Khalil Gibran (1883-1931) is a highly regarded Lebanese mystic and a Maronite Catholic whose profound writings and insights centered around Christianity and a belief there was a seamless existence between all faiths. One of his books, The Prophet, has not been out of publication since its 1923 release and has now been translated into nearly 50 languages. More on Mr. Gibran in a minute.
In the interim it might be instructive to peek under the circus tent and see what the carnies are cooking for the Occupy Movement, especially when the intent of that collection of court jesters and flimflammers is to be recognized as a Political Action Committee. One of the movement’s “ministers”, John Paul Thornton, recently said the purpose for forming the PAC was to be able to raise unlimited amounts of money so as to be able to combat the unlimited amounts of money that influence politics, before adding such a mission might seem a bit “counterintuitive.” Apparently, the word “hypocritical” is not in Mr. Thornton’s vocabulary. If successful in bending enough laws to qualify as a PAC, the movement will be the first to list “envy” as a motivating force for its creation and “sloth” as its ultimate objective. Rumor has it that the New Black Panthers are next, with a stated mission of thuggery and voter intimidation and an attorney general who has already signed off on the project.
First of all, occupiers do not represent the majority of Americans, a vainglorious, unchecked presumption excused by the lilliputian minds that litter today’s media, and an insult to 99.99% of all taxpayers. It might have seemed like a swell idea for people of their ilk to write a college thesis on how gays and lesbians influenced the Ming Dynasty, but such an indulgence was never undertaken to provide a path for self-sustenance. Instead it was a forum selected specifically for a pseudo-intellectual purpose with the ultimate intent of commiserating with like-minded idiots who squandered 8 years in undergrad programs analyzing cave art. Too harsh?
Not harsh enough. Conspicuously missing from occupiers’ rag-tag group of miscreants and reprobate are current and ex-military personnel and people who went to school to learn a practical trade. Nobody in uniform. No plumbers, electricians, roofers, framers, pipe-fitters, plumbers, or sheet metal workers to be found. Why? Because serious people pursue education or a path for their lives with a result in mind. That result is to provide for themselves and not be covetous of their neighbors or to look to others to change their diapers.
People who became successful did not pursue their dreams with a proviso that one day they would become the host upon which all underachievers could suck for nourishment. Instead, oftentimes against unimaginable odds, they sacrificed their time and energy to first provide for themselves and their families, and then, after driving themselves relentlessly for 25 or 30 years found prosperity, often to their own surprise, for they were dedicated to a cause and not the end game of wealth. I have a close friend who was the youngest of 13 children, none of whom had the benefit of a “formal” education or being able to discuss the essence of being in wi-fi coffee rooms. He began as a lowly sheet-rocker and now runs a successful contracting firm. Like so many others, he is another “30-year-over-night-success”, the very person the parasites repeatedly vilify, and whom the current administration whacks like a piñata.
Proposing an endless number of bureaucratic impediments and restrictions on a specific class of people is inconsistent with the very concept of liberty, while conversely, destroying property, urinating and defecating in public, and singing “I Don’t Want To Work. I Want To Bang On The Drum All Day” is not a platform for change that anyone could or should take seriously, unless of course one is counted among the prostitutes and enablers that comprise today’s media, or a subversive public official who promotes national discord from a lofty perch in Washington D.C.
A plan to rule is the antithesis of a plan to lead. Once the legerdemain of Blame it on Bush ceased to provide cover for an unqualified president the mantra of Blame it on The Rich was adapted in hope that a new lie repeated often enough will somehow morph into the truth. Impossible?
Hardly. Nearly any American with a modicum of historical knowledge would credit to President Kennedy the prolific quote “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”, when in fact Kennedy stole the line without any attribution whatsoever from a piece written by Khalil Gibran in 1925 entitled The New Frontier: Are you a politician asking what your country can do for you, or a zealous one asking what you can do for your country?
A dissembling president and assemblage of wash-outs and flunkies consider themselves the arbiters to define the amorphous concept of “fairness.” It is high time, instead, to expose them all as artless posers who see anarchy and Marxism as solutions.
Think I’ll get a sign that reads “I’m one of the 53% who pays taxes.”
Fantastic article Dan! I couldn’t agree more! Interesting how they are nothing more than Obaminions working for the original ‘Occupier’ himself – the Kenyan Communist! I, too, know more people who are successful & made it thru hard work, good ideas or a combination thereof. These lazy slugs are the personfication of the 10th Commandment: (EX, 20:17) “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s. “- KJV.
We agree on virtually everything.
The question remains: can you name a president in our lifetime that was a weaker leader?
I can’t, and go right back to the cusp of HST/DDE.
If you go back to “Give ‘em Hell” Harry Dan, that’s not last week’s picture of you. Or you’ve taken much better care of yourself that I.
Can you imagine the soul searching he had to do over the atomics? And he was alone when the answer came to him. And “The buck did stop here”. No matter how valid his thinking was, he had to live with it. And then with the most powerful military in the world, held McArthur back. In my mind, a truly great leader.
Kennedy was greater than he had the chance to prove. And he screwed up some whoppers like the Bay of Pigs. But he also faced down Kruchev. That took some backbone. I liked Dubya and especially his dad. Had to or they would have taken away my Texas membership. I was broken hearted when he didn’t invite me to make that jump with him.
And it looks like I wasn’t totally wrong now that history is playing out. When people say that we are the first generation to leave our kids worse off than it was, I don’t think they really know how true that is. And I’m not talking about the little house with the white picket fence.
The pic is only six months old and the lighting was good. The rest is genetics from two great parents whom I dearly admired———and I have a lot more white hair than Pops did when he passed.
I regret to this day that Herman Cain got run out of town. He’d have been the breath of fresh air this country needed, very much ala HST.
I sure don’t see any better horse in the race than Mr. Cain. Maybe his competition saw a little too much competition in him, so broke out the slander machine and buried him. It looks like once again I’m going to have to vote for the lesser of what I consider two evils. How does the GOP always manage to pick from the second string?
I used to think Jimmy Carter was a national embarassment over his handling of Iran & unleashing radical Islam on the world, but THIS macadamia NUT in the White House is a total disgrace over allowing it to spread and aiding & abetting the terrorists. If that isn’t high crimes & misdemeanors, I don’t know what is….
Macademia nut.
I like it.
Big Jim says: Once again nailed it to the post,instead of using the old hammer and nail,you are now using the automatic nailer and getting through to this tired old man.I’ve seen it all ,heard it all from these “wanna bee’s”that run for office.Your usage of the guy that took thirty years to make it is refered to as an over-nighter(by the regime)hits home.This past three years are so wasted,that I want to go hang-chow.We could be so far ahead,but we are stymied by this Kenyan Kreature and his Chicago palooka’s.How about the bin-laden incedent/same week end his pre-school type birth certicate surfaces………
We need more Big Jim’s, and a whole lot less of what else is going on out there. Thank you for reading.
I so enjoy this forum of thoughtful, articulate folks. Thank you Dan and Mychal for your work focusing us on issues and options. Thanks to sumitch, caveman, BillSr, Marilyn et al. for cogent thoughts.
I worry that we play Lear howling at the storm; articulating our arguments with the ‘artful dodgers’ of the left; anticipating they listen or understand. We want to reason with unreasonable / unreasoning people who have no love for the truth nor our constitutional republic. Rather, they are in love with their thoughts and thinking; and this is narcissism. I’m not name calling at all, just calling a thing it’s true name by saying we are trying to discuss reality with dedicated psychotics = people out of touch with reality.
Nonetheless, thanks all.
Thanks to you, Doug.
I think the deepest darkest secrets kept are inside the polling booths, and that conviction tells me there’ll be a rout next November that rivals Jimmy Carter’s beat-down.
The only bad part will be this: obama and his wife (?) trying to resurrect his presidency in 2052——40 years after he got booted, just like “Jimma” Carter and his angry wife are trying to do to this day.
It beats having him as president, however.
Bad math on my part.
It only SEEMS like 40 years instead of 30.
DB
Dick Morris would agree with you on the route Dan. I know where my six votes for president are going to go. Or at least I think I do. I’m sure I know where they aren’t going to go. Three years hasn’t changed that conviction. I read that Sarah is considering trying to make a come back. Please no. You’re a lovely lady Ms. Palin, a fireball and an inspiration, but you’re not ready for prime time. Other than those that are fighting over who is the best of the current bunch (and if you listen, there apparently isn’t one), there are probably as many trying to get Chrisy or Jeb. That tells me that a lot of people aren’t happy with the current selection.
Not Christie. He reminds me of Huey Long. (large and loud) His politics are not mine. Anti-gun and others.
Not Christie. He reminds me of Huey Long. (large and loud) His politics are not mine. Anti-gun and others. Why do you think Sarah isn’t ready?
There are a few things more of a deal killer than anti 2nd amendment. That’s one reason that Romney won’t get my vote. In the past he was anti keep and bear arms in the past and I don’t care what he says now, he’s still anti guns. What is it about the constitution and the Supreme Court that politicians don’t get. We have the right. If the argument is that people are killed by guns, first that’s a stupid reason. People kill people, not guns. And if we’re going to beat the killing of people, consider that more people are killed by doctors than by guns. Ban doctors.
Sarah is a show piece; her screaming about whatever’s on her mind reminds me of Hillary. Also because she’ll never carry the female vote. I don’t know why, but generally speaking, women don’t like her. Personally I do, but running a small population state like Alaska is a far cry from being prepared to lead the United States. And I’m not talking about her supposed comment that you can see Russia from Alaska. She never said that; it was the media that picked it up and blew it up. Getting Obama out of office is more important that putting another proof piece in office that we’re all politically correct
“Jimma” (with a nod to Dan Akroyd) should go back to building houses and heed the advice that Chris Cristie gave to Mr. Buffet. He could leave off the write a check part though. I used to think that he could be the best ex President we’ve had. After his presidency how could anyone think that his political advice was worth the time to listen to?
Thanks, Dan. Great Article! We will survive because there are more givers than wanters. There are more doers than do nothings. It will take good, sound leadership to help Americans work our way back to some kind of normalcy. “Freedom isn’t cheap.” It will take a lot of hard work to un-demoralize The People. Some will not like it because they have been on the “system” most of their lives. When the welfare checks stop coming in, those folks who do not like to work for a living will be completely angry. “Tough Love.” When the tree huggers find out that Al Gore is completely politically motivated, maybe they will pick up a few science books and actually read them. Suppose? And, when illegals find out that there is no such thing as a free lunch, they will head back to where they came from. We the People must give up our luxuries that are made in foreign countries and get back to manufacturing right here in the United States. That will not be an easy task since we have lost and losing manufacturing companies to foreign countries. For instance, in 2008, 1.+ billion cell phones were sold world wide – none manufactured in USA. In 2001 America has lost 42,000+ factories and each had about 500 employees when they were in operation here in the USA. If China continues to grow their economy, US loses over one half million jobs. Dell is expanding in China. About 900 jobs will be lost. The stats go on and on about the deinsdustrialization of the United States. And, we wonder why this has happened. Perhaps it was greedy company executives but some of it was due to Union demands causing manufacturing companies to find cheaper labor so they wouldn’t have to jump the prices of product. The Occupies started out peacefully. They were encouraged by Obama. Then the unions, as planned, and I think the new Black Panthers plus ACORN jumped in and began the foul mouths and fighting, urination and defication in the streets. The young followed suit. I encouraged the Occupiers to go to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue but no one listend. Some told parents to change the locks on their home doors. After many reviews of college History texts and some purchased books as “How Evil Works” by David Kupelian and some of Feldman’s/Friedman’s books, plus, “Angry as Hell” +++ It is a different view than when I was 19 years old…more light shed on what has happened and is happening today in the Judical, Legislature and Presidential branches. The books on Muslims are interesting, as well. I can’t keep bashing Muslim theory unless I know what I’m bashing. Some of that topic is covered in How Evil Works… like Obama’s apology for burning the korans that just showed how the US is weak and instigates more hatred from the idiots. I digress.
Sure proves the rule of unintended consiquences doesn’t it Marilyn? They fight and pressure themselves up to $22.00/hour for driving a fork lift, so the company starts looking for ways to save money and personel is always an easy answer. So they see that they can’t reason with the unions, but they can move to a right to work country. So now the unions not only don’t have the $22.00/jobs, they don’t even have jobs. And it’s still the fault of the management. Maybe they need to understand the 30 years referenced. Just maybe managment deserves their “bloated salaries”. I would draw the line at the $40MM given a couple of years ago as a ging away present. The justification being that he had been a loyal employee for 4o years or something like that. What did he do? Work for nothing?
Dan: the bottom line is always the same…success is not defined by monetary outcome…success is defined by the integrity of the commitment to do the absolute best you can in all you purpose to do…
How is it written Mychal? It’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get into heaven? Something like that I think. So maybe the money isn’t what people should be working for.
:O! Dan, you ARE an AWESOME WRITER!!! Sure wish you could write about something ELSE. ;( But so glad you have taken up “the Sword”! I love getting both you and Mr. Massie on the same ‘blog/web/online?’.
Mrs. JWB: You’re making me blush.
Thank you for reading and thank you for your feedback. It’s truly a pleasure to be working with Mychal.
I’ll guarantee you that since I’ve been coming in here and shooting off my mouth, with Mychal and Dan, I’ve had to re-educate myself on the English language. And that’s a good thing.
Regarding Khalil Gibran: “The Prophet” should be required reading for anyone with even just a taste of romance in them. It’s the perfect book to read while you sit under the spreading Oak tree next to a stream of clear water with a nice bottle of wine and your true love with you. Just a paraphrased piece of one of his writings: “Our children live in the world of tomorrow which we cannot enter…” That has so many meanings to me from so many directions I get dizzy thinking about it. It’s a relatively short book and easy to read. Richard Harris did a recording of part of it that’s more than worth listening to (if you can find it). Trust me on this one.
Sumitch, your email should say Wyle E. Coyote. Anyone who reads your comments realizes you know WAY more than you’re ever letting on.
Thanks,
Dan
Kind words Dan. I may not know as much as I have experience. That comes from 70 years of making mistakes and learning from most of them. Valuable information like “Don’t squat with your spurs on” or “Don’t pick up a hot horse shoe, coming from personal experience.
My personal best was keeping all my Rnron stock and options and not cashing them in ornot diversifying my portoflio because I got greedy and hung too long with my stock because it was splitting every year. Bid’ness 101 warned me about that. Pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered. Trust me on that too.
I try to not mimic Allaobama who seems to make the same mistakes over and over and somehow thinks the outcome will be different. Someone says that’s the mark of insanity.
The book, brook and tree are true from north Georgia. It was a magic day. I threw in The Prophet so folks wouldn’t think I’m a dirty ole man. I left out the cold fried chicken to try to add a little class. Now she’s unhappy in Virgiina. But at least I’m in Texas. That might make a great chick flick.
BTW, how would you like to take up payments on a Scarab II and a nice lake house on Texoma? There may even be a few gallons of gasoline in the boat.
I used to live in the Land O Lakes, Sumitch. They call it Minnesota, and all my buddies up there said the same thing:
The two happiest days in a man’s life are the day he buys a boat, and the day he sells it.
Excellent reminder, Dan, that there is none Righteous among us; no, not one. And as Reagan told us, “Trust: but verify”. There is a deliverance coming from the tyranny of these political pharoahs, but it may not be a palatable fix. We, as Free Americans, have sold our Liberty for the lie of ‘prosperity and peace through trusting others to be kings over us’. And now we are reaping the harvest of what we have sown. However, I smell God in the Air, and see Light on the Horizon. We’re not there yet, but, we are going in the Right direction. Thanx to messengers like you and Mychal, we are having to confront our love of leeks and onions, and the cost of that unholy ‘love’. Come Quickly, Lord, and awaken us from our egyptian stupor, and enable us to walk out of this bondage we have accepted, and called it prosperity.
We hear you Mychal
But is America listening?
There is no question but we are in for a fight to save not only our Religious Liberty but also to prevent our nation from becoming another chapter in the book of failed Marxists regimes and the misery which is always a part of such a would be theocracy. Any serious observer of history and power politics has to see that the current administration which is the culmination of years of liberal indoctrination in our universities and government public education along with progressive socialists in control of the media is determined to reinvent America.
The beast of bureaucracy took a long time to become visible to the general population. Behind the curtain of compromise used for cover, as one after another of our fundamental founding values, guiding religious precepts, and God given rights were legally and legislatively being stretched often in the name of Christian compassion to the limit of reason, the masters of deceit have constructed for a majority of the citizens a government grown economic dependency as well as a common code of conscience steeped in social justice swill and disguised as a benevolent utopian bureaucracy.
There have been many warning signs within our society over the past 40 to 50 years and alarms sounded by those wise enough to notice the first indications of the repetition of European political history in our own government. Not enough of us were willing to believe it could actually be happening and we thought with the defeat of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and their anti-religion regimes which had enveloped much of Europe the world was finished with Fascism and Communism. Wrong! Evil never sleeps. The disposed despots and their theocracy, beaten by armed force, vowed to rise and conquer us from within and we would “fall like over ripened fruit”.
Their labors up to now have provided them much fruit to harvest. We are now out of time as they have unwittingly been seated with the power they needed within the current administration which very obviously has used “crisis” creation followed by “emergency” measures and a rush to take PERMANENT CONTROL of banks, business, and various industries while its lock step congress illegally and unethically manufactures tons of legislation with hundreds of new agencies and regulations established within them destroying our economy and threatening our lives. We can pretend no longer our faith and freedoms are not in jeopardy or deny that the enemy is within and that their tyranical plan is to remain in power using whatever means are necessary.
Well said, Bill Sr. And spot on. My Hope and Belief is that ‘Americans’ are starting to hear. Slow? Absolutely, but none the less we are awakening to what we have created with our lethargy and indifference. And as Genesis reminds us,
NKJ Genesis 50:20 “… you meant evil against us; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save…”
Look up, America, for our Redemption (Awakening) draws near.
But we must be prepared to fight to regain our nation just as our forefathers had to fight to establish it. No one is going to give it back to us; we must take it. And it won’t be pretty. Don’t look for the easy path. It’s not there.