“Legislators invent too many devices for subdividing property, only taking care to let their subdivisions go hand in hand with the natural affections of the human mind.” – Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Madison, 1785
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Thought For the Day: When A Government Takes Over People’s Economic Life It Becomes Absolute, and When It Has Become Absolute It Destroys…the Meaning of the People It Governs
“When a government takes over a people’s economic life it becomes absolute, and when it has become absolute it destroys the arts, the minds, the liberties and the meaning of the people it governs.” – Maxwell Anderson (1888-1959)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Absolute, Destroy, Economic Life, Govern, Government, Maxwell Anderson, The Arts, The Liberties, The meaning, The Minds, The People, Thought For the Day
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First Principles: It Is the Madness of Folly, To Expect Mercy From Those Who Have Refused To Do Justice, and Even Mercy
“It is the madness of folly, to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice; and even mercy, where conquest is the object, is only a trick of war; the cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf.” – Thomas Paine (1776)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Conquest, Cunning, First Principles, Folly, Fox, Justice, Maddness, Mercy, Murderous, Object, Refuse, Thomas Paine, Trick of War, Violence, Wolf
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First Principles: Greater Love Has No One Than This, To Lay Down One’s Life For His Friends
“Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends.” – (John 15:13)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged First Principles, Friends, Greater Love, Lay Down, Life, No One
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Thought For the Day: Understanding A Person Does Not Mean Condoning; It Only Means That One Does Not Accuse Him As If One Were God Or A Judge Placed Above Him
“Understanding a person does not mean condoning; it only means that one does not accuse him as if one were God or a judge placed above him.” – Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Above, Accuse, Condone, Erich Fromm, God, Judge, Person, Thought For the Day, Understand
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Don’t Play With Fire In the Dark
Don’t Play With Fire In the Dark
by Michael Doyle
The edge of the cliff beckons me
Whispering my name dangerously
Is it taunting the edge
Of a lonely soul on the ledge
A reasoned soul knows its context
When all the dots fail to connect
Like a child wanting a hand to hold
Played out cards seek to fold
Carved in the darkness that I feel
Wondering what’s next to make real
Sunk slowly like the setting sun
Best efforts made and still damage is done
Thunder and lightning feel the sky
As this day begins to die
I praise the loudness of the rushing wind
As it drowns out thoughts that must end
A bargain is made somewhere in the gray
To push on to live yet another day
There is a journey out there ahead
And it cannot be traveled well dead
(c) March 22, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Horizons – David T. Chastain
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7kdwPJ2XEw
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Bargain, Cards, Carve, Child, Cliff, Connect, Context, Damage Is Done, Dark, Day, Die, Don't Play With Fire, Dots, End, Feel, Fold, Gray, Hand, Journey, Ledge, Poetry and Poems, Real, Reason, Setting Sun, Sky, Taunt, Thought, Thunder and Lightning, Travel, Whisper, Wind
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Thought For the Day: It Has Been Said That A Pretty Face Is A Passport. But, It’s Not, It’s a Visa, and It Runs Out Fast
“It has been said that a pretty face is a passport. But it’s not, it’s a visa, and it runs out fast.” – Julie Burchill, writer and journalist (b. 1959)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Fast, Julie Burchill, Passport, Pretty Face, Said, Thought For the Day, Visa
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First Principles: The Natural Cure For An Ill-Administration, In A Popular or Representative Constitution, Is A Change of Men
“The natural cure for an ill-administration, in a popular or representative constitution, is a change of men.” – Alexander Hamilton (1787)
Thought For the Day: Individual Freedom Is Not Found In Agreeing With the Mob But In Refusing To Capitulate And Be Ruled By the Mob
“The only solution is for more principled Americans to stand against the tide and stand up for what they believe in irrespective of today’s woke bullies. Individual freedom is not found in agreeing with the mob but in refusing to capitulate and be ruled by the mob.” – Thomas Gallatin
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Agree, Believe, Capitulate, Found, Individual Freedom, Mob, Only Solution, Principled Americans, Refuse, Ruled, Stand Against, Thomas Gallatin, Thought For the Day, Tide, Today, Woke Bullies
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The Spin of the Win, …Again
The Spin of the Win, ..Again
by Michael Doyle
Oh the spin, the spin
The spin masters spin
Turning America's loss
Into some kind of win
Oh the spin, the spin
The spin masters spin
Trying to turn what should be a loss
Into a political win
Mistaking the wrong Don
For another Teflon Don
I cringe as my side announces
That game is on
The thought rapidly occurs
As the evens on ground blur
That it's not to begin
By proclaiming a win
Oh the spin, the spin
The spin masters spin
Turning America's loss
Into some kind of win
Oh the spin, the spin
The spin masters spin
Trying to turn what should be a loss
Into a political win
Conventional wisdom is a matter of sentiment
Especially when an indictment seems imminent
In this crass moment of political history
However right it feels, such boldness is a mystery
The ides of March smack of known betrayal
We must be self-aware of our portrayal
Trash talk might be part of the game
But for the American people, it's a shame
Oh the spin, the spin
The spin masters spin
Turning America's loss
Into some kind of win
Oh the spin, the spin
The spin masters spin
Trying to turn what should be a loss
Into a political win
Except for a lack of crime and legality
It doesn't help to thrash about brutally
At times like these, it make a pixel's sense
To proceed forward with vain pretense
The only thing certain, unless I miss
Is only the trial of Burr has been like this
Despite the narrative of Trumpian invincibility
All that we really have is unpredictability
Oh the spin, the spin
The spin masters spin
Turning America's loss
Into some kind of win
Oh the spin, the spin
The spin masters spin
Trying to turn what should be a loss
Into a political win
A case built on tenuous legal theory
Only needs a conviction and not its clarity
The adulterous woman was pardoned not condoned
She only narrowly avoided being stoned
(c) March 21, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Adulterous Woman, America, American People, Begin, Betrayal, Blur, Brutally, Burr, Clarity, Condoned, Conviction, Crime, Cringe, Game, Game Is on, Ides of March, Invincibility, Legality, Loss, Miss, Pardoned, Poetry and Poems, Political Win, Pretense, Self-Aware, Sense, Shame, Spin, Stoned, Teflon Don, Tenuous Legal Theory, Thought, Trash Talk, Unpredictability, Win
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