Decius Has Responded

 

Decius Responds to Critiques of Flight 93

Well that was unexpected.

Everything I said in “The Flight 93 Election” was derivative of things I had already said, with (I thought) more vim and vigor, in a now-defunct blog. I assumed the new piece would interest a handful of that blog’s remaining fans and no one else. My predictive powers proved imperfect.

Which should cheer everyone who hated what I said: if I was wrong about the one thing, maybe I’m wrong about the others. But let me take the various objections in ascending order of importance.

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  1. Pseudodionysius Inactive
    Pseudodionysius
    @Pseudodionysius

    If the idea here is to use “Pat Buchananism” as a guilt-by-association smear to turn the debate radioactive and push it beyond the realm of acceptable discourse, then, yeah . . . I’m inclined to get my back up and deny, deny, deny. Because for some people, “Pat Buchananism” is another word for antisemitism.

    If Shapiro wants to claim Decius (or, I suppose, Trump) is arguing for antisemitism, then he should say so. Of course, he cannot make that case. So he merely insinuates it with the Buchananism label. Well, to hell with that. Find the nerve, boy, or get off the stage.

    End quoted response from Ben Boychuk

    • #151
  2. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    Pseudodionysius: (quoting Ben Boychuk) If Shapiro wants to claim Decius (or, I suppose, Trump) is arguing for antisemitism, then he should say so. Of course, he cannot make that case. So he merely insinuates it with the Buchananism label. Well, to hell with that. Find the nerve, boy, or get off the stage.

    Now that’s a smackdown.

    • #152
  3. Freesmith Member
    Freesmith
    @

    Jamie Lockett: And who exactly do you think has been voting liberals into office all these years? Robots?

    Weren’t Republicans winning most elections for the past few years. Was I, like Rick in “Casablanca,” misinformed?

    Haven’t many of the movement conservatives on Ricochet made the argument repeatedly that the GOP controls more House seats than in 50 years, that the GOP has picked up over 900 state legislative slots in the past 7 years. that the GOP controls both legislative bodies in more states than ever before and that Obama has “decimated” the Democratic Party’s “bench” by leading it to one electoral rout after another? Isn’t the US Senate in Republican hands?

    The people have spoken, the conservative traditional American people, by winning elections. They spoke in the early 1990s about immigration rights in California. They spoke a few years ago in the same state about what defined a marriage. They spoke via Jan Brewer and John McCain (“Just build the danged fence!”) in Arizona about border security. They spoke in North Carolina this year. They continue to speak, as detailed above. But their votes are not heeded.

    Liberals vote too. They vote for more food stamps, higher school budgets, bigger governments, and more social programs in the areas where they predominate. And they get them.

    Which is why, year in and year out, Democrats when polled express greater satisfaction with their party than Republicans do with theirs, even though we’re winning more elections.

    • #153
  4. Pseudodionysius Inactive
    Pseudodionysius
    @Pseudodionysius

    Mike LaRoche:

    Pseudodionysius: (quoting Ben Boychuk) If Shapiro wants to claim Decius (or, I suppose, Trump) is arguing for antisemitism, then he should say so. Of course, he cannot make that case. So he merely insinuates it with the Buchananism label. Well, to hell with that. Find the nerve, boy, or get off the stage.

    Now that’s a smackdown.

    HULK, SMASH! HULK, BASH! Hulk, Needs A New Direction ...

    • #154
  5. Pseudodionysius Inactive
    Pseudodionysius
    @Pseudodionysius

    • #155
  6. Dad of Four Inactive
    Dad of Four
    @DadofFour

    Freesmith:

    Jamie Lockett: And who exactly do you think has been voting liberals into office all these years? Robots?

    Weren’t Republicans winning most elections for the past few years. Was I, like Rick in “Casablanca,” misinformed?

    Haven’t many of the movement conservatives on Ricochet made the argument repeatedly that the GOP controls more House seats than in 50 years, that the GOP has picked up over 900 state legislative slots in the past 7 years. that the GOP controls both legislative bodies in more states than ever before and that Obama has “decimated” the Democratic Party’s “bench” by leading it to one electoral rout after another? Isn’t the US Senate in Republican hands?

    The people have spoken, the conservative traditional American people, by winning elections. They spoke in the early 1990s about immigration rights in California. They spoke a few years ago in the same state about what defined a marriage. They spoke via Jan Brewer and John McCain (“Just build the danged fence!”) in Arizona about border security. They spoke in North Carolina this year. They continue to speak, as detailed above. But their votes are not heeded.

    Liberals vote too. They vote for more food stamps, higher school budgets, bigger governments, and more social programs in the areas where they predominate. And they get them.

    Which is why, year in and year out, Democrats when polled express greater satisfaction with their party than Republicans do with theirs, even though we’re winning more elections.

    Apparently we have been voting liberal robots into office.  Shame on us!  however:

    1. Given that we have been voting “combative” conservatives into office for the past 3 cycles, where are the results?
    2. If we have given up on the prior, and useless, approach, why would we not support a candidate who might make this happen?
    • #156
  7. Freesmith Member
    Freesmith
    @

    Pseudodionysius:

    Ben Boychuk – “On immigration — yes. Virtually identical. Remember when conservatives used to give a damn about sovereignty and assimilation? I do.”

    Forget giving a damn – Remember when you could count on hearing the word assimilation in any discussion of immigration?

    No more. The multicultural regime has made it  “crime thought” and most discussions on Ricochet never utter it.

    With good reason – You can’t assimilate a continuous, massive inflow of foreigners, any more than you can mop up a flood with the faucet still open, especially when your country’s own elite is alienated from its common people, its history and its religion.

    The plumber likes how the water feels on his feet. And his own house is on higher ground than yours.

    • #157
  8. Freesmith Member
    Freesmith
    @

    Dad of Four:Apparently we have been voting liberal robots into office. Shame on us! however:

    1. Given that we have been voting “combative” conservatives into office for the past 3 cycles, where are the results?
    2. If we have given up on the prior, and useless, approach, why would we not support a candidate who might make this happen?

    I’m perfectly fine with continuing to vote combative conservatives into office. This year I will happily vote for Donald Trump and Pat Toomey.

    All I want is for the decisions they make about laws they enact or those they repeal or defeat to stand. I do not want some higher authority to tell me that I have to follow the opposite of the rules my representatives – or my winning vote in a referendum – have passed.

    That is the essence of limited, republican government. Its absence is why we live, in Mark Levin’s as well as Decius’s words, in a post-Constitutional time.

    Its absence is the system we have in place today, the rigged game that Trump threatens. And if you don’t think he threatens it, see how universally the managerial and administrative elite despise him.

    A man will almost always defend what he depends on, and the bureaucratic elite depends on the oligarchic state.

    • #158
  9. rgbact Inactive
    rgbact
    @romanblichar

    Freesmith:

    Pseudodionysius:

    Ben Boychuk – “On immigration — yes. Virtually identical. Remember when conservatives used to give a damn about sovereignty and assimilation? I do.”

    Forget giving a damn – Remember when you could count on hearing the word assimilation in any discussion of immigration?

    No more. The multicultural regime has made it “crime thought”

    Don’t blame Republicans for the Democrats moving hard left. The Left is literally fighting for their lives on immigration. They know that white liberals and homosexuals don’t win in the demographic game. So, its immigration or bust for them. I’m tired of hearing from guys like MrFlight 93 that there aren’t vast differences between parties. We didn’t need Trump to save us. Unfortunately, thats what too many got suckered into believing by conservative media.

    • #159
  10. rgbact Inactive
    rgbact
    @romanblichar

    Freesmith:

    Jamie Lockett: And who exactly do you think has been voting liberals into office all these years? Robots?

    Weren’t Republicans winning most elections for the past few years. Was I, like Rick in “Casablanca,” misinformed?

    Which is why, year in and year out, Democrats when polled express greater satisfaction with their party than Republicans do with theirs, even though we’re winning more elections.

    Nah, Its because conservatives are naturally more negative. Conservative media is based on raging about even the slightest defeat….while liberal media is based on keeping liberals smug even in the face of repeated losses. Not sure which is better.

    • #160
  11. A-Squared Inactive
    A-Squared
    @ASquared

    Ford Motor Company, the one American OEM that managed its business prudently enough to not require a massive bailout from the federal government, announced yesterday that it was moving production of small, low-priced cars to a low-cost country where they could manufacture them at a profit.

    Trump’s response:

    “We shouldn’t allow it to happen,” Trump said during a speech in Michigan, the center of U.S. car production.

    Ponder that response for  second.  We shouldn’t allow it to happen.  The Federal Government should not allow a private company, the one company in its industry that did not need a massive infusion of capital from the federal government, to decide where it should manufacture a portion of its product line.

    Didn’t someone asked early what evidence we had that Trump wouldn’t obey the constitution, here is some pretty strong evidence.  Yet, according Decius, we need to elect the authoritarian central planner to keep the authoritarian central planner from the office because if the authoritarian central planner gets in office, our country is over.

    The real flight 93 election was the Republican Primary, and the country lost.

    • #161
  12. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    A-Squared:Ford Motor Company, the one American OEM that managed its business prudently enough to not require a massive bailout from the federal government, announced yesterday that it was moving production of small, low-priced cars to a low-cost country where they could manufacture them at a profit.

    Trump’s response:

    “We shouldn’t allow it to happen,” Trump said during a speech in Michigan, the center of U.S. car production.

    Ponder that response for second. We shouldn’t allow it to happen. The Federal Government should not allow a private company, the one company in its industry that did not need a massive infusion of capital from the federal government, to decide where it should manufacture a portion of its product line.

    Didn’t someone asked early what evidence we had that Trump wouldn’t obey the constitution, here is some pretty strong evidence. Yet, according Decius, we need to elect the authoritarian central planner to keep the authoritarian central planner from the office because if the authoritarian central planner gets in office, our country is over.

    The real flight 93 election was the Republican Primary, and the country lost.

    We shouldn’t allow that to happen. We should have a 0% tax rate for companies. Maybe more of them would keep stuff here. We shouldn’t allow that to happen through saner work laws. The government should not prop up unions.

    Now, I am more than willing to agree that Trump meant the government should stop it. However, I would argue, the government is a big part of what is causing the move in the first place.

    • #162
  13. A-Squared Inactive
    A-Squared
    @ASquared

    Bryan G. Stephens: Now, I am more than willing to agree that Trump meant the government should stop it. However, I would argue, the government is a big part of what is causing the move in the first place.

    I agree with the second part.  It would have been very easy to say that if we want American companies to move more jobs here, we need to change the punitive tax laws and regulatory regimes that incentivize companies to move their production overseas.

    The problem, I think is, Trump doesn’t really believe that – Trump just thinks the government should tell companies how to run their business.  This is not an aberration in Trump’s positions, this is simply how he thinks we can make America great again, by centrally-planning the economy.  And, far too many of the EverTrumpers agree with him that central planning can work just fine if you have a great brain doing to planning.

    Trump is an authoritarian central-planner, and if you agree with Decius that Trump is our hope of salvation for this country, you are effectively saying that authoritarian central planning is our only hope.

    If you think authoritarian central planning is the problem (as I do), there is no one to vote for in this election that will make the country better (not even Gary Johnson, the allegedly libertarian candidate.)

    • #163
  14. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    A-Squared: If you think authoritarian central planning is the problem (as I do), there is no one to vote for in this election that will make the country better (not even Gary Johnson, the allegedly libertarian candidate.)

    Thus my holding of my nose. Someone is going to win, might as well go with the central planner that does not think I am deplorable. (And is not a pot smoker).

    • #164
  15. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    Bryan G. Stephens:

    A-Squared: If you think authoritarian central planning is the problem (as I do), there is no one to vote for in this election that will make the country better (not even Gary Johnson, the allegedly libertarian candidate.)

    Thus my holding of my nose. Someone is going to win, might as well go with the central planner that does not think I am deplorable. (And is not a pot smoker).

    Why do you have to vote at all? Can’t you leave it blank?

    • #165
  16. TKC1101 Member
    TKC1101
    @

    A-Squared: Didn’t someone asked early what evidence we had that Trump wouldn’t obey the constitution, here is some pretty strong evidence. Yet, according Decius, we need to elect the authoritarian central planner to keep the authoritarian central planner from the office because if the authoritarian central planner gets in office, our country is over.

    There are many more was to change Ford’s mind on this than usurping dictatorial powers. Unless you think ‘the bully pulpit’ is now an impeachable offense.

    • #166
  17. A-Squared Inactive
    A-Squared
    @ASquared

    TKC1101:

    There are many more was to change Ford’s mind on this than usurping dictatorial powers. Unless you think ‘the bully pulpit’ is now an impeachable offense.

    Saying Ford shouldn’t do it is using the bully pulpit.  Saying the government should not allow them to do it is dictatorial.

    I know you think the government telling private businesses where they should locate their manufacturing is patriotic, but we will continue to disagree on that.

    • #167
  18. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    A-Squared:

    TKC1101:

    There are many more was to change Ford’s mind on this than usurping dictatorial powers. Unless you think ‘the bully pulpit’ is now an impeachable offense.

    Saying Ford shouldn’t do it is using the bully pulpit. Saying the government should not allow them to do it is dictatorial.

    I know you think the government telling private businesses where they should locate their manufacturing is patriotic, but we will continue to disagree on that.

    I don’t think that is a fair take on @tkc11011 ‘s stance on trade.

    • #168
  19. Austin Murrey Inactive
    Austin Murrey
    @AustinMurrey

    Bryan G. Stephens:

    A-Squared:

    TKC1101:

    There are many more was to change Ford’s mind on this than usurping dictatorial powers. Unless you think ‘the bully pulpit’ is now an impeachable offense.

    Saying Ford shouldn’t do it is using the bully pulpit. Saying the government should not allow them to do it is dictatorial.

    I know you think the government telling private businesses where they should locate their manufacturing is patriotic, but we will continue to disagree on that.

    I don’t think that is a fair take on @tkc11011 ‘s stance on trade.

    Or @TKC1101‘s either.

    • #169
  20. Tom Meyer Member
    Tom Meyer
    @tommeyer

    Freesmith:Forget giving a damn – Remember when you could count on hearing the word assimilation in any discussion of immigration?

    No more. The multicultural regime has made it “crime thought” and most discussions on Ricochet never utter it.

    Here are some threads/podcasts from the last month that at least mention the subject in the OP. Several of them have been on the Main Feed.

    • #170
  21. Tom Meyer Member
    Tom Meyer
    @tommeyer

    A-Squared:Saying Ford shouldn’t do it is using the bully pulpit. Saying the government should not allow them to do it is dictatorial.

    Second.

    This is what kills me about Trump. It’s a serious, important news item that absolutely plays into his campaign. But rather than use it to point out how Obama/Clinton is driving American business abroad through taxes, regulations, mandates, etc., he turns it into an attack on Ford his usual bogeymen and claims that we “shouldn’t allow it to happen.”

    Allow.

    • #171
  22. TKC1101 Member
    TKC1101
    @

    A-Squared: I know you think the government telling private businesses where they should locate their manufacturing is patriotic, but we will continue to disagree on that

    I do not think it should be backed by the force of law, but every citizen is allowed an opinion. Stating your opinion is within all of our rights. Stating your opinion when you are President is within their rights. Citizens thinking the company is a bunch of scum and not buying their product is within their rights.

    If I can be called a racist by the DOJ, then Ford can take one too.

    • #172
  23. TKC1101 Member
    TKC1101
    @

    Tom Meyer, Ed.: he turns it into an attack on Ford his usual bogeymen and claims that we “shouldn’t allow it to happen

    Tom, from one standpoint you are right, but from the audience in Michigan, Ohio and the rustbelt, Ford is the villain here. They are the idiots who put out a press release on moving small car manufacturing to Mexico with no awareness how that puts then in the gunsights. Some PR guy should get shot.

    The audience knows Ford will lay them off, not Hillary.

    They want someone who will treat Ford as a villain, and they will vote for Trump. He is in the turnout phase. Hillary is killing herself, he needs to give vote for reasons to that group. Plus, the audience knows Hillary is owned by their union who cooked the deal with Ford.  They are not stupid.

    You want to win the blue collar, Globalist corporations are their enemy.

    • #173
  24. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    TKC1101: The audience knows Ford will lay them off, not Hillary.

    Except no one is getting laid off. Those plants are being retooled for midsize and fullsize car production. In fact Ford plans to increase is US workforce over the next 10 years.

    • #174
  25. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    TKC1101:

    Tom Meyer, Ed.: he turns it into an attack on Ford his usual bogeymen and claims that we “shouldn’t allow it to happen

    Tom, from one standpoint you are right, but from the audience in Michigan, Ohio and the rustbelt, Ford is the villain here. They are the idiots who put out a press release on moving small car manufacturing to Mexico with no awareness how that puts then in the gunsights. Some PR guy should get shot.

    The audience knows Ford will lay them off, not Hillary.

    They want someone who will treat Ford as a villain, and they will vote for Trump. He is in the turnout phase. Hillary is killing herself, he needs to give vote for reasons to that group. Plus, the audience knows Hillary is owned by their union who cooked the deal with Ford. They are not stupid.

    You want to win the blue collar, Globalist corporations are their enemy.

    So who exactly is giving up in the face of the inability to persuade people to their way of thinking? If you can’t beat the progressives join them?

    • #175
  26. A-Squared Inactive
    A-Squared
    @ASquared

    Bryan G. Stephens:

    A-Squared:

     

    I know you think the government telling private businesses where they should locate their manufacturing is patriotic, but we will continue to disagree on that.

    I don’t think that is a fair take on @tkc11011 ‘s stance on trade.

    TKC has consistently been pretty vocal against free trade and frequently uses the term “Patriot” to distinquish himself from those who support free trade.

    I can live with TKC thinking I am unpatriotic.

    • #176
  27. TKC1101 Member
    TKC1101
    @

    Jamie Lockett: So who exactly is giving up in the face of the inability to persuade people to their way of thinking? If you can’t beat the progressives join them?

    okay, this makes no sense. Now listed as an unidentified non sequitur.

    • #177
  28. TKC1101 Member
    TKC1101
    @

    Jamie Lockett: Except no one is getting laid off. Those plants are being retooled for midsize and fullsize car production. In fact Ford plans to increase is US workforce over the next 10 years.

    I expect the autoworkers have less trust than you do given past performance, but go for it.

    • #178
  29. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    Note:

    Insult.

    TKC1101:

    Jamie Lockett: Except no one is getting laid off. Those plants are being retooled for midsize and fullsize car production. In fact Ford plans to increase is US workforce over the next 10 years.

    I expect the autoworkers have less trust than you do given past performance, but go for it.

    Well the President of Ford has made a public statement to that effect so you can continue to play on peoples fears if you want I guess. Works well for most authoritarians.

    • #179
  30. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    TKC1101: You want to win the blue collar, Globalist corporations are their enemy

    Ahem

    TKC1101: You want to win the blue collar, Globalist corporations are their enemy.

    Textbook progressive tactics.

    • #180
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