Between Hither and Yon

I'm a busy little bee right now, but I thought you might like to read a bit on the continuing slide of America off the cliff and into the abyss. The first is from William Murchinson writing In the Dallas Morning News, titled quite appropriately, "The Elites Versus Us:"

We live at an odd and dangerous moment -- one framed only in part by the court's recent extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples. There is much else to flummox and worry us. "Consent of the governed" seems the last thing on the minds of those determined to herd the sheep -- you and me -- to supposedly brighter pastures.

It reminds me of John Brunner's relentlessly depressing dystopian novel THE SHEEP LOOK UP. Don't read it if you're looking for a fun evening!

Historian Victor Davis Hanson, writing in NRO,  notes the similarities between modern American and democratic Athens (appropriate reading for the days when Greece itself swirls around the Great Toilet Bowl of History):

American democracy has become increasingly Athenian, as it periodically whips itself up into outbursts of frantic indignation. While the government in theory still operates according to the checks and balances of the Constitution, in reality, in the hyped Internet world of modern pop culture, fevered passions can seize the majority of the population in a matter of hours.

Well, darn cheery, doncha think? How about something a little cheerier? Dan Wos is the author of the book DEFINING SUCCESS IN AMERICA. He also runs a blog of the same name, one one recent entry is on The Feer of Guns...it is an excellent primer for dealing with people who might not agree with us...here's just a little selection, but definitely read the whole thing:

 I was talking to a guy who was anti-gun (I say "was" because he was finally able to see the benefit of self-defense) and I gave him a scenario. I said:
 "Let's say hypothetically that you and I are walking through the mall. We don't know each other  but it's Christmas time and the place is hopping'. People are walking around with their shopping bags full of gifts that they can't wait for their families to open, Jingle Bell Rock is playing on the sound system, you have your Starbucks Latte in your hand and we happen to be near each other. All of a sudden a masked gunman announces that everyone needs to lay down on the floor as he starts shooting people. I know this could never happen..sarcasm... But if it could and knowing your strict anti-gun rules, you knew that I had a licensed firearm on me. You knew this because you saw me duck behind a wall as I pulled it out of my belt. My question to you is, in that moment what thoughts and feelings are rushing through you and.........who just became your new best friend?"

BTW..Am typing this on phone on the fly...pls forgive typos,mmisssspellllings and assorted formatting crap!