Our Ox is Gored (Long)

[jay1313]

I have no idea the appropriate place to post this, so I put it here since I read this forum on a regular basis.

The UIGEA has gored our ox. The federal government has reached inside of our house, into our computer and decided that we are not mature enough to make decisions about how to live our lives and must be told what to do. Another freedom taken away from Americans who have spent over 225 years fighting and dying to protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

This is not the first freedom taken away, and if things keep progressing the way they are, it won’t be the last. This is also not a new phenomenon, since the start of government, individual freedom has been under attack. One does not have to go too far back into history to see things like Prohibition or the Hays Act to see there have always been forces who know better then you do how you should live your life. All levels of government have been involved in taking away little bits of freedom here and there, passing laws to protect us from ourselves. Recent local legislation involving smoking bans in private businesses is a good example where government intervention into private business decisions has occurred.

Unfortunately, political parties only offer some relief. While the Democratic party touts individual freedoms and rights, it frowns upon you achieving your individual goals through accumulation of wealth and makes you feel responsible for societal ills and will tax it away from you to give to more ‘deserving’ souls.

The Republicans are all for you accumulating wealth, although lately it is becoming more clear that unless you are in 7 figures your wealth accumulation means nothing. However, they are now more into pushing their own social agenda about how you should think, what you should do, and who you choose to live your life with then those wonderful free market values we all grew up with in high school economics.

With freedom, comes risk, the risk to fail or even more severe risks. Right or wrong, with each risk that is reduced, a little bit of freedom dies with it. Society as a whole will determine where that balance is. I don’t have the link, but there is an interesting report and it has been posted on 2+2 published by the Cato institute on where Americans fall on a political spectrum of individual freedoms and government involvement.

The bottom line, there are a lot of Americans who don’t fall neatly into the Red/Blue division of America. But we are not represented. I doubt we ever will be represented for the sole reason that we respect the rights of others and expect ours to be as well. Our cause of ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ is supposedly a fundamental rock of America and should be remembered by the political parties. However, the money that is poured into these groups by special interests has a tendency to refocus our two great parties. Right now, the red side is flexing its muscle on how you think and act. This time, they took away your freedom to play poker online. Next time they may take away your right to read Harry Potter books to your children or how many cheeseburgers you can eat in a month.

I believe most of the people here on 2+2 are, for lack of a better term, libertarian in their political beliefs. So are many, many other Americans. The libertarian type parties will never be viable competitors to the Democrats or Republicans simply because being a libertarian pretty much also makes you have a disdain for government as a whole and a leave me alone attitude. This is not good or bad, just how it is. When you go to vote this November, look at your choices and find individuals who believe closer to what you believe then straight party folks. They are rare, but they are there. But also look at the records of those that are in there. The vast majority of people do not align with one party or another, you can make a difference in the election. Keep an eye on your freedoms and look at what it is costing you each time one is taken away. Poker may not be the most important thing to you, but eventually, something else will be taken away. As for myself, I have had enough, the pendulum has gone too far in one direction and I will be voting to push it back

[CallYNotRaise06]

great post

[5thStreetHog]

[ QUOTE ]
great post

[/ QUOTE ]Yep,but maybe more suited for the political forum.

[Nielsio]

Do you actually think that a politician who is setting out to make government smaller is going to survive in that environment? ..the environment of plunder, pillaging and total parasitism (and dependancy on it)?

[BigBuffet]

Long ago I came to the conclusion that voting is the same as some offering you a coin flip with the following rule to you "heads I win, tails you lose".

I haven't voted in any level of elections fo rmany years and doubt I ever wil again.

[Nielsio]

[ QUOTE ]
Long ago I came to the conclusion that voting is the same as some offering you a coin flip with the following rule to you "heads I win, tails you lose".

I haven't voted in any level of elections fo rmany years and doubt I ever wil again.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Voting is the suggestion box for slaves"

!