I don't dispute generally anything you say about the Arab Spring, Dolours, except that Obama could have planned it, I think it was planned earlier, but it has nothing to do with my point. I'd love to discuss it some other time, but can you see trump or Hillary taking the reigns of that mess, especially now with Putin in the mix? If we want to save lives in the Middle East and in the womb then neither trump nor Hillary are options at all. Americans can do better, as one proponent of a third candidate has said.
Comments from republican Ben Sasse: THE MEANING OF AMERICA America is the most exceptional nation in the history of the world because our Constitution is the best political document that’s ever been written. It said something different than almost any other government had said before: Most governments before said that might makes right, that government decides what our rights are and that the people are just dependent subjects. Our Founders said that God gives us rights by nature, and that government is not the author or source of our rights. Government is just our shared project to secure those rights. Government exists only because the world is fallen, and some people want to take your property, your liberty, and your life. Government is tasked with securing a framework for ordered liberty where “we the people” can in our communities voluntarily build something great together for our kids and grandkids. That’s America. Freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of association, freedom of speech – the First Amendment is the heartbeat of the American Constitution, of the American idea itself. WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO MR. TRUMP? So let me ask you: Do you believe the beating heart of Mr. Trump’s candidacy has been a defense of the Constitution? Do you believe it’s been an impassioned defense of the First Amendment – or an attack on it? Which of the following quotes give you great comfort that he’s in love with the First Amendment, that he is committed to defending the Constitution, that he believes in executive restraint, that he understands servant leadership? Statements from Trump: ***“We’re going to open up libel laws and we’re going to have people sue you like you’ve never got sued before.” ***“When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it. They were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak…” ***Putin, who has killed journalists and is pillaging Ukraine, is a great leader. ***The editor of National Review “should not be allowed on TV and the FCC should fine him.” ***On whether he will use executive orders to end-run Congress, as President Obama has illegally done: "I won't refuse it. I'm going to do a lot of things." “I mean, he’s led the way, to be honest with you.” ***“Sixty-eight percent would not leave under any circumstance. I think that means murder. It think it means anything.” ***On the internet: “I would certainly be open to closing areas” of it. ***His lawyers to people selling anti-Trump t-shirts: “Mr. Trump considers this to be a very serious matter and has authorized our legal team to take all necessary and appropriate actions to bring an immediate halt...” ***Similar threatening legal letters to competing campaigns running ads about his record. And on it goes on.... Cont......
Cont,,, IF MR. TRUMP BECOMES THE NOMINEE... Given what we know about him today, here’s where I’m at: If Donald Trump becomes the Republican nominee, my expectation is that I will look for some third candidate – a conservative option, a Constitutionalist. I do not claim to speak for a movement, but I suspect I am far from alone. After listening to Nebraskans in recent weeks, and talking to a great many people who take oaths seriously, I think many are in the same place. I believe a sizable share of Christians – who regard threats against religious liberty as arguably the greatest crisis of our time – are unwilling to support any candidate who does not make a full-throated defense of the First Amendment a first commitment of their candidacy. Conservatives understand that all men are created equal and made in the image of God, but also that government must be limited so that fallen men do not wield too much power. A presidential candidate who boasts about what he'll do during his "reign" and refuses to condemn the KKK cannot lead a conservative movement in America. TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT Thank you for listening. While I recognize that we disagree about how to make America great again, we agree that this should be our goal. We need more people engaged in the civic life of our country—not fewer. I genuinely appreciate how much many of you care about this country, and that you are demanding something different from Washington. I’m going to keep doing the same thing. But I can’t support Donald Trump. Humbly, Ben Sasse Nebraska
Personally, rather than making America GREAT again, I'll be happy if we can just make America GOOD again.
Thank you Ben Sasse, a true American. You see, Mr. Trump, America is already great. Good people all over the world know it. Do you know why, Mr. Trump? I don't think you could. It is because of the principles enshrined in our constitution that you have trampled on most of your adult life. I hope someone reads this speech to you. Hopefully one of your servants can explain it to you in a way you might understand before you threaten Mr. Sasse with impossibly stupid legal action and screaming, bloviating bufoonery. You are embarrassing us, please stop the reality show now and move on to your next attempt to prove yourself and self soothe your massive ego. Thank you for your time, a concerned, pro-life, pro Constitution citizen.
Oh how I wish he would see your comments! Trump is such an embarrassment to this nation in every sense of the word. But worse than that, I truly believe that he is a danger...to our nation and to the whole world. His fascist rhetoric is not to be ignored for faux nationalistic desires of greatness. How can we so quickly forget the men in recent world history who came to power using that same style approach. How did that work out for them? When evidence is there and you just look the other way....your just rolling the dice. The really sad thing is...we had so many great choices...
Let's be truthful...Obama started this nonsense. What qualifications did he have. Trump says what lots of people believe. Nothing wrong with wall...if .05 percent are bad then a wall is good. Trump says let's have temporary stop on Muslims until we have some control. Again nothing wrong. He just says what many of us are thinking. Now is it our best choice. No. But Hillary is evil, cares about no-one except gaining power. Vote for Trump Brother al
If that were all he said, Fallen Saint, I might agree with you. Trouble is, one google search can show you it is not. Not by far.
What's with all this talk about embarrassment? What could be more embarrassing than the President, the intern and the dress? The man was impeached and went on to make a fortune out of giving after dinner speeches to the world's powerful leaders who, no doubt, have just as many skeletons ready to pop out of their closets. If Mickey Mouse were to win the US Presidency, the rest of the world would deal with him, not least because half of them depend on the US for their security. Only last week, British journalists were debating whether Cameron would apologise to President Trump for comments he made about candidate Trump. Trump has said that NATO countries should foot the bill for their security. What's wrong with asking Germany to pay more? The difference between Trump and Obama abusing Executive powers is that Obama had the support of his own party (and probably the elite running the Republican party). He wouldn't have enough support from either party to get away with Obama's kind of over-reach. Trade agreements with low wage countries affect the earning potential and job security of workers in high wage countries. And this problem isn't only affecting America. I saw an interview with a Mexican politician who had great plans for the proposed Transatlantic agreement. He foresaw goods made in Mexico being sold in Europe via the US. The Italians are already demonstrating against that agreement and it hasn't even been completed. Italy is only the start. Trump may be a populist but at least he knows what worries ordinary people. The rest are either so out of touch that they don't know, or are so elitist that they don't care. Free trade with China gave it the wherewithal to build up its military to the extent that it is posing a real threat to its neighbours. Now the whole world is afraid of China's economy tanking. Who caused that? Not Trump. Who saw the writing on the wall there and tried to slow it down or stop it? Not the people pointing the finger at Trump. Saints don't make it to the top of the pile in politics. Mr. Sass is a day late and a dollar short.
Dolours, That is what millions of people are thinking. And no-one has had the guts to confront the political elite. The political elite don't understand that people are tired of being lied too. I don't think that's a problem with Trump. He says what he feels. No filter. The political elites have a filter but also lie about the truth. We are going to see a ground swell of support in general election. Brother al
If you have a choice beteen one evil and another it is not a real choice. You must choose neither. I voted for no one in our elections this week as they all supported abortion or some other great evil such as being anti Catholic. We are on a path that will lead to a return to the Catacombs, not morally being able to vote for evil policies are all part of this.
Padraig, Very difficult decision. If Hilary is elected the Supreme Court will change the US. Christianity will be attacked, abortion will be forever and the US will become a socialist country. If Trump is elected at least the courts will be more conservative and late term abortions will be stopped. If we save one unborn...then my vote counts. Brother al
It is probably the most well known Catholic moral axiom of all , FS and one we can rely on. 'We cannot achieve good by doing something evil'. This is a great Light House of guidance for us in times of great moral confusion. Romans 3:8 Why not say--as some slanderously claim that we say--"Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is just!
So, I shouldn't vote even though we could stop late term abortions. That would be evil. But I get what you say.
These are very, very difficult times. Pope Francis's favourite book gives a good insight into our moral dilemma. http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/com...e-dangerous-potential-of-secularist-ideology/ View attachment 4875
But Fallen Saint, you seem like a reasonable person. When you say "temporary" restriction on Muslims to the U.S., what do you mean by temporary? When does temporary stop? You seem to be pro-life. What about Trump's whole history makes you think he is pro-life? He has been pro-choice and has stated so to the media many times over the course of his whole life. He supported the Clintons after Bill Clinton signed partial birth abortion. He says now, since he's decided it would be good for his business to run for office, that he is conservative on every issue including abortion, but he has also said, more than once, he does not subscribe to an ethical or moral code and does not need to. He has said he never did anything for which he has needed to ask for forgiveness. What makes you think he actually is pro-life? What if the only difference between him and Hillary is that she is actually telling the truth that she believes in abortion? As far as a wall with Mexico, are you 100% Native American? I am not. My ancestors are Irish and Italian and they dealt with the exact same kind of rhetoric leveled at them that Donald Trump is leveling at Hispanics right now. Remember "no Irish need apply"? Remember the Catholic school system being absolutely necessary for us because Catholic children were treated poorly in American public schools? Were the Irish and Italians as dangerous to the American way of life as was said of them 100 years ago? Why would you want to pass that on to yet another immigrant group? If life is your issue, how can you trust Donald Trump, again, a man who subscribes to no moral code, a man who claims to be Protestant but does not know the bible at all, a man who claims to be Christian but can say he never did anything for which he has asked forgiveness, with full, unlimited control of the greatest armed forces on earth? The only restriction is that an actual declared war can only be approved by Congress. But we have had undeclared wars, Vietnam was one. He could order the military, deployed all over the world, to do anything that gets into his head at a moment's notice. He must have proven to you at this point that he is not a man who thinks about the consequences of his actions, ever. What about these things, fallen saint?
And one more thing about the military, as Ben Sasse brought up, do you want a commander in chief who can say this about the Tiananmen Square Massacre? A massacre the Chinese still deny happened and don't allow to come up if you search for it on Chinese internet? China is embarrassed about it, but not Trump. Are you? “When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it. They were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak…”
I should just leave well enough alone...it's easy enough to show the problems but you did not give the answer. I will explain mine but you go first. Brother al
