Tag: QotD

As promised, QotD #3 on the same subject. This time from the comments at Unix-Jedi’s place (at his suggestion, and well given):

Man is a social animal and will always have to live within a social structure, particularly once they get over the tribal limit. That social structure will consume a certain amount of time and effort and resources. It is no different than the necessity to devote time and effort and resources to securing food, water, and shelter. However much we’d rather avoid it, that’s no argument against working to put roofs over our heads. This is our nature, this is our environment, this is what we have to do to live and thrive.

This offends anarcho-libertarians in the same way that human self-interest offends communists. Tough shit. Both philosophies are based on false premises and false views of human nature. I no more feel the need to justify “robbery” to an anarcho-libertarian than I feel the need to justify private property to a commie, or agriculture to a breatharian. When you choose to fight nature, nature’s gonna’ win.

— ernunnos

Quote of the Day – R0n P4ul Edition

I knew a mention of Dr. Paul here would bring out the wookie-suiters. Today’s QotD comes from reader Britt who left this in comment to yesterday’s QotD:

It comes down to this: If we were in a country where Ron Paul could be elected President, we wouldn’t need Ron Paul to drastically shrink the size of the FedGov. We got here because a majority of the population wanted to get here, don’t ever forget that. Changing it is highly unlikely, to say the least.

And tomorrow there’ll be another R0n P4ul topic quote for a trifecta!

Quote of the Day – International Edition

This isn’t the QotD, but it’s the lead-in:

When soldiers from any other army, even our allies, entered a town, the people hid in the cellars. When Americans came in, even into German towns, it meant smiles, chocolate bars and C-rations. — Stephen Ambrose

Here’s another:

We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we’ve done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in, and otherwise we have returned home… to live our own lives in peace. — Secretary of State Colin Powell

Today’s QotD comes from Maj. Said Rahim Hakmal of the Afghan National Army, discussing what he says by radio to members of the Taliban:

“The Taliban will say things like why do you side with the Americans? Why do you sell out your country? You love Obama more than Afghanistan.”

Hakmal said the standard response goes something like, “The Americans are here to help our country function again. They don’t want to stay. They want to help, then leave. You should help, too.”

Then the shooting starts.

They don’t want to stay. They want to help, then leave.

Damned straight.

Eric S. Raymond put it well once:

I was traveling in Europe a few years back, and some Euroleftie began blathering in my presence about America’s desire to rule the world. “Nonsense,” I told him. “You’ve misunderstood the American character. We’re instinctive isolationists at bottom. We don’t want to rule the world — we want to be able to ignore it.”