The news that Al Qaeda may actually possess a dirty bomb is indeed alarming. Contrary to the optimistic assessments we have been fed, a well-designed bomb of this type, in an attack against a well-chosen target, could cause terrible losses.

Anyone here notice that Patriot Act II—which allows the government to detain anyone in secret was passed the same day Saddamn was “captured” on December 13. I have all the links on one message board, I can send them to anyone who is interested. The mainstream news wont report it.

I respect this board for many of its conservative views, but I do not know why there is trust of George Bush here anymore. I find it surprising.

Heres an article for all of you about the Republican party.

http://www.newswithviews.com/Brownlow/david15.htm

I am tired of Bush’s Color warnings and Orwellian “Order from Chaos” Police-state building fear mongering. They picked the Holidays on purpose for it.

Go To Ron Pauls website, I think he is the last Congressman that is standing up for what is right.

Dont miss this either about George Bush—he wishes to legalize illegal immigrants.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A25882-2003Dec23?language=printer

Congressman Paul is very courageous and principled individual who believes government must adhere to the Constitution. The only thing that disturbs me about him is his apparent hostility to Israel.

His “nay” vote on the resolution expressing support for Israel last year (6/22/2002) — which was largely a symbolic resolution — was not necessary in pursuance of any Constitutional principle I am aware of. It would typically reflect something else.

I generally support what Congressman Paul is trying to do. If his vote had been a “yea” I would _actively_ support him, including financially, without reservation.

Does Victoria expect to be taken seriously by anyone here after putting the word “captured” in scare quotes? We are not the tin foil hat brigade.

Actually, Lawrence, you are too kind…

I, too, get sick of the mindless pro-Republican party fools like Hannity, and it’s not exactly news that both parties are basically socialistic.

Still—the Victorias of the world, along with their kindred spirit Lew Rockwell, help not a bit with their asinine conspiratorial “insights”.

At some point, you feckless puerile morons, you have to pick a side. (Or am I just imagining that 9/11 occurred??)

I posted a reply to Mr. Shaw’s comment about the conspiratorial “insights” of certain people. But it got so long that I deleted it here and re-posted it as a separate article:

http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/002033.html

Victoria wrote:
“I respect this board for many of its conservative views, but I do not know why there is trust of George Bush here anymore. I find it surprising.”

I think there may be an equivocation here on the word “trust”. I trust George W. Bush in the sense that I think he says what he means and does what he says he will do, with very little in the way of dissembling (particularly for a modern liberal politician).

But I don’t trust what he is saying and doing in the sense of willingly placing my faith and fate in his hands. I think his modernist world-view is fundamentally incoherent and destructive. I think that Bush is accomplishing some short-term good (e.g. the capture of Saddam Hussein and the capitulation of Libya) that is legitimate, real good. I also think that in the long run his flaws (e.g. on immigration, anti-racism, etc) will ultimately destroy more than the good he has accomplished. There is no need for conspiracy theories.

Matt’s point is partly addressed in my new entry on gnosticism. People like Victoria can’t accept the reality of a world in which people who are not demonically evil are doing harmful and destructive things, as for example, Bush is doing with his race and immigration policies. If people are doing harmful and destructive things, they must be demonically evil. Therefore everything they say must be a lie, and everything they do must be part of some monstrous deception.

Gnosticism originates in the inability to accept the in-between nature of man, made by God, but inclined in his freedom toward error and sin. The gnostic wants man and society to be perfect. If they are not perfect, that is proof that they are demonically evil or are being secretly controlled by demonic evil.

what has happened to this board? Is VFTR now touting total support of Bush? Ive noticed the drift over the past few months. None of my links are from conspiracy websites. Go to your new posting today, I have posted a place where you can read this law for yourself.

I cant stand Lew Rockwell, stop trying to label those who question Bush and his shredding of the American Constitution even from the conservative side as “conspiracy theorists”.

****At some point, you feckless puerile morons, you have to pick a side. (Or am I just imagining that 9/11 occurred??)

Consider thinking outside of the Left/Right box.

I******I think his modernist world-view is fundamentally incoherent and destructive. I think that Bush is accomplishing some short-term good (e.g. the capture of Saddam Hussein and the capitulation of Libya) that is legitimate, real good. I also think that in the long run his flaws (e.g. on immigration, anti-racism, etc) will ultimately destroy more than the good he has accomplished. There is no need for conspiracy theories.

I agree. I slipped up putting the quotes in. I was annoyed by yet another false orange “warning”
I do not want to put any links by conspiracy websites. Lets look at the facts and go to the laws themselves. I have provided the links on your other entry.

****** If people are doing harmful and destructive things, they must be demonically evil. Therefore everything they say must be a lie, and everything they do must be part of some monstrous deception.

Im sorry but in this case, its moved beyond a few errors and trying to do good—which I believed was true of all Presidents prior (well except Clinton) but an out and out selling out of American and its freedoms.

*****. The gnostic wants man and society to be perfect. If they are not perfect, that is proof that they are demonically evil or are being secretly controlled by demonic evil.

I am not desiring perfection. That is impossible. I desire a President that believes in the Constitution.

Joel, I agree. I do not agree with his rejection of that resolution.

I did not mean to say that Victoria is demanding perfection. I was expanding beyond Victoria’s comment to conspiracy thinking per se, and beyond that to the problem of gnosticism.

Gnosticism results when the world is not the way it ought to be, and instead of making the effort of understanding why things are the way they are, the gnostics opt for a hidden, all-powerful evil that is making things the way they are.

I would hardly call this site, or myself, pro-Bush. I am, however, against irrational conspiracy theories about Bush.

Well I hope it isnt moving towards being pro-Bush. Dont brush off everything as “conspiracy theories”. There are mainstream, normal even lifelone Republicans asking hard questions such as “Why does this present administration seem to want the American public to always live in fear”? We are told that we are under a huge threat but then told to shop and travel as usual. During WWII, we were told the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Now it seems everything is about keeping the population sustained in a continued fear. We all have a bigger chance of dying from pneumonia then from a terrorist bomb. One can read daily news and other regular sites and have many questions. There is a lot happening now that is NOT on the up and up.

Ask yourself about Halliburton and its involvement in Iraq. You can go to conservative websites not liberal ones for these questions.

Ask yourself why Bush-the conservative passed an 800 million dollar Omnibus bill and has grown goverment more and more?

Ask yourself why we rejoined UNESCO in Sept with Laura Bush celebrating it on the news?

Why is Bush erasing the borders between our countries and others—read the article I provided about his legalizing immigrants.

Research what has happened with this Free Americas trade also.

There are many things going on that are no longer under the auspices of crazy conspiracy theories but simply reading the newspaper and knowing something IS VERY WRONG.

Victoria asks:
“Is VFTR now touting total support of Bush?”

What statement by Mr. Auster or any regular commenter would lead Victoria to believe this? To be fair, I have some sympathy with being suspicious in general of a plausible-deniability gambit, where one will give de-facto total support to a person or proposition while asserting some straw-opposition in order to maintain deniability. At NRO, for example, there will be just enough criticism of immigration and antiracism to insulate the editors from a charge of being ideologically pro-immigration and pro-antiracism. The point to the “fair and balanced” positioning isn’t to be fair and balanced at all (some who practice it may think so, but as with all things of any importance it transcends the individual actors): its purpose is to provide a discursive layer of insulation from criticism by the Right. This is all of a piece with the Hegelian Mambo - throw the conservative a bone, get him to take your hand, dance two more steps to the left, and if you twirl around fast enough he’ll never know what happened. He’ll be two steps to the left of where he was before and at the same time congratulate himself on a conservative “victory”, a “victory” which is just a whiff of perfume on the pig.

That isn’t a conspiracy though; it is just the way the liberal sociopolitical process works (and always has worked, at least since Locke, so Victoria’s faith in the formal arrangements in the Constitution might not be a good singular anchor point). Guarding against it is a good idea to be sure; but at VFR we are acutely aware of it. It isn’t like Bush is going to throw us a bone on the marriage amendment and then we’ll go all docile on immigration.

At VFR we don’t dance; at least not the Hegelian Mambo.