I just heard about this guy

[PythonWallace]

Everything I read on him sounds good to me. I guess the GOP wants him banned from future debates because they don't like the idea of the constitution or property rights, appearantly.

http://www.ronpaul2008.com/

[ctrlfreq]

I guess the GOP wants him banned from future debates because they don't like the idea of the constitution or property rights, appearantly.

Actually their bigger gripe is the fact that he thinks America has played a part in making the current anti-American atmosphere overseas, while the GOP's official position is that America has nothing to do with the anti-American sentiments because we're a great country damnit!

Of course, this quickly turns into types like Hannity, Giuliani, and the rest of the hard-core pro-America base (I'm not anti-American by any stretch, but there is a difference between being patriotic and dogmatically, flag-wavingly, "mission accomplished" banner-flying-ly pro-America) claiming that Paul said "America is responsible for 9/11", which is where we are now.

[Freakie_frog]

(I'm not anti-American by any stretch, but there is a difference between being patriotic and dogmatically, flag-wavingly, "mission accomplished" banner-flying-ly pro-America)

Whats the difference?? If your patriotic your patriotic or are you suggesting that there is different degrees of patriotism. Which I believe there is.

[ctrlfreq]

Whats the difference?? If your patriotic your patriotic or are you suggesting that there is different degrees of patriotism. Which I believe there is.

No, I was referring more to those who are superficially patriotic, and consider pride to be completely about nationality and not questioning the government.

Penn & Teller, on their show BS!, recently did a segment where they ran around with two petitions. In the first, the "America is #1" petition (which got literally hundereds of signatures), they called for the UN to recognize the US as #1 in many diverse areas, including evironmental issues and education. The second, which got just as many signatures from people claiming to be patriots, called for a ban on public protests within 300 yards of Congress. The irony, of course, being that the people were signing away their right to sign petitions on the steps of Congress -- on the steps of the Congress building.

There are most definitely not only degrees of patriotism these days, but diverse brands as well, many of which have no aim but to bolster nationalistic pride, something which often runs contrary to actual patriotism.

[panthercz]

There's patriotism and then there's blind patriotism. Ones good, ones bad...

[PythonWallace]

I'm very patriotic, but I'm pretty upset, as well as frightened by where the U.S. is headed under the current administration, and I vote Republican. I didn't vote for W., however. I voted for Michael Peroutka for President.