The most distinguishing characteristic of a Libertarian is their smug self-righteousness, the very characteristic they claim to abhor in conservatives.

Echoing KC and Redneck:  The kind of "investment" we conservatives are against are the ones where we tax the heck out of the people then turn that money over to financial institutions and other corporations based on our own sense of where the money should go.  There is a fundamental difference between the government building something it needs which later is used by private industry, and the government passing out cash to private industry based on some central planners notion of what is good.

Casey, my goal was to get him off the porch.  For that purpose, my response worked great.  

Great story:  

My door bell rings one evening, and on the step is what appears to me to be some granola-type.  Yes, I am profiling, I don't care.  Back to the story.  He says "Hello sir, would you please sign this petition to help save medicare?"  I said, "Why would I do that?  I don't want to save medicare."  He started backing off the porch and said "You must be a Republican!"  I said "What makes you think that?"  He said "You just want seniors to die in the street!"  I said "You must be a Democrat!  You automatically think that because I don't agree with your solution to the problem that I don't think there is a problem!"

This reminds me of something our pastor said during his semi-annual message on tithing.  The issue at hand was that the church was growing to the point of bursting.  I believe his exact words were "If you aren't giving because you can't, fine.  But if you aren't giving because you won't, then we need your chair, and we need your spot in the parking lot."  

I am reminded of this because he was saying the same thing the FFRF are saying:  make a decision.  I welcome the attacks as well.  The nominal Christians take up space and don't do anything to advance the Kingdom.  I'd prefer they were in the church and doing the good work.  Failing that I'd prefer them on the outside.  I think I am in good company there, God said the same thing, Rev. 3:14-15.

I have a grown son living in my basement.  I'd prefer the nuclear reactor.  Anyone want to swap?

Rob has expressed surprise at the number of people who are nervous about posting anything on Ricochet. I think that this fear of being found out may be the reason. But let this post stand as a reminder to all of the members here: we all are a bunch of wannabes! So don't be afraid to post something that interests you, because it's a good chance it interests the rest of us as well!

Someone at NPR is reading Ricochet...so we are definitely all frauds...

I'm sorry, but you've thrown off the emperor's groove...

It's funny how pervasive this feeling is, and across different walks of life.  I can tell you that most stay at home moms I know feel like abject failures, and that their defining moment will be when they find out their kid just gunned down a bunch of students at the local community college, yelling "If only mom had loved me more!"  I'm thinking of another quote from Peter's book, let me grab the iPad...hang on...ok, found it...

He's quoting Lionel Trilling, referring to George Orwell.  But it could easily be about Reagan says Peter.  Or  any one of us, says Ken:  "..the virtue of not being a genius, of fronting the world with nothing more than one's simple, direct, undeceived intelligence, and a respect for the powers one does have, and the work one undertakes to do..."

The first 50 years of flight got us from Kittyhawk to the SR-71 Blackbird. The next 50 years didn't get us much further.  Of course we should invest in space exploration.  Why?  Because it's there.  But we need to get NASA out of the way.  Their institutionalize approach holds us back.  Space exploration should be done by private organizations.  

This is one of the primary reasons why socialism doesn't work, and is ultimately destructive to liberty.  Centralize the power at the top, and those with the power rule unmercifully, and feel they are above any kind of ethical standard.  Is this not the natural progression of human society, from uncontrolled chaos (anarchy) through manageable chaos (democracy) to controlled chaos (socialism) then back to uncontrolled chaos (whatever ism comes next)?  I mean the natural progression when not checked by a principaled view of society, such as our founders built into the constitution.  But even that only slows it, as we've seen.  Ok, I'm just rambling on now...

This is why I rarely venture into Oregon.

It is interesting to see them go after each other, however.  The left rarely do that.

Of course, it's a comforting thought to know that many others struggle with the same fears and hangups as I do.  It gives me courage when I'm sitting across the table from someone in a meeting, to know that they are sitting there thinking to themselves "How do I make myself relevant?"  In one sense, it gives me an incredible opportunity to influence others.  I don't think there is any better way to win someone to your side than to encourage them.  And what better way to encourage someone than to build them up and help blow away their fear of incompetence?

I told the dog story around the dinner table.  Your views on the moral argument are absolutely correct.  

I'm sure that someone at my office made this video...