Cowboy Talk

Posted By Grim

Today I had a leopard Appaloosa mare named Sequila rip the top rail right off a fence, trying to keep me from putting a saddle on her.  Later, I rode her up into the hills on a perfect afternoon.

I mention this because of Dan Froomkin's Wasington Post piece titled "Where's the Cowboy Talk Now?"  He says he'd like to hear some "some of that famous cowboy talk" from Bush on North Korea.  Maybe he'd like to hear some from me.

I know of course what the man is trying to say.  He wants something akin to "surrender those nukes by high noon, or we'll come drag you out of that rolling saloon and fill you full of lead."  It's appropriate, he says:

What is the single greatest security threat facing our country today?

If you believe esteemed security analysts like Harvard University's Graham Allison , it is that a terrorist organization gets hold of a nuclear weapon and sets it off in an American city.

In the wake of North Korea's nuclear test, that threat has been dramatically heightened. Kim Jong Il is the only leader of a nuclear weapons state who might conceivably consider it in his interests to sell a nuclear bomb to Osama bin Laden.

So forget for a moment how we got here. Put aside partisan politics. Wouldn't this be a good moment for the American president to draw a very distinct line in the sand?

Good for you, Dan:  putting aside partisan politics is a wise idea at times like this.  Since you want to make an analogy to cowboys, though, let's make one.  You want to talk about how a nation should respond to the most dangerous threats.  Well, how should a cowboy respond to the dangers facing him?

Since we're talking about the most dangerous threats, let's put it this way:  what's the most dangerous thing a cowboy can do?  (Marry.)  Ok, besides that.

In spite of so-called "extreme sports" popping up all the time, one of the most dangerous sports of all is horseback riding.  My ride today was easy.  Sequila is a well-tempered, well-schooled mare.  That's not a joke -- she is.  Tearing off a fence rail is cake for a horse.  A horse is powerful enough to split your skull with a hoof, or crack your ribs just by laying her weight on you.  Tearing off that fence rail wasn't wrath.  That was just her being bratty.

An Appaloosa isn't that big by the standards of horses, either.  The average weight is only 800-1100 pounds.  Once you get that saddle on, you sit up in it and make sure the reins and stirrups never get into a position where they'll hang you up.  Even a lightweight like this can shatter your bones if she trips and falls.  She can break your spine.  Nothing personal -- she just fell.  You were in the way.  You put yourself there, remember?

The trails I was on today were well-established, but the heavy rains of several days had washed them out in places.  New-fallen leaves masked new holes and loose rocks.  Sequila stumbled a time or two, but she didn't fall.  She's a good horse.  Still, even a good horse can fall.

Oh, and horses are prey animals, with all that means for their evolved consciousness.  They can spook at everything.  Or nothing.  A spooked horse can stumble, or drive you into a tree, or worse.

Cowboys don't always ride well-schooled horses with gentle temperments.  Sometimes they have to break horses.  Horses newly broken to riding then have to be taught. 

So, let's say you're in the saddle.  You're coming down a rocky trail -- steep, and maybe washed out.  How do you sit the horse?

You lean back, to take some of your weight off her front legs, and you relax.  You let your weight sit deep on her hips.  In two minutes you could be starting the rest of a long life in a wheelchair, but you relax.

And when she stumbles?  You relax, sit deep, calm her.  If she spooks?  Relax, sit deep, pull the reins.  If she falls, you do your best to leap free -- but until then, relax and sit the horse deep.

Relaxing isn't just about attitude.  If you stiffen up, your center of balance shifts.  It's easy to get thrown.  It's easy to fall yourself.  You can throw the horse's balance off, which will make it more likely she'll fall. 

Or she'll sense your fear, and spook.

The attitude this breeds with practice has a direct parallel with warfighting and diplomacy alike.  Both deal with genuinely dangerous situations.  Likewise, in both cases, there are many times when the worst thing you can do is show fear.  Sometimes, the best thing in the world is to show that -- no matter what -- you're feeling relaxed. 

This easy manner in the face of immediate peril is at least as characteristic of the cowboy as the wilder rhetoric that you folks at the Washington Post seem to associate with the term.  Cowboys do both, of course.  You just have to know when it's the right time to use the one, or the other.

In the runup to Iraq, the harsher rhetoric was appropriate because key allies were being feckless.  We needed the High Noon rhetoric to make clear that we were going to do what we had to do regardless.  In that way, we maximized the chance that Saddam might cave.  Failing that, we maximized the understanding among Saddam's military that we were coming, and if they didn't want a part of the fight they'd best start surrendering.  They did -- some units before the war actually began.  For all that the rhetoric was condemned, in practice it saved lives in the early days of the war.  Whole units stood down.

On North Korea, things are different.  We may not have to fight at all.  We've got two key allies -- one formal and one practical -- with deep interests that won't let them walk away.  Japan, the formal ally, knows that the North Koreans hate them more even than Americans, and with better cause.  China, the practical ally on this point, knows it cannot deal with a collapsed North Korean state.

As a result, it's not our turn to draw the line.  That's for China and Japan.  All we have to do is hint strongly that we'll back Japan's play.  China can't afford North Korea to fall apart, so Japan's line becomes China's line -- whether China likes it or not.

It's a dangerous situation, all the same.  There are a lot of points of friction.  Many things could go wrong.  Any of them could produce terrible harm at any moment.

So relax.

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Comments

[Mike47]

Best piece of writing I've yet seen on the subject of the Norks. Most intelligent approach to the problem is essentially doing nothing, for now, and understanding this is China's turn. As crazy as Short Round seems, he still knows not to p*ss off China past a point of no return. If he does, he's history fast.

[Brandan]

I'm new around these parts and I like what I see so far. This might seem crazy but as a young man I learned how to view world politics from 3 places; my parents, Grandfather, and Tom Clancy. Hey it was a start! I totally agree with you're assesment of this situation and always keep an eye out for your' posts.

[BenW]

Atta boy Grim,
Pres. Bush and his administration are showing wise restraint in their rhetoric. As T.R. would have it the "Speak softly" part of foriegn policy. The #1 thing on the PRNK's mind is to placate the Chinese and then get the U.S. into one on one talks. If Pres. Bush were to suddenly go cowboy, the other nations in the six party talks would refuse to be involved.

It would be a disaster if our Foggy Bottom boys sat down across the table from the barbarous N. Koreans. If we give into the bi-lateral talk gambit, the NK would REQUIRE removing the finacial stranglehold on their banks as a precondition to any other agreement. Suddenly the PRNK would be playing nuclear armed bankrobbery with the United States diplomats. No unearned offense to the folks in our diplomatic service, but I just don't think that they, as a group, have the fortitude of a John Bolton.

Stay on the high road without flinching and hold our opponents accountable for their actions. Cowboy diplomacy and statements are not yet required for success.

Ben

[Synova]

Sit deep and relax isn't a lack of attention either. It's just not as visible to others as getting all excited and emotional.

Darn it, Grim, you've made me want to do the horse thing, a leopard apaloosa? Beauty. But for the vast majority of us the horse thing is a sure path to financial ruin. Darn it.

[Scrapiron]

The Washington Post. Is that one of the supermarket tabloids they sell at the checkout at 711? Never read them. Too many weird people doing weird things to each other in them. Just reading the headlines while standing in line will give you the shivers.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

I envy you, Grim. Both your lifestyle and your writing ability.

Forgive the off topic, but I want you to see After Pat’s Birthday.

IMHO, the big guns of the milblogoshpere need to address this.

[Subsunk]

Good analogies, Grim. I understand the horseman in you too.

From age 8 to 18 I punched cows for work. I can throw a loop, wrestle calves down, and stay in the middle when I have to (mostly). I miss it. More than submarining.

Carry on, Grim. One of these days I really need to buy you a beer.

Subsunk

Never was a horse that couldn't be rode; never was a rider couldn't be throwed.

[bthun]

Thank goodness for the folks in this nation with a dose of the cowboy in em, eh?

"All we have to do is hint strongly that we'll back Japan's play. China can't afford North Korea to fall apart, so Japan's line becomes China's line -- whether China likes it or not."

At least until the change in the current administration in 08 occurs, at which time if we wind up with another administration who wants to give the ranch away and have a goodwill pickup game of roundball to seal the deal, we may once again be up to our chaps in cow pie...

And the talk of your ride brought back fond memories of a palomino american saddlebred I once owned... He threw me a time or two, broke some bones in my right foot once as he stepped around my hip and planted his hoof on my foot while I poured his sweetfeed into the trough! heheh... He made me realize that a 30' sloop on one on the lakes in the area would have been cheaper to own/maintain and far easier on my dusty carcass. But darned if he was not a good old boy. Now I'll just stick with my pickup thanks.

[RED RIVER]

Cowboy talk?

You want cowboy talk?

Cowboys wake up at 3 am and hear it raining and its 33 degrees out. They lay awake in the dark worrying themselves sick over the new calves. They then get up at 5 am and wander the house waiting for daylight. They then go out in the rain and slog around checking things.

And when they find some dog chasing a new mom and its calf in the heavy rain, they don't ask the dog where it came from or about its past, they shoot the dog because its terrorizing a weak and defenseless creature.

The movies have perverted the Cowboy Image into one that is devoid of its roots as a Sheperd and the leader of the herd - as a caregiver - into a semi-bully - one that struts the streets with a revolver on his hip. The kind the real Cowboy would shoot if he got in the way - as sure as the dog gets shot.

I may use my rifle once a month, but I am face to face on the ground with my cows every single day mud, rain, sunshine. That is what a Cowboy is. If you don't do that, then you are not a Cowboy.

[Rich Casebolt]

Dang, you think deep, Grim ...

... and they say that this Administration lacks "nuance".

When the differences between the course of action used for Iraq, and that used for NK, are lambasted by the critics, I am reminded of this response given by another world leader, long ago, whose credibility was also being questioned by the "best and brightest" of his time:

"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:
'We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not cry.'"

Ironically, just a short time before this in the record, the authoritative credibility of this world leader was logically validated ... by a soldier.

[AFSister]

Awesome analogy and analysis, Grim. Totally matches my thoughts- only you said it MUCH better than I ever could.

I haven't been all up in arms about Bush's casual attitude about North Korea's nukes- because I knew that he is relying on Japan and China to wrestle this one out. I have no doubt that if NK steps over the line and sells nukes (or any bit of nuclear technology) to Iran, there will be immediate and targeted hell to pay.

Bush is a very "Dirty Harry" type of cowboy. Calm, cool, collected... until you push too far and then he's gonna kill your ass quickly and without remorse. You mess up too bad, and he'll step out of his "Dubya" image and nail you to the flippin' wall.

[Grim]

Thanks for the kind words.

Red: You're right -- that's what a real cowboy is. I work with horses, not cattle. I grew up in cattle country, so I could run a herd and someday may. For now, though, I only work with equine stock.

On the other hand, we have coyote here to chase the foals. It's a similar experience.

Cannoneer: I saw that piece, but I'm not going to be the one to address it. It's not for me to get in between a man and his brother. Birthdays are a hard time for family after a death. No wonder he felt like lashing out.

If you want to talk about the issues he raises, well, they're all separate issues. I won't condemn the man for what he said, though. It was said in honest grief for a brother he ought to miss. A good man, seeing such a scene, looks away.

[jordan]

Well, like so many other masculine traits, those of the cowboy have been reframed as something dumb, negative, and reflexively prone to violence.

The high-strung, feminized mindset that so many men hold has killed off the classic definition you describe. The enlightened Euros use it to insult American culture and stereotype behavior. They say cowboy behavior is a thing of the past, something the modern world doesn't need. But that's changing.

This world will only get more dangerous. Men that can keep their heads about them in crisis, and quietly, steadily take care of business, will be our last hope.

Relax. I like that word.

[BillyA]

they have no cowboys in Kennebuckport Maine, he's laying off North Korea cause his Generals have convinced him we don't have the troops or supplies to wage another war( goshdarn it )maybe we should Nuke them , that would keep the Korean Pennesula newclear free lol Bush is no cowboy , just a horses ass with a stetson on

[Rich Casebolt]

BillyA ... you need to give this President some credit for nuance re: NK. He's working smarter ... not harder ... with them.

Were you one of those who derided him for acting "unilaterally" in Iraq? If so, you should be gratified that he is now showing the wisdom to be multilateral, when necessary.

Sometimes, you only need a patient, gentle hand to move the cattle where they need to go ...

Liberating 50 million people from totalitarian rule ... emasculating AQ ... and removing Saddam & Sons is more than enough of a "belt buckle" to validate this President's cowboy credentials.

For cowboy diplomacy is the only kind of diplomacy that gets those results, it seems ... unless you can show me where the accomplishments wrought by the tea-&-cookies, lying-in-formal-wear variety preferred by our "betters", came anywhere close to Mr. Bush's and Mr. Reagan's accomplishments from the saddle.

Go ahead ... make my day ... try and make that case.

[BillyA]

#1 He's got no choice left anymore than to work with everybody the option he is using is the only one he has or at least the only one Patriotic Americans would let him get away with
#2I derided him about acting in Iraq period...
#3Yeah Regan rode the horse right out of Beruit after the barracks bombing, Yahoo boys lets us invade Grenada, hooyah, getum up
#4 Yeah but its a cheap belt buckle that's cobbed together with lies and Half tuths..How many Iraquis have died since MISSION ACCOMPLISHED , even more to the point HOW MANY AMERICANS ,AND REPLACED HIM WITH WHAT ..MALIKI WHO SAYS WE WILL FORGIVE YOU FOR SHOOTING AND KILLING AMERICANS BUT NOT IRAQUIS
you are all like rats on a sinking ship grasping at any straw in order to keep the SHIP OF FOOLS afloat and thats your right as a free American and I want to be in the same position, thats why I value our Contstitution above Not only Bush and and extreeemmmmeee right wingers, but I get tired of seeing people waving the flag while pissing on the Constitution ( THOSE WILLING TO GIVE UP OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES FOR SECURITY DESERVE NEITHER ...FRANKLIN)

nuff said ...semper fi...God Bless America and you too

[4EE7]

I think you've laid a Meadow Muffin of immense proportions –and no, it doesn’t matter if it’s Horsesh*t or Bullsh*t, it still stinks. Relax?

My father went to Korea when he was 17. He’s 74 now. I served in Korea and so did my brother. My nephew is currently serving in the Army –although he hasn’t made that ass-numbing ride across the Pacific… yet.

The U.S. Army still occupies Seoul, KS (While some will argue with my use of “occupies” the fact is we are still at war in Korea.)

KN has cheated on every agreement and repeatedly lied to the international community –and China too. And they’ve used the last half-century to develop nuclear weapons.

So, Cowboy, how’s that Diplomacy; Negotiation; Relax strategy working out so far? Think we should wait until KN works the kinks out of their TPD-2 before we get serious about lancing that festering, puss-filled boil?

[Tincan Sailor]

Grim
You might like a book I have its called Cowboy
Ethics,What Wall Street Can Learn from the Code
of the West...Also Range Magazine about 2 years
ago did an oped called whats wrong with being a
Cowboy!! Should be required reading for all so
called Liberals!!

[Rich Casebolt]

Billy ... you can dispense with the DU talking points now ...

... the fact is, not only did this President's approach produce real results, in terms of fostering REAL peace ...

... in stark contrast to that of his critics, over the years, who never met a tyrant they wouldn't decisively confront ... because they wanted to maintain a facade of "peace" while stealing your ability to live free and pursue happiness through their soft, cuddly version of fascism, applied with the best of intentions ...

... he was not a liar, but GOOD TO HIS WORD.

You just don't want to see it, because you have bought the lies of his critics ...

... lies that we, and our success, and our power, were the greatest threat to peace ...

... lies that for years led us to doubt ourselves and our sound principles, in places like Tehran, Beruit, Iraq, and Somalia, and kept us from dealing with these lethal pests in their larval stage ...

... instead letting them grow and develop their stingers, to the point that, when we were finally compelled to stop the rot these pests were generating, it has led to the loss of 2,500+ lives.

The blood of that 2,500+, is more on the hands of the "war is NEVER the answer" crowd, than it ever will be on this President ... for it is their lack of foresight that became the political conventional wisdom of this nation, and inhibited us from putting an end to the threats at their weakest.

They promoted it ... and they should be held accountable for their INACTION, if they are demanding unprecedented extremes of accountability for this President.

You want to count yourself among them, Billy?

[James Griffin]

Of course you know why Indians - Native Americans - rode Appaloosas into battle? They wanted to be really pissed off when they got there so they'd fight well. :)

[BillyA]

real peace?? I don't think even you are gullible enough to believe that lol , if he's fostering peace then the people he's fostering it for have a grounds for abuse, sorry not that simple minded enough to give that statement any creedence
Lies of his critics , hell I'm still trying to grasp his lies and those of his party, if they retain power , Congress will have to convene in Federal Pen in order to get a Quarum, You r people are definately showing your family values, 6 yrs of total power and control have given us what?

the dow finally got back up to what it was under Clinton but we now have record Budget deficts National Debt almost 9 trillion not even to mention the war, stay the course and relax( old boy from Texas running for Gov once said of women being raped [to just relax and enjoy it ]well I'm not going to relax and I damn sure ain't gonna enjoy the Repugs raping America and its children either physically or by there lies and propoganda
By the way I really get tired of you people calling us fascists , you really need to read the definition

But then again A GOOD REPUG BELIEVES WHAT HE IS TOLD TO AND ISN'T GOING TO LET ANYTHING LIKE THE TRUTH STAND IN HIS WAY
I really love you people , you make me laugh at you and make me cry for your blind obediance despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, but most of all I just feel sorry for you

DO I HOLD THIS PREZ. ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT ALL "DUH" YEAH , OH THATS RIGHT THE BUCK DOESN'T STOP THERE , MAYBE WE CAN BLAME IT ON CLINTON, ANYBODY BUT US IS YOUR MOTTO

[senorlechero]

BillyA has a good case of BDS.

along with a case of CLS (clinton love syndrome)....he's probably jealous of monica...but thats another story

He's a joke at any rate....unworthy of debate because he answers ever true comment with a demon-crat talking points lie

Keep it up Billy.......you make it easy for us to Love Bush, support the war in Iraq, and VOTE republican

[Rich Casebolt]

BillyA -- been there, heard all that before, and already deconstructed all the gnat-strainings you and your DU fellow-travelers leave on the sidewalk.

You cite factoids like the Dow and the debt ... but have no understanding of the truth, as to WHY they are that way today.

40 years of Democratic control of Congress, prior to 1994, tells me that the critics of this Administration would have no qualms about raising that debt to infinity, if it meant funding their ideas of "social justice" ...

... and the Dow was already on its way south well before Mr. Bush took office, because I saw the dot-com bubble burst around me in Dallas ... in 2000. Mr. Bush actually acted to soften the crash ... and he had 9/11 and its economic aftershocks to deal with, as well.

I'd say he did a damn good job of recovery.

Your idea of "peace", I guess, includes the peace of the terrorist training camp (where they could plan our demise in peace) ... the gulag ... the rape room ... the mass grave ... because you were willing to tolerate all, as long as America didn't have to get its hands dirty and put an end to these atrocities and the threat they represented.

With ideas like that, Romans 1:22 comes to mind ... and I'll stop taking this post off topic now, for the truth is evident.

[Rich Casebolt]

Turning off the link ... now

[BillyA]

Glad I could help Senor. You and the 37% ignorant enough to stay the course need all the help you can get. By the way that 37% is divided half and half between the rich making lots of money off support for Bush and the short bus crowd who still think they live in Disneyland .
I'm fairly postive you aren't rich much less capable of any brain functions lol
At least Monica was a 22yr old adult and not a tennage boy page, if I'm jealous of Monica then you must be jealous of Foley, are you like Limbaugh with his cigars, you two just love something long and hard in your mouths lol
Just kidding compared to Limbaugh you are a rank amatuer idiot
America will survive both you and Bush

[Geo]

BillyA, please you proper english when posting, it makes reading your DNC drivel much easier.

Could we consider the nuclear test a violation of the cease fire, giving us cause for war?

[BillyA]

Yea Geo ...lets go to war, i'm not saying it wasn't a violation of cease fire, what I am saying is we have to bring ass to get ass and we don't have the logistics or manpower ... what do you suggest NUKE'em? Drop the bomb so the area will be nuclear freezone but excuse the radiation. Give me a break people I'm trying to tell the truth here and all I get out of your mouths is mindless drool.
as for proper English how bout this "BITE ME " IS THAT PROPER ENOUGH.
lOVE YOU GUYS , you have made my day, maybe tomorrow. Blogosphere without you guys would be like the circus without any clowns! ...Thank you and God Bless you

[Geo]

We do have the logistics and manpower to fight a war in Korea. Combined with ROK forces, not to mention added logistical support from the JSDF, the operation won't be a major challenge. Your assertion that we lack the manpower and logistical supply is far from accurate.

A nuclear strike wouldn't be a problem, though hardly required, the DPRK army is even more of a paper tiger than Saddam's army was.

As for proper English, all you've done is prove yourself a buffoon. I now know why it is easy to argue on the interweb. All one needs to do is be able to construct sentances correctly, and not degenerate into name calling.

[Rich Casebolt]

Geo ... yep, it's easy, except for dealing with the mountains of gnat-strainings that choke up server space.

What the critics don't seem to get, and what I recommend keeping in mind, is ...

In the blogosphere, revenge is a dish best served cold -- as in cold logic, cool and collected reasoning, and cold, hard facts.

It's a strategy that has roots back to a confrontation two millenia ago ... and it was shown to work against a real enemy, not just the reason-challenged.

[Tincan Sailor]

Red River has it nailed I have a friend of mine
who is a wrangler on a ranch in eastern Nevada
and at 66 still rides fence in the heat,snow
rain and wind for damn little money...Why,well
because he love his job...Something some folks
here on this blog don't understand and will never understand..A good Cowboy is as good as his word and if you need him you call and he is there,you have a smart mouth more than likely
he will shut it for you...Then you take folks
like (billya) go through life taking and never giving and can you count on them, sure when hell
freezs over...

[BillyA]

Rich ...Jesus is a liberal ...read him sometimes, I would suggest the beautitudes, have a good Sunday all you little Falwells (The American Taliban is alive and well in the fun-de-mental Christian ranks).
Tinhead love ya guy.
Geo...Duh! ..you said this..(As for proper English, all you've done is prove yourself a buffoon. I now know why it is easy to argue on the interweb. All one needs to do is be able to construct sentances correctly, and not degenerate into name calling).and you do this.. Buffon is not name calling? According to you guys I don't know how to construct sentences like you do, who are you refering to ,according to you not me.ROFLMAO playing with you guys is like boxing a blind man... not fair but I sure do enjoy you..God Bless You and long life

[Rich Casebolt]

BillyA ... Jesus is a liberal?

In the Bible most people read, He ...

> Treats making an honest profit as virtuous.
> Encourages personal charity ... but doesn't mention government welfare or forced wealth redistribution.
> Demands high levels of personal responsibility.

Not exactly the resume of a Leftist.

And regarding the Beatitudes ... we are the peacemakers, and you're getting in the way of our blessing, bub ... which is, a world where thugs and fanatics don't threaten the peace, or your right to live free and pursue happiness.

At least you have read a little more of the Bible than most who think like you ... too many stop at "where much is given, much is required".

But you haven't even hit the high points, yet.

Son, I grew up in the same strain of Baptist that Fawell came from ... and my parents still attend that particular type of church. I don't see women in burkas, or scheduled executions, or prohibitions on music ...

... which is a good thing, as every other Sunday morning, in the "generic" church I am part of, I pick up my bass guitar (and on occasion a Les Paul, with a proper level of amp overdrive), and with many others, honor our Lord in the musical language of my generation, as our worship team "rocks the flock".

In other words, BillyA ... like most on the Left when it comes to evangelicals, you need to ...

Get. A. Clue.

[jordan]

Jesus may be a liberal, but GOD is a conservative.

[Synova]

And the early church was communist, or at least *communal*.

To come out with any pronouncement like "Jesus was a Liberal" or even the opposite, a person has to get terribly selective about which passages to pay attention to. I particularly like "Jesus was a Feminist." Of course he was, but implying that he'd support present feminist causes is laughable.

[Rich Casebolt]

Synova ... but they weren't "true" communists, as the Leftists say when challenged about the failures of their Soviet role models.

Paul, after all, did instruct the Thessalonians as follows, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

:)

[Rich Casebolt]

Of course, since that was an instruction from the Bible, does that mean that I get to work part-time, now that I am on NutriSystem(TM)?

[Daveg]

According to you guys I don't know how to construct sentences like you do, who are you refering to ,according to you not me.

This, from the guy that knows so much more than everyone else, clearly answers the age-old quesiton of what it looks like when self-myopia meets self-parody.

[BillyA]

Paul (Saul) was he the one who sat there and watched an early Christian get stoned by a mob. I grew up a southern baptist Rich Read the definition of Liberal and also fascist. You are welcome to be a fascistRight Winger and I will accept the label liberal proudly since the alternative is to be like you people.I don;t remember Jesus hanging out at any stained glass palaces with the right wing Saduchees or Pharasees, like he says in Matthew ..You are getting your reward in full (right now)so enjoy

[Rich Casebolt]

Yep, Saul even held the coats of the "stoners" that took Stephen's life back then ... but that was before he walked down the Damascus Road and met the Lord. Considering that Paul was the primary spokesman for the Lord to the Gentiles ... and I are one of 'em ... I do hold him in high esteem.

Actually, Jesus did have friends among who'd you label as "right wing" ... Nicodemeus (of John 3 fame), and Joseph of Aramaphia (sp?), (who comp'd Jesus that famous weekend in his garden grotto).

He also hung out at synagogues, and that Temple with all the gold fixtures and expensive construction ... and there, on one occasion, He even engaged in a confrontation of His own, using a whip to drive out corruption.

He even hung out with government officials, like Matthew, Zacheeus, and a Roman centurion (who Jesus complimented for his faith). Guess separation of church and state wasn't an issue back then ...

BTW, the present-day "reward" Jesus referred to in the passage you cited (Matthew 6:1-4) was that derived from doing good deeds with fanfare and public approval ... which precluded a greater reward in Heaven

By that standard, I'd say that my President's reward for removing tyrants and terrorists from the midst of innocent people, and allowing them to take their nation back for themselves, is still waiting for him in Heaven.

But, while we're stretching Scripture, let's look at Matthew 7:16 ... another quote from the Lord:

"By their fruit, you shall know them"

We know the fruit of cowboy diplomacy ... millions liberated, arms stockpiles reduced, tensions reduced.

What is the fruit of Leftist diplomacy?

From what I see, it is the growth in power, reach, and boldness of terrorists and thugs, to establish, sustain, and expand totalitarian rule that denies people those inalienable rights to life and liberty that were endowed by the Creator.

Doesn't sound like God's plan to me ...

That is why the true hymn of peace today, sounds less like Kumbiyah ... and more like Yippie-Ky-Ay-A!

[Rich Casebolt]

Oh, BTW --

"Liberal" -- one who seeks to establish their definition of social justice through applying the power of government upon public and private interactions, including controls upon the means of economic production.

"Fascist" -- one who seeks to impose their totalitarian rule through applying the power of government upon public and private interactions, including controls upon the means of economic production.

The only difference:

One has the objective of "social justice".

The other, totalitarian rule.

What happens when, as humans do, the leaders get confused about the two ... and/or perceive that elements of the latter apparently can help in achieving the forme ... in their eyes?

[RPetty]

I've read through this entire blog and I guess I tend to lean toward the 'radical right' a little more than the 'looney left' but one thing it has taught me if you want to know why there is still fighting in Iraq...just read here. And if all of you don't believe like I do then you can all rot in a stinking hell hole...but like BillyA says...Love ya all...yeah sure.

[bthun (the red neck formerly known as bruce)]

Well, so far no one here has (to my knowledge) shot anyone or blown anything up over a disagreement. My mom, dad, big-bully brother, the navy, and especially my wife, aka walkin' boss taught me that behavioral lesson.

Agree or not, love ya long time... sure…