<<PS: ZHDD, just because someone disagrees with your views, and even posts factual statements to back up his points (it's called debating), doesn't make them a "kook." It is such ludicrous name-calling and lack of intelligent response that illustrates the right to me.
If you want to counter his points, find sources and facts that demonstrate your stance...don't act like a child in a sandbox and start calling names.>>
The debate ended when he posted the unrelated quotes that "backed up" his points. He had no points, that's the point. He completely ignored what we were discussing and what I said and started Bush-bashing. I am not inclined to defend President Bush. He can do that himself. Is that all he has to fall back on? Erroneous claims that "big business," for lack of a better term, have taken over? This...is...the USA. Private holdings are supposed to be in charge. Like I said before, socialism isn't in our mandate. If you want to live in a country with state-run commerce and business, then there are plenty of countries with such a system.
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Don't mind him bakana...he's just upset that you quoted sources undermining GWB and his rich, starchamber politics groupies.
I say, rock on bakana! Great sourcing and quotes. I didn't know that about GWB's family. Interesting and frightening.
If you're not loved here (which I do), please, join the political talks over at b5tv.com...I know a few there who would love what you're posting here. In fact, if it's ok, I would like to copy some of this over there.
Peace!
CE
PS: ZHDD, just because someone disagrees with your views, and even posts factual statements to back up his points (it's called debating), doesn't make them a "kook." It is such ludicrous name-calling and lack of intelligent response that illustrates the right to me.
If you want to counter his points, find sources and facts that demonstrate your stance...don't act like a child in a sandbox and start calling names.
Kerry/Edwards 2004!
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Good point, SpooRancher. This is why I was confused by the term, but cruiser explained "it just sounded good." We will let it slide because he made it funny.
And as for bakana, time for a WPAH...that's Well Placed Ad Hom.
You are a far left kook and it's senseless to debate with you. You go vote for who you want to vote for, you go hate who you want to hate, you go believe what you want to believe.
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Meanwhile, back to the Original Comparison, Here's our very own Dept. of Homeland Insecurity starting up an Ammurican version of Nightwatch.
Anyone think we ought not to trust this bunch of bozos?
The same sort of Bozos who ban retired Marine Corps generals from flying when they discover dangerous metalic objects in their carry on luggage?
You remember, The Medal of Honor? My Ghod, he could have conked somone over the Head with that thing!
And they still haven't explained the 68 year old NUN who wasn't allowed to fly. True, she protested the Vietnam War 30 some years ago. But the FBI Swore it Burned all the illegal files it collected on Vietam Protestors. The FBI wouldn't Lie to us, Would They?
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Prophesy from a Republican President..
"We may congratulate ourselves that this cruel war is nearing its end. It has cost a vast amount of treasure and blood. . . .
It has indeed been a trying hour for the Republic; but I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.
I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless."
The passage appears in a letter from Abraham Lincoln to (Col.) William F. Elkins, Nov. 21, 1864.
p. 40 of The Lincoln Encyclopedia, by Archer H. Shaw
"These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert to fleece the people, and now that they have got into a quarrel with themselves, we are called upon to appropriate the people's money to settle the quarrel."
speech to Illinois legislature, Jan. 1837.
See Vol. 1, p. 24 of Lincoln's Complete Works,
ed. by Nicolay and Hay, 1905)
And another Republican warned us again:
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
Military-Industrial Complex Speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961, Public Papers of the Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960, p. 1035- 1040
So, who ya gonna believe? A president who visited his soldiers in the field hospitals and cried for their pain, or one who'd rather play Golf and gives orders to Hide the coffins when they come home?
Or, maybe a president who Won WW2 and destroyed the Nazi war machine.
Or do you prefer a president who sorta forgot to show up for his National Guard duties and who diverts Aircraft Carriers to stage Photo Ops.
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Libertarian Socialist?
The statement "Libertarian Socialist" is a contradiction of terms. I will spell out the reasons.
Libertarian - either the party or the philosophy of limited government, individual freedom and responsibility, social freedom, economic freedom. The government that governs best is the one that governs least. If the issue does not involve one individual initiating force or fraud against another, the government has no place getting involved.
Socialist - a believer in government regulation of business. Economic matters are either heavily regulated or indeed nationalized.
As you can see, the terms are mutually exclusive. Libertarians cannot be Socialists, and vice versa.
To believe that one is socially libertarian and believe in state regulation of business matters would make one what is commonly referred to in current terms a leftist.
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So, why Does the "Freeest Nation on the Planet" have more people in Jail than any other country?
And when ju8dging political parties, forget what they Said: Read their "Lips". Take a look at what they DID.
"No Child Left Behind". Cut the Education budget.
What it Should be called is the "Burger Flipper U" Act.
I support our Military. So, now how much can we cut from the Combat Pay and Veteran's Benefit programs to free up money for Haliburton?
Trust the FBI. Right. An organization that is still run by J. Edgar's rules. You remember J. Edgar? Guy blackmailed 99% of Washington for years. And, in the most Homophobic era of our history, was so feared that he could run around in a Dress and no one said "Boo".
Or, if you REALLY want to take a look at history, check out the following site. It's a nice little history of Dubya's Grandfather and how close he came to going to Jail during WW2 for trading with Nazi Germany.
Nazis in the attic, part 6
By Randy Davis
GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH
...Like Nixon, George Bush was deeply involved with supporting the Nazis in the Republican's closet. In fact, support for the Nazis was a Bush family tradition which goes back more than six decades and, once again, to Allen Dulles.
Loftus and Aarons write: "The real story of George Bush starts well before he launched his own career. It goes back to the 1920s, when the Dulles brothers and the other pirates of Wall Street were making their deals with the Nazis. . . ."
THE BUSH-DULLES-NAZI CONNECTION
"George Bush's problems were inherited from his namesake and maternal grandfather, George Herbert 'Bert' Walker, a native of St. Louis, who founded the banking and investment firm of G. H. Walker and Company in 1900. Later the company shifted from St. Louis to the prestigious address of 1 Wall Street. . . .
"Walker was one of Hitler's most powerful financial supporters in the United States. The relationship went all the way back to 1924, when Fritz Thyssen, the German industrialist, was financing Hitler's infant Nazi party. As mentioned in earlier chapters, there were American contributors as well.
"Some Americans were just bigots and made their connections to Germany through Allen Dulles's firm of Sullivan and Cromwell because they supported Fascism. The Dulles brothers, who were in it for profit more than ideology, arranged American investments in Nazi Germany in the 1930s to ensure that their clients did well out of the German economic recovery. . . .
** Skip down a bit **
". . . A 1934 congressional investigation alleged that Walker's 'Hamburg-Amerika Line subsidized a wide range of pro-Nazi propaganda efforts both in Germany and the United States.' Walker did not know it, but one of his American employees, Dan Harkins, had blown the whistle on the spy apparatus to Congress. Harkins, one of our best sources, became Roosevelt's first double agent . . . [and] kept up the pretense of being an ardent Nazi sympathizer, while reporting to Naval Intelligence on the shipping company's deals with Nazi intelligence.
"Instead of divesting the Nazi money," continue the authors, "Bush hired a lawyer to hide the assets. The lawyer he hired had considerable expertise in such underhanded schemes. It was Allen Dulles. According to Dulles's client list at Sullivan & Cromwell, his first relationship with Brown Brothers, Harriman was on June 18, 1936. In January 1937 Dulles listed his work for the firm as 'Disposal of Stan [Standard Oil] Investing stock.'
** Skip down a bit more **
". . . The government investigation against Prescott Bush continued. Just before the storm broke, his son, George, abandoned his plans to enter Yale and enlisted in the U.S. Army. It was, say our sources among the former intelligence officers, a valiant attempt by an eighteen-year-old boy to save the family's honor.
"Young George was in flight school in October 1942, when the U.S. government charged his father with running Nazi front groups in the United States. Under the Trading with the Enemy Act, all the shares of the Union Banking Corporation were seized, including those held by Prescott Bush as being in effect held for enemy nationals. Union Banking, of course, was an affiliate of Brown Brothers, Harriman, and Bush handled the Harrimans' investments as well.
"Once the government had its hands on Bush's books, the whole story of the intricate web of Nazi front corporations began to unravel. A few days later two of Union Banking's subsidiaries -- the Holland American Trading Corporation and the Seamless Steel Equipment Corporation -- also were seized. Then the government went after the Harriman Fifteen Holding Company, which Bush shared with his father- in-law, Bert Walker, the Hamburg-Amerika Line, and the Silesian- American Corporation. The U.S. government found that huge sections of Prescott Bush's empire had been operated on behalf of Nazi Germany and had greatly assisted the German war effort." (1)
A lot more on the web site...
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<<*points subtly at the private message button*>>
Oh, it's nothing original or groundbreaking. Just a modification of scholar Thomas Sowell's thoughts on the state of terrorism and why it exists.
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Originally posted by Z'ha'dumDweller
But when "running the country better" is a subjective thing, results only count when the leader is doing what you want them to do. If a Republican did every single thing in a Democrat way, he would be a Democrat by any other name.
And I am able to separate "Us vs. Them" from a war to a philosophical debate. There are small groups who cannot do this, and those groups are called extremists.
Aside: I'm also able to objectively separate results from views, in response to your point above.
I have a saying: "Any time you go too far left or right on the road you fall into a ditch."
EDIT -I'd tell you my thoughts on the people who want the US destroyed, but they are too controversial, even for the off topic discussion.Last edited by Radhil; 07-07-2004, 09:48 AM.
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<<I don't know what a Libertarian Socialist is either, but it sounded good.>>
Heh.
<<There is no category that fits except maybe citizen. I prefer low taxes, small government, penalties enforced for breaking the law, accepting responsibility for ones own actions, a military that is not the policeman of the world, space travel(of course) but mostly I believe in people helping people instead of the government trying to help people. But people don't seem to care enough, however the government doesn't truly care at all.>>
What about sovereignty? What are your thoughts on UN involvement in our affairs? Just curious.
As for helping people, "people" have to want to be helped. What we need is a private venture that could identify people who truly want to get out of "bad situations" and help them. Maybe all it would take is a move to another state, just something to jumpstart them. I know a girl at work who used whatever money she had at the time and moved from the inner city in Chicago to here and now lives in a nice place instead of a rat-infested apartment complex (and she'll tell you story, believe me).
As for people like my wife's cousin, who has been on welfare since she was 17, and who has two kids now at the age of 19, and who actually brags about getting "free stuff" and how people are stupid for working...well, those people should be cut off. Better than that, they should be examined to find out why this behavior is in effect, and if it's systematic, a big solution should be sought.
But what I don't think should happen is this: a guy who worked his butt of for 20 years and is making $170,000 a year and is being taxed out the yazoo to support welfare. It's ridiculous when I read in the newspaper how the state is getting ready for a big ad campaign to alert welfare recipients that they aren't getting all the food stamps they are able to. Hello? Maybe they don't need them?! That's just an example of government employees trying to keep their jobs by justifying their existence. Not only that, but they fear funding will be cut, but that has to be a GOOD thing if they truly cared, because the people are starting to make it on their own. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach him to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.
I'd tell you my thoughts on the people who want the US destroyed, but they are too controversial, even for the off topic discussion.
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<<Results are what counts, and if a Republican manages to run the country better, I'm not gonna whine just because he's Republican.>>
But when "running the country better" is a subjective thing, results only count when the leader is doing what you want them to do. If a Republican did every single thing in a Democrat way, he would be a Democrat by any other name.
And I am able to separate "Us vs. Them" from a war to a philosophical debate. There are small groups who cannot do this, and those groups are called extremists.
I have a saying: "Any time you go too far left or right on the road you fall into a ditch."
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Don't wanna get into most of this, except -
In a way they are. Let's say there was a Republican who won the primary and I didn't like him as a candidate. Would I vote Democrat for this reason? No...you never vote for the other side, no matter what.
I am certainly no fan of Bush, and most of my views seems to fall on Democrat lines. If Kerry actually gets in there, and serves up four years of misery, you bet your ass I'm voting Republican in the next. Views aren't much more than stumping points, and are always debatable. Results are what counts, and if a Republican manages to run the country better, I'm not gonna whine just because he's Republican.
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Z'ha'dumDweller has expressed my sentiments, perhaps better than I could.
I don't know what a Libertarian Socialist is either, but it sounded good. There is no category that fits except maybe citizen. I prefer low taxes, small government, penalties enforced for breaking the law, accepting responsibility for ones own actions, a military that is not the policeman of the world, space travel(of course) but mostly I believe in people helping people instead of the government trying to help people. But people don't seem to care enough, however the government doesn't truly care at all.
Fascism in all it's many faces can be a terrible thing. It's true history seems to show that these kinds of groups can be abused and be abusive. It is said a leader can only lead their people where they want to go. But indoctrination(controlling history?) can cause people to do things that they normally wouldn't consider. This is the United States of America in 2004 not Germany of 1930.
I am also thankful for being able to possess firearms.
But to truly get to the bottom of this we have to strip away all the window dressing. People's opinions can often cloud the issue. Facts and not rhetoric are required. And none of us truly know what the real specific facts are. But in general we can derive several factual items.
1. There are people in this world that want the United States destroyed.
2. People have been indoctrinating their followers for generations that the United States needs to be destroyed.
<Someones trying to hack my machine while I'm typing this.>
3. The World is scared the United States is going to become grossly belligerent.
4. The U.S. is not going to just stand by and do nothing.
Gotta go...this hacker is persistant and requires my attention.
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cruiser:
<<I wont miss out on a what is bound to be a definitive debate, the mother of all debates. The subject matter pulsates thru the very fiber of the internet daily and is growing. But it doesn't belong in the Babylon 5 area.
I have voted either Republican and Democratic in many different primaries. The independents don't have the gas to make a good run at it yet. If I had to classify myself I would have to say I am a Libertarian socialist. But I am not a leftist. Many of my views are very conservative.>>
For one, I don't know what a Libertarian socialist is, but any "socialist" may as well give up. The USA is not set up to run in a socialistic manner. We have far too many social programs as it is, and the idea of full-fledged socialism taking hold is unlikely and simply won't happen. Now, you can play by the rules and believe in socialism all you want, but don't think it's going to get a movement going, despite the best efforts of the screaming minority (Michael Moore and Ben Cohen). If Moore and Cohen would like to pay 60% of their money to the IRS, then let them. But they shouldn't push their agendas on everyone who doesn't want to take part in it. Let them make their movies and internet ads, hey it's a free country. But they have to be out of their mind to think that anyone but a small percentage of recipients of these social programs would agree with their archaic "rob from the rich, give to the poor" credo, especially when it is compared to fallen regimes worldwide, along with current regimes instituting such programs. So to sum up, believe what you want, but run it through the "common sensor" first.
And this is just assuming "Libertarian socialist" means believing in socialism. I have honestly never heard the term before.
Secondly, I doubt the independent movement will take hold, either, as "independents" tend to lean one way or the other. It's like they can't make up their mind about which side they want to be on.
bakana:
<<quote:
Gee. implied attack right off the bat.Yes, I'm a US Citizen. Born and Raised.
Are YOU a Republican or a Bush Supporter?
(I realize the two are Not the same.)>>
In a way they are. Let's say there was a Republican who won the primary and I didn't like him as a candidate. Would I vote Democrat for this reason? No...you never vote for the other side, no matter what. It doesn't make sense. At the least you wouldn't vote at all, but you don't vote for those you disagree with simply because you don't like the candidate. A lot of lifelong Democrats do not like John Kerry, but are they going to vote for Bush? Not a chance. My mom and dad disliked Dukakis and Benson, but voted for him anyways, because he was their party. Nine times out of ten, a Republican is for a big defense bugdet, low taxes, cutting social programs...if a candidate that believes in those is for, say abortion, I would vote for him anyways.
<<Now, Back to the topic:
I was looking at the nice innocuous way the program is starting out:
First, give them a neat window sticker. And a little wallet card.
Second. An occasional meeting where they can pat each other on the back and congratulate themselves on their patriotism. And, of course, maybe have a few beers.
Third. Give them a phone number so they can report "Suspicious" characters. Oh, and anyone with a bumper sticker they don't like...
Once you've done that, wait a while, then start creating "Solidarity" among the membership.
How about everybody just sort of agrees to wear the same style and color shirts & pants. Not a "Uniform". Just let's show out Pride in our Patriotism where Everyone can see who we are.
Well, OK, a Uniform.
Then, the cheerleading at meetings gets very "Pro Bush" and the mesage becomes make sure all your Family, friends and neighbors Vote and that they Vote The Right Way, of course.>>
For one, it is not right for any state-funded programs to support a political stance. I live in what could be considered the East Berlin of the state. I live in a heavily Democrat state, in the Republican section of the state, in a city that is highly liberal. (This is not to equate Democrats with Communism, just a neat analogy). The city council has put up "peace poles" around town with anti-war statements, a clear political message. This is wrong and it's being challenged on multiple levels. There is no way a department of the Federal government would promote Bush...we don't have any departments that could crush brains if the courts tried to take them on.Checks and balances.
<<Keep track of those Unpatriotic Traitors who disagree with you. Maybe call that phone number about some of the more articulate ones. (Them smart bastids is Dangerous.) For the rest of them, well, their day will come.
(It worked for Adolph in Germany. I think they called the payoff "The Night of the Long Knives".)>>
I say just don't let liberal college professors teach a one-sided class and brainwash his/her students into believing the gubment is evil. Either provide some balance or make them teach from a neutral standpoint. My astronomy (astronomy!) professor would use every chance he could to take a shot at Rush Limbaugh. What the hell?? That's just immature. I don't think we should lock up unpatriotic people...I say leave them out and let them dig their own hole. Penn Jilette of Penn and Teller said it best a few months back on Dennis Miller...he was feeling "pretty Republican" when Michael Moore did his "shame on you" speech at the awards ceremomy last year. You don't need to do anything to the "traitors." They ruin their own credibility.
<<What sort of people will this sort of program attract? Busybodies, goes without saying. Guys who think anyone who Disagrees with the "Party Line" is a commie pinko terrorist. Especially those who think CPTs should have their Butts Kicked and are ready to Join Up for a chance to get a boot or two in.
It'll be Most attractive to the guy who wasn't quite acceptable as a Police Officer because he was just Too Much of a bully to stomach. The sort of guy who is all too willing to "Enforce the laws" the courts are too liberal wimpy to enforce. The Laws of GHOD as revealed by the voices in the beer can.>>
Security guards?
<<We had that sort of organization once before in this country. It went by the initials KKK. They worked for "Free" and enforced all sorts of "Unwritten Laws of Ghod".
And this time, they don't even have to buy new sheets for the bed.>>
We still have that organization and it is dying, and has been dying ever since its party (Democrat) changed their position. We also have other organization just like it, but the only thing they all have in common is that they are not state-sponsored, nor would they be. That's incredulous.
I think you are being too paranoid and connecting things that have nothing to do with each other. And I'll tell you what, if you really are afraid of this, I hope you aren't for gun control, as if this "Nightwatch" theory you have would defy the odds and take hold, guns are the only thing to keep it in check.
My advice to you is this...just relax and enjoy life. Life is too short to waste worrying about such things, which are simply unlikely in their potential to occur. I used to worry about everything that happened in Washington, but we can't carry that weight on our shoulders...just vote and participate and fight for what you believe in. But don't chase shadows. It will just make you get old really quick.
EDIT: I swear words disappear when I hit sumbit...Last edited by Dr Maturin; 07-06-2004, 11:16 PM.
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Nightwatch Lives
Original Post :
Nightwatch Lives
The Bush administration never met a bad idea they didn't like. See these links:
N A T I O N
Eyes And Ears Of The Nation
By AMANDA RIPLEY/LITTLE ROCK
Thousands of truckers, bus drivers and rest-stop workers are being enlisted to spot terrorists. Is this comforting news?
STEVE JONES FOR TIME
I SPY: ôFrom trucks to taxis, school buses to NASCAR.ö ThatÆs the exuberant motto of a program to train drivers like Larry Lawson, of the Central Arkansas Transit Authority, to identify terrorists
Sunday, Jun. 27, 2004
On a blazing hot morning last week, 75 men and women of the highway ù bus drivers, truckers and van operators ù convened at a nondescript office building in Little Rock, Ark., to be trained as terrorist hunters. The Department of Homeland Security this year gave $19.3 million to the American Trucking Associations, which is based in Alexandria, Va., to recruit a volunteer "army" called Highway Watch. So far, 10,000 truckers have signed on to become amateur sleuths. Over the next year, the goal is to add tollbooth workers, rest-stop employees and construction crews, creating a corps of 400,000 people drawn from every state.
Waiting for the training to begin, Jo Anna Cartwright, who manages the rural public bus system in northern Arkansas, said she had not yet encountered any terrorists in her job, as far as she knew. "We got a terroristic phone call the other day," she said, "but it turned out it was just the boyfriend of an employee." Her bus drivers pay special attention to a gentleman from Afghanistan who recently married a regular rider, she said. Cartwright had come to the training to learn what else she could do.
More on the web sites...
I have voted either Republican and Democratic in many different primaries. The independents don't have the gas to make a good run at it yet. If I had to classify myself I would have to say I am a Libertarian socialist. But I am not a leftist. Many of my views are very conservative.
Gee. implied attack right off the bat.Yes, I'm a US Citizen. Born and Raised.
Are YOU a Republican or a Bush Supporter?
(I realize the two are Not the same.)
Now, Back to the topic:
I was looking at the nice innocuous way the program is starting out:
First, give them a neat window sticker. And a little wallet card.
Second. An occasional meeting where they can pat each other on the back and congratulate themselves on their patriotism. And, of course, maybe have a few beers.
Third. Give them a phone number so they can report "Suspicious" characters. Oh, and anyone with a bumper sticker they don't like...
Once you've done that, wait a while, then start creating "Solidarity" among the membership.
How about everybody just sort of agrees to wear the same style and color shirts & pants. Not a "Uniform". Just let's show out Pride in our Patriotism where Everyone can see who we are.
Well, OK, a Uniform.
Then, the cheerleading at meetings gets very "Pro Bush" and the mesage becomes make sure all your Family, friends and neighbors Vote and that they Vote The Right Way, of course.
Keep track of those Unpatriotic Traitors who disagree with you. Maybe call that phone number about some of the more articulate ones. (Them smart bastids is Dangerous.) For the rest of them, well, their day will come.
(It worked for Adolph in Germany. I think they called the payoff "The Night of the Long Knives".)
What sort of people will this sort of program attract? Busybodies, goes without saying. Guys who think anyone who Disagrees with the "Party Line" is a commie pinko terrorist. Especially those who think CPTs should have their Butts Kicked and are ready to Join Up for a chance to get a boot or two in.
It'll be Most attractive to the guy who wasn't quite acceptable as a Police Officer because he was just Too Much of a bully to stomach. The sort of guy who is all too willing to "Enforce the laws" the courts are too liberal wimpy to enforce. The Laws of GHOD as revealed by the voices in the beer can.
We had that sort of organization once before in this country. It went by the initials KKK. They worked for "Free" and enforced all sorts of "Unwritten Laws of Ghod".
And this time, they don't even have to buy new sheets for the bed.
Now do you see the slippery slope ???Attached FilesTags: None
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