleterious effect that followed his death was the socialist indoctrination instituted in our schools, while at the same time freeing many from the tyranny of religious ignorance. We just had our blind faith moved from religion to government. :ugh:

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It didn't seem to me that Paineful was confusing liberalism with socialism in this post.

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Really? The title and talk about the Great Society and the comment on daddy government threw me then.

 

In any case, I probably agree with her on her points about putting faith in the government. It's just a bit of a pet peeve of mine that when many rant about the "evil liberals" that they in reality mean the socialists. Liberalism is just that, an inclination toward personal liberty. The word has been misconscrued so much that it has lost it's original meaning when used in modern public discourse.

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My guess is that both liberals and conservatives have painted each other with unrealistic brushes. I also agree with that comment about transfering faith from religion to government.

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I hate the terms "conservative" and "liberal". They've become negative labels people use to pigeonhole people into groups.

 

"Liberal" has become synonomous with "socialist" and "conservative" has become synonomous with "religious fundy". They mean more than that, a lot more.

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It didn't seem to me that Paineful was confusing liberalism with socialism in this post.
No, he wasn't "confusing" them but saying they are the same thing. His exact words; " the least noticed but most deleterious effect that followed his death was the socialist indoctrination instituted in our schools..."
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I hate the terms "conservative" and "liberal". They've become negative labels people use to pigeonhole people into groups.

 

"Liberal" has become synonomous with "socialist" and "conservative" has become synonomous with "religious fundy". They mean more than that, a lot more.

I try to avoid posting merely to say, "I agree." However, in this case, by and large, I agree.

 

Classical, progressive liberalism died with him and was replaced immediately with "The Great Society". Johnny, we hardly knew ye. How did we go from him, a Catholic capitalist, to today's deist/atheist socialists?

This part indicates, to me at least, that Paineful is drawing a rather sharp distinction between liberal and socialist.

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Indeed, I am a classical liberal after JFK. The term was hijacked by his successor, Johnson, and those of a socialist bend (much as environmentalism has been away from those who actually care about the environment). Both terms, liberal and conservative, have been turned on their heads, so that I sympathize most with the fiscal conservatives and libertarians (wherever they've scattered to).

 

This BS goes back a long way. The Bolsheviks (meaning majority/bigger) were in the minority when they adopted the term.

 

I really wish you ditto head types would quit mistaking liberalism for socialism.

 

I am a dittohead, but the term only means that I listen to the show regularly. I agree with him about 50-50. My talk-show guru is Neal Boortz. He's right 98% of the time. High priest of the Church of the Paineful Truth, and he doesn't pull his punches like Rush and the wimpbat, Hannity.

 

In any case, I'm not the one responsible for mixing up liberalism with socialism. It is a natural assumption. Liberal=leftist, leftist=socialist, liberal=socialist. I don't like it either, and most modern liberals are socialists or worse, so I go with libertarian. Political/philosophical progressive, fiscal conservative, freedom first individualist.

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Thank you PT for the reminder of November 22, 1963.

 

I had not thought anything of it until you brought it up. For your having done so, the memory was completely refreshed. I was just 12 years old, and my father had taken me for a doctor's appointment that day. I was being examined at the very moment JFK took a bullet in the head. That day and the days to follow are still vivid in my memory. Walter Cronkite breaking down on live TV, the broadcast of the funeral procession, and that unforgettable picture of little JFK Jr. saluting his father's casket...

 

In the household I grew up in, he was a beloved figure.

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Hello DittoHeads one and all.

 

Like most of you I am an ex-christian. Ex-Catholic, actually. I loved the Kennedys and still do.

 

Unlike most of you, apparently, I am a Socialist. I detect some immature bullshit and ignorance about socialism and socialists. I am a Progressive Socialist; that is, an American Socialist. I am also a Capitalist and decry Socialism in third-world newbie countries. In my humble opinion, countries like El Salvador, etc., need to be Capitalist for a while and then slowly work up to Socialism. Nevertheless, I am a big fan of Daniel Ortega.

 

I am altogether a big fan of the new wave of leadership in South America also, particularly in the person of Hugo Chavez. It takes huge balls to tell the USA (in the person of George Bush) to fuck off.

 

In the past our government would just have sent the CIA in to murder him, as they murdered Salvador Allende and Che Guevara (yes I do know that it was actuallythe Bolivian Army who killed Che). But in these times the eyes of the world are everywhere, so Amerika is just a little bit hampered in its traditional meddling murderous ways. These days we go in for outright invasions.

 

By the way, don't forget where the "aristocratic" Kennedys' money came from. Joseph Kennedy was just another Irish rum-runner, with his three Scotch Whiskey-laden boats anchored off Nova Scotia as he had advance knowledge of the imminent repeal of Prohibition. My Chivas and I thank him for that.

 

"Socialists or worse," you said. Thanks for the chuckle. How very provincial you seem.

 

I was in Japan when JFK was murdered. I was in just the second year of my enlistment in the USAF Security Service (USAFSS), now Air Intelligence Agency (AIA). It was night-time and I had been out, drinking beer and farting around as young men do. When I got back to the base, we were on "Red Alert" and stayed that way for a long time.

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