31 Degrees Fahrenheit in Hell
I never thought I'd see the day when I would quote Ronald Reagan, but in the context of the pending election, this deserves as much play as possible. Via Sullivan [emphasis mine]:
"You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream - the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order - or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path," - Ronald Reagan, stumping for Barry Goldwater in 1964.Vote Democrat next Tuesday.
posted by Edward_ at
1:43 PM
4 Comments:
My God! Not only is it Reagan, but it's The Gipper speaking on behalf of Goldwater, major domo of the neo-cons! Man, is content mutable. ;)
That said....um, yeah, Reagan's (cough) right (grumble).
And, extreemism in the defence of liberty is not a vice.
the double e is an extreeeeeeme spelling, sorry.
Here's another quote attributed to Goldwater which shows the great divisions within the republican party.
"However, on religious issues there can be little or no compromise. There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God's name on one's behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.' Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of 'conservatism."
I'm weeping with joy over this post and its comments so far. (FWIW, the Goldwater quote about religion was made in 1981). I'll return the favor by adding an emphatic "good riddance": Key Evangelical Quits Amid Gay Sex Claim (AP):
The leader of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals, a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, resigned Thursday after being accused of paying for sex with a man in monthly trysts over the past three years. The Rev. Ted Haggard, a married father of five who has been called one of the most influential evangelical Christians in the nation, denied the allegations. His accuser refused to share voice mails that he said backed up his claim. Haggard also stepped aside as head of his 14,000-member New Life Church while a church panel investigates, saying he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."
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