WE must change direction

woodstock · Apr 6, 2013

I reflect on the collapse of Rome. Our America, as great as it is, is not impervious to flaw and failure, as demonstrated by what happened in Rome, the GREATEST empire in history.

Government corruption, moral decline, and the might of the military reduced to a bunch of egotistical sadists, who betrayed there own.

The greatest empire was lost.

As I reflect on the collapse of Rome, I look at what is happening to a nation that I was once proud of. I say "was once" proud of, because I am no longer proud of what I am seeing in terms of policy making and our democracy (assumed), in action. I am going to raise my flag at half-staff until I see some shred of hope.

Hope, now isn't that a funny word?

fivepointstar · Apr 6, 2013

nice analogy...i tend to agree with you!

fabsroman · Apr 6, 2013

I've been saying this for about a decade now. The Roman citizens learned that they could vote themselves free bread from the treasury and that was the beginning of the end of that society. That is usually how most democracies go. Toward the end, the Romans were worried about entertainment and not much else as they received their free bread from the treasury and watched the gladiators and lions in the Coliseum.

I look at Americans today and it is pretty much the same thing. We have tons of welfare programs, none of which are really there to push people away from them. I know plenty of people that have been on these programs for a decade or more. Granted, some do work, but they never seem to be able to get over the hump where they no longer qualify for the program. Then, everybody is watching the movies, TV, or a sporting event when they are not working. Hardly anybody follows politics other than to repeat the party line, and some just pull the party lever at the ballot box without even knowing what their party stands for.

The majority of people I know think I am nuts. An attorney/CPA with a pharmacist for a wife and I am burning firewood in a wood burning furnace, that I installed myself, to heat the house from firewood that I cut and split myself. I am fixing/maintaining our cars and house on my own, mowing my own grass and doing my own landscaping, building and maintaining a plethora of other gear, etc. Oh yeah, and my wife and I are raising our kids without daycare or a nanny, but my particular situation makes this possible since I work for myself.

I watch SportsCenter at night most of the time for 30 minutes just so I can converse with the masses. Called a fellow attorney on baseball's opening day the other day and he was talking to me while watching the game. Of course the conversation went to baseball. Too many Americans are worried about entertainment and not retirement and financial security.

The grief I get for driving around a 15 year old car and 10 year old truck is spectacular too. My wife gets grief for driving a 2010 Ford Focus that we paid for within one year of buying it. My wife and I actually bought a townhouse in 2004 to wait for the real estate market collapse. Just had no idea the entire economy itself would be on the brink of collapse. Now, I am sitting here and debating whether to pull out 50% of the funds we have in the stock market because that is looking scary right now. We've made way too much money in the market over the past 5 years, and that usually does not bode well based upon recent history.

Oh yeah, I got plenty of grief for living in the townhouse too, after the first kid was born. I had to have grass, a yard, etc. Well, the first kid was born early 2007. Guess what followed, the real estate market collapse. Thing is, we had a ton of equity in the townhouse because it was extremely affordable for us when we bought it. We were able to sell it and buy a very well maintained foreclosure for $200k less than the previous owner paid in 2005 and our monthly payment was virtually the same (Now less because of a refinance). Yeah, we lost $33k on the townhouse, but we saved a ton on the new house. Now, I am brilliant.

Meh, too many people want too much too fast without working for it. Told a friend about the firewood and he said "That sounds like work." Was at a birthday dinner for my brother and mentioned buying a 3rd chainsaw and one of our mutual friend's kids asked "What do you have a chainsaw for?" Now, isn't it obvious what a chainsaw is used for the majority of the time? Then, I remembered that his father would not even know how to start a chainsaw and would probably cut his leg off in the process, much less cut wood.

My parents are Italian immigrants that were kids in Italy during and after WWII. They came here in the mid 50's. For quite a while they have been telling me "Americans do not know what a tough time and suffering is, and they will not be able to handle it." Before you blast me, we all think of ourselves as Americans, that just happen to like sopressatta, olive oil, prosciutto, mozzarella, pasta, etc.

Anyway, rant over. Need to get back to work and maybe even start a fire.

God help this country and its citizens.

Markp · Apr 6, 2013

Well said,Sir.

All I can say is watch this, then read the above post again.

n1hook · Apr 6, 2013

Then there is this. I was Army 1967-1970. This is NOT the Army I served.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/5/dod-presentation-classifies-cat

cantonglocker · Apr 6, 2013

We need to stop trying to save people from their own laziness and stupidity. We need to wall off the inner cities until all the thugs kill each other off. We need term limits for these retards in govt. finally we need to shrink govt by about 85%.

tm12 · Apr 6, 2013

fabsroman said:
I've been saying this for about a decade now. The Roman citizens learned that they could vote themselves free bread from the treasury and that was the beginning of the end of that society. That is usually how most democracies go. Toward the end, the Romans were worried about entertainment and not much else as they received their free bread from the treasury and watched the gladiators and lions in the Coliseum.

I look at Americans today and it is pretty much the same thing. We have tons of welfare programs, none of which are really there to push people away from them. I know plenty of people that have been on these programs for a decade or more. Granted, some do work, but they never seem to be able to get over the hump where they no longer qualify for the program. Then, everybody is watching the movies, TV, or a sporting event when they are not working. Hardly anybody follows politics other than to repeat the party line, and some just pull the party lever at the ballot box without even knowing what their party stands for.

The majority of people I know think I am nuts. An attorney/CPA with a pharmacist for a wife and I am burning firewood in a wood burning furnace, that I installed myself, to heat the house from firewood that I cut and split myself. I am fixing/maintaining our cars and house on my own, mowing my own grass and doing my own landscaping, building and maintaining a plethora of other gear, etc. Oh yeah, and my wife and I are raising our kids without daycare or a nanny, but my particular situation makes this possible since I work for myself.

I watch SportsCenter at night most of the time for 30 minutes just so I can converse with the masses. Called a fellow attorney on baseball's opening day the other day and he was talking to me while watching the game. Of course the conversation went to baseball. Too many Americans are worried about entertainment and not retirement and financial security.

The grief I get for driving around a 15 year old car and 10 year old truck is spectacular too. My wife gets grief for driving a 2010 Ford Focus that we paid for within one year of buying it. My wife and I actually bought a townhouse in 2004 to wait for the real estate market collapse. Just had no idea the entire economy itself would be on the brink of collapse. Now, I am sitting here and debating whether to pull out 50% of the funds we have in the stock market because that is looking scary right now. We've made way too much money in the market over the past 5 years, and that usually does not bode well based upon recent history.

Oh yeah, I got plenty of grief for living in the townhouse too, after the first kid was born. I had to have grass, a yard, etc. Well, the first kid was born early 2007. Guess what followed, the real estate market collapse. Thing is, we had a ton of equity in the townhouse because it was extremely affordable for us when we bought it. We were able to sell it and buy a very well maintained foreclosure for $200k less than the previous owner paid in 2005 and our monthly payment was virtually the same (Now less because of a refinance). Yeah, we lost $33k on the townhouse, but we saved a ton on the new house. Now, I am brilliant.

Meh, too many people want too much too fast without working for it. Told a friend about the firewood and he said "That sounds like work." Was at a birthday dinner for my brother and mentioned buying a 3rd chainsaw and one of our mutual friend's kids asked "What do you have a chainsaw for?" Now, isn't it obvious what a chainsaw is used for the majority of the time? Then, I remembered that his father would not even know how to start a chainsaw and would probably cut his leg off in the process, much less cut wood.

My parents are Italian immigrants that were kids in Italy during and after WWII. They came here in the mid 50's. For quite a while they have been telling me "Americans do not know what a tough time and suffering is, and they will not be able to handle it." Before you blast me, we all think of ourselves as Americans, that just happen to like sopressatta, olive oil, prosciutto, mozzarella, pasta, etc.

Anyway, rant over. Need to get back to work and maybe even start a fire.

God help this country and its citizens.

Well said. We all know what they say about those who don't know/remember history...

Mooseman · Apr 6, 2013

The Roman Empire or Sodom and Gomorrah?

TxAggie · Apr 6, 2013

fabsroman said:
I've been saying this for about a decade now. The Roman citizens learned that they could vote themselves free bread from the treasury and that was the beginning of the end of that society. That is usually how most democracies go. Toward the end, the Romans were worried about entertainment and not much else as they received their free bread from the treasury and watched the gladiators and lions in the Coliseum.

I look at Americans today and it is pretty much the same thing. We have tons of welfare programs, none of which are really there to push people away from them. I know plenty of people that have been on these programs for a decade or more. Granted, some do work, but they never seem to be able to get over the hump where they no longer qualify for the program. Then, everybody is watching the movies, TV, or a sporting event when they are not working. Hardly anybody follows politics other than to repeat the party line, and some just pull the party lever at the ballot box without even knowing what their party stands for.

The majority of people I know think I am nuts. An attorney/CPA with a pharmacist for a wife and I am burning firewood in a wood burning furnace, that I installed myself, to heat the house from firewood that I cut and split myself. I am fixing/maintaining our cars and house on my own, mowing my own grass and doing my own landscaping, building and maintaining a plethora of other gear, etc. Oh yeah, and my wife and I are raising our kids without daycare or a nanny, but my particular situation makes this possible since I work for myself.

I watch SportsCenter at night most of the time for 30 minutes just so I can converse with the masses. Called a fellow attorney on baseball's opening day the other day and he was talking to me while watching the game. Of course the conversation went to baseball. Too many Americans are worried about entertainment and not retirement and financial security.

The grief I get for driving around a 15 year old car and 10 year old truck is spectacular too. My wife gets grief for driving a 2010 Ford Focus that we paid for within one year of buying it. My wife and I actually bought a townhouse in 2004 to wait for the real estate market collapse. Just had no idea the entire economy itself would be on the brink of collapse. Now, I am sitting here and debating whether to pull out 50% of the funds we have in the stock market because that is looking scary right now. We've made way too much money in the market over the past 5 years, and that usually does not bode well based upon recent history.

Oh yeah, I got plenty of grief for living in the townhouse too, after the first kid was born. I had to have grass, a yard, etc. Well, the first kid was born early 2007. Guess what followed, the real estate market collapse. Thing is, we had a ton of equity in the townhouse because it was extremely affordable for us when we bought it. We were able to sell it and buy a very well maintained foreclosure for $200k less than the previous owner paid in 2005 and our monthly payment was virtually the same (Now less because of a refinance). Yeah, we lost $33k on the townhouse, but we saved a ton on the new house. Now, I am brilliant.

Meh, too many people want too much too fast without working for it. Told a friend about the firewood and he said "That sounds like work." Was at a birthday dinner for my brother and mentioned buying a 3rd chainsaw and one of our mutual friend's kids asked "What do you have a chainsaw for?" Now, isn't it obvious what a chainsaw is used for the majority of the time? Then, I remembered that his father would not even know how to start a chainsaw and would probably cut his leg off in the process, much less cut wood.

My parents are Italian immigrants that were kids in Italy during and after WWII. They came here in the mid 50's. For quite a while they have been telling me "Americans do not know what a tough time and suffering is, and they will not be able to handle it." Before you blast me, we all think of ourselves as Americans, that just happen to like sopressatta, olive oil, prosciutto, mozzarella, pasta, etc.

Anyway, rant over. Need to get back to work and maybe even start a fire.

God help this country and its citizens.

Very well stated, sir. Might I congratulate you on your timing. I wouldn't be laughing at you at all, I think things are working out just fine for you.

To the OP, I actually made this a centerpiece of my arguments to the legislators, particularly over the past two weeks. For those that laugh at us when we mention needing our 2A rights, they are sorely shot-sighted. They think that we mean in the immediate future. We don't. We are the ones who are truly concerned for our children because we are looking beyond the next 2 election cycles.

History tells us that the prominence of the US will fall and another country or countries will assume the role of world leader. We cannon be certain that 200 years from now that country will be an ally to the US.

America, regardless what you hear in the media, has the greatest natural resources of any country in the world. When it comes to growing food, no country can equal us. With regards to energy, we lead the world in virtually all forms. For fossil fuels, new drilling techniques have proved that we can extract deep oil reserves previously unobtainable and shale mining is making North Dakota the Texas boom town of the 21st century. And that is without talking about the natural gas reserves that analysts say make Middle East Oil look like a pond compared to an ocean.

For renewable energy, the US holds large coastlines for wave generated electricity, deserts for solar, rivers for hydro, and vast open spaces for wind (as these technologies become more efficient and viable, which I truly believe will occur in 200 years.

It is because of these natural resources, among other things like our strategic location and spanning an entire continent, that we are target number 1 for takeover should we weaken. This is why we MUST preserve our 2A rights. These firearms must be kept in the hands of civilians to keep the public trained and ready. Even after serving 15 years in the Army and Reserves, I have met many on the civilian side that are every bit as proficient (or better) with arms than I am or ever will be.

The 2A isn't for us, we have our arms and can honestly contend with most any threat directed at our family. The 2A is for our children, grandchildren, and theirs.

Anotherpyr · Apr 6, 2013

fabsroman said:
I look at Americans today and it is pretty much the same thing. We have tons of welfare programs, none of which are really there to push people away from them. I know plenty of people that have been on these programs for a decade or more. Granted, some do work, but they never seem to be able to get over the hump where they no longer qualify for the program.

I think there is psychology at work here. Specifically loss aversion and diminishing returns. I've known people to work part time just to keep from entering the next tax bracket.

Also, I now know who I'm going to call when I need a lawyer.

Anotherpyr · Apr 6, 2013

Markp said:
Well said,Sir.

All I can say is watch this, then read the above post again.

Scary. I think Brave New World might capture where we are headed better than 1984 though.

shooting again · Apr 6, 2013

I appreciate the thoughts above and congratulations to all those who take responsibility for their own affairs.

Here's a timely article in today's Wall Street Journal. It's quoted from Joshua Chamberlain, the Gettysburg hero (if you're a Yankee) at Little Round Top. With commitment and good leadership a few people can accomplish a lot.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...635172046.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEFTTopOpinion

40-Cal-Polymer · Apr 6, 2013

fabsroman said:
I've been saying this for about a decade now. The Roman citizens learned that they could vote themselves free bread from the treasury and that was the beginning of the end of that society. That is usually how most democracies go. Toward the end, the Romans were worried about entertainment and not much else as they received their free bread from the treasury and watched the gladiators and lions in the Coliseum.

I look at Americans today and it is pretty much the same thing. We have tons of welfare programs, none of which are really there to push people away from them. I know plenty of people that have been on these programs for a decade or more. Granted, some do work, but they never seem to be able to get over the hump where they no longer qualify for the program. Then, everybody is watching the movies, TV, or a sporting event when they are not working. Hardly anybody follows politics other than to repeat the party line, and some just pull the party lever at the ballot box without even knowing what their party stands for.

The majority of people I know think I am nuts. An attorney/CPA with a pharmacist for a wife and I am burning firewood in a wood burning furnace, that I installed myself, to heat the house from firewood that I cut and split myself. I am fixing/maintaining our cars and house on my own, mowing my own grass and doing my own landscaping, building and maintaining a plethora of other gear, etc. Oh yeah, and my wife and I are raising our kids without daycare or a nanny, but my particular situation makes this possible since I work for myself.

I watch SportsCenter at night most of the time for 30 minutes just so I can converse with the masses. Called a fellow attorney on baseball's opening day the other day and he was talking to me while watching the game. Of course the conversation went to baseball. Too many Americans are worried about entertainment and not retirement and financial security.

The grief I get for driving around a 15 year old car and 10 year old truck is spectacular too. My wife gets grief for driving a 2010 Ford Focus that we paid for within one year of buying it. My wife and I actually bought a townhouse in 2004 to wait for the real estate market collapse. Just had no idea the entire economy itself would be on the brink of collapse. Now, I am sitting here and debating whether to pull out 50% of the funds we have in the stock market because that is looking scary right now. We've made way too much money in the market over the past 5 years, and that usually does not bode well based upon recent history.

Oh yeah, I got plenty of grief for living in the townhouse too, after the first kid was born. I had to have grass, a yard, etc. Well, the first kid was born early 2007. Guess what followed, the real estate market collapse. Thing is, we had a ton of equity in the townhouse because it was extremely affordable for us when we bought it. We were able to sell it and buy a very well maintained foreclosure for $200k less than the previous owner paid in 2005 and our monthly payment was virtually the same (Now less because of a refinance). Yeah, we lost $33k on the townhouse, but we saved a ton on the new house. Now, I am brilliant.

Meh, too many people want too much too fast without working for it. Told a friend about the firewood and he said "That sounds like work." Was at a birthday dinner for my brother and mentioned buying a 3rd chainsaw and one of our mutual friend's kids asked "What do you have a chainsaw for?" Now, isn't it obvious what a chainsaw is used for the majority of the time? Then, I remembered that his father would not even know how to start a chainsaw and would probably cut his leg off in the process, much less cut wood.

My parents are Italian immigrants that were kids in Italy during and after WWII. They came here in the mid 50's. For quite a while they have been telling me "Americans do not know what a tough time and suffering is, and they will not be able to handle it." Before you blast me, we all think of ourselves as Americans, that just happen to like sopressatta, olive oil, prosciutto, mozzarella, pasta, etc.

Anyway, rant over. Need to get back to work and maybe even start a fire.

God help this country and its citizens.

Your way of life, is very inspirational and compelling. This is exactly how I would want to live. Completely independent of the government and its entities. How does one break free of the machine.... That drives us to the brink of insanity, that pushes us to our very limits and makes us question out place here.
How long can we go on like this? We hate each other... We strive to inflict pain and despair on our fellow man, if it means we will get a leg up, or for our own personal gain. When do we come together and take back what we worked so hard to achieve.

The pursuit of money and success have driven us apart.... And it's destroying us.
Is there still time to break away and redeem ourselves for the anguish we have caused?

Killing off those who are less fortunate then we will not help. That will only fuel the hatred we hone each and everyday.

fabsroman · Apr 6, 2013

40-Cal-Polymer said:
Your way of life, is very inspirational and compelling. This is exactly how I would want to live. Completely independent of the government and its entities. How does one break free of the machine.... That drives us to the brink of insanity, that pushes us to our very limits and makes us question out place here.
How long can we go on like this? We hate each other... We strive to inflict pain and despair on our fellow man, if it means we will get a leg up, or for our own personal gain. When do we come together and take back what we worked so hard to achieve.

The pursuit of money and success have driven us apart.... And it's destroying us.
Is there still time to break away and redeem ourselves for the anguish we have caused?

Killing off those who are less fortunate then we will not help. That will only fuel the hatred we hone each and everyday.

Yeah, right now I am researching solar panels and electricity generating windmills. Think that will be the next step of becoming even more independent of the government. It will be nice to kiss the BGE bills goodbye. As it is, we saved around $2,200 just by burning firewood this past year, which is what I am using to fund the gun purchases right now.

I read a sign about 10 years ago, and I think that is something that has made a lot of this possible. "Stress less by wanting less." There is ALWAYS going to be something new and shiny out there. So, we can ALL spend ALL of our money on new shiny items if we prefer. The trick is disciplining oneself to save money. Once you are financially free, it gives you a ton of options. I was financially free 11 years ago, which allowed me to start my own practice. I did not have a single debt back then. Only debt right now is the mortgage, but we have enough saved to pay it off if need be. Just really hard to do when the mortgage rate is 3.5% and the mortgage interest is deductible.

Lord only knows how much I saved on the furnace install. A couple HVAC installers wanted $2,100 just to tie the furnace into the existing vent work. Then, $2,800 to install a new chimney. At that point, I decided it was time to learn about HVAC. A single call to the Chimney manufacturer let me know that the current Chimney was rated to handle the new furnace. So, all that we had to do was move it. I was wondering how they were going to do a new chimney install when a new chimney and black pipe would cost $2,800. Replaced the brake lines on my Taurus, which was a $500 savings. After mowing the lawn for 2 years myself, the John Deere Z445 has essentially paid for itself.

I know a guy on a wood burning chatboard that has been saving $1,500 a year for 50 years or so by burning firewood. That adds up to at least $75,000. Most people above the age of 50 do not even have $75,000 saved for retirement.

It is all a lifestyle choice. It helps that I like to be challenged mentally by this stuff too, that I have the right tools to get this stuff done, that I really do not enjoy watching TV other than a movie here and there (e.g., TV series require me to invest way too much time in them but a movie can be a 2 hour affair with no further time commitment).

bjmsam · Apr 6, 2013

woodstock said:
I am no longer proud of what I am seeing in terms of policy making and our democracy (assumed), in action.

This applies to MD, too:

WE must change direction

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