E/I

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don’t allow Emotion over intellect. One of my best teachers taught me that many decades ago. Never let emotion override your intellect. When one does so, invariably bad decisions are made and harsh repercussions follow. This is true in all phases of life. Why do you think relationships can be so devastating? Notice that I am not advocating emotionless lives. Emotions are a vital part of human nature. Love is real and fulfills us. Empathy separates us from animals. Fear protects us. Even hatred is a useful emotion when properly focused; such as hating evil. I am simply stating that what civilizes Man is curbing emotion with intellect. Our country could use a good dose of my old teacher’s logic. We are a nation that has allowed E over I, and for that we are paying a heavy price.

The entire basis of Western Civilization has been the control of emotions and instincts by logic and reason. The philosophers of old spent lifetimes pontificating on the notion that Man is more than just an animal subject only to base behavior. That Man is capable of so much more, through logic and reason as governors for our emotions and base desires. For thousands of years this notion has driven the Western expansion resulting in the greatest prosperity and freedom that Man has ever known. Of course there have been set-backs, the Dark Ages, slavery and the music of the 1980’s but we have overcome and continued our progress based on this notion of Man as a higher life form that can use intellect to overcome emotional frivolity. Welcome to the latest set-back, hilariously called the ‘progressive’ movement.

Clearly, progressivism is nothing more than the latest ‘nome de guerre’ for Marxism. It is anything BUT progressive. It is based on emotions and the deadly sins of envy and sloth. Of course it is a modern variant with its new emphasis’ on ‘equality’, ‘tolerance’ and revenge. (Marxism is intentionally adaptable. RE: “The Marxist Dictionary”) It relies on Man’s weakness; base desires, low self-esteem, emotional instability, inherent jealousy, aversion to responsibility, sloth and uninhibited sexuality. What better ideology can be devised to woo the sophomoric college male or the object of his desire the inherently emotional female? In fact, capture the female mind and you will have the male. And what better vehicle to disperse this ideology than the over compensating college professor? (‘Those who cannot do; teach’) And thus we have the ultimate irony. The institution that once propagated the Western ideal of reason and self-reliance becomes the very institution that reverts the West back to its base instinct, emotional supplanting of reason with the most unintelligent of Man’s pursuits; sex, mindless games, intoxicants, utopian idealism, childish offensiveness, etc. When the temperance of religion is ridiculed and replaced with the false adequation of debauchery and freedom, then chaos and misery will soon be the order of the day.

Will this trend reverse? Most certainly it will. But history is a patient treatment plan for the ill of ignorance. The damage of ignorance must run its course for the gods of the Copybook Headings demand it. The bandaged finger that goes wavering back to the fire must be burnt anew. Many of the older generation will simply look on in amazement, many living out their final days in the relative reward of a hard working life. The middle aged will see their labors squandered but ameliorated by the temporary fruits of Socialism. Ah, but the young; it is always the young who suffer the most. It is they who will witness the final destruction which always accompanies Man’s evil embrace of desires over logic and the dignified pursuit of I/E; intelligence over emotion. They will most certainly curse us all and rightly so. But they will prevail, they will rebuild Western Civilization. A renaissance will occur through enlightened rediscovery of past masters of reason and virtue; Plato, Locke, Smith, Jefferson & Adams et al and…Rodebush? What? No; but great-grandpas the world over will have a special place in the hearts of our progeny. Keep their memory alive.

So, buckle up my fellow Americans. There are dark times ahead. Our flirtation with all things communist will exact a heavy price. Basing our ideology on deadly sins such as envy and sloth will not be easily ignored by history. The devil is in the details. Detailed misery awaits America, nay the world. Hell hath no fury like history scorned.

by: Keith D. Rodebush

Bittersweet Birthday Boy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is a cool morning in central Texas, only 76 degrees F as my coffee brews. The birds are ringing in the day, insects appearing from their shadowy hideaways nervously taking advantage of the respite from the oppressive heat of late. The dappled sunlight peaking through the live oak is welcomed on the face for a change. What a beautiful day to be alive and be American. And yet, it is a bittersweet day for me this September 5th, Labor Day. The day my mother, Julia Rodebush was in labor 52 years ago. That means that I'm old enough to have witnessed the greatest decline in American society in over a century.

I can only imagine that the lead up to the Civil War was a far worse time in our nation, I wouldn't dare to compare. But certainly since the turn of the 20th century we are living through an inexplicable loss of the American spirit. Always the optimist I concede the surges of greatness witnessed by our fine troops, a younger generation heeding the call. The group of Americans who found themselves for the first time in their lives, painting signs and hitting the streets to take their turn at protesting not against America, but FOR her. The many youth groups mostly religious based who defy modern youth culture and devote themselves to lives of charity, hope and love.

These remnants of America past are not enough, however, to assuage the confused horror that accompanies the daily reminders that we are no longer the nation we used to be. Remember when the Empire State building was built in one year? Remember when a nation came together and fought the enemies of freedom with pride and fervor? Remember when a man would refuse a handout and pull himself up and work even harder than usual to care for his family? Remember when pride and spirit of the American flag were unwavering? Remember when belief in God and country was respected and expected? Remember when children would say, "Yes sir." and "No Ma'am"? I do. A long time ago when being an American was a source of unflinching pride.

This morning I read a headline, "Should the U.S. flag be banned in America?" Who would even write that headline in America? Why would such a story be necessary? What could possibly be the cause of such mass insanity? As we approach the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America, Ground Zero is still under construction and we debate whether we should put a Muslim Mosque next to it. The memorial in Pennsylvania honoring the heroes of Flight 93 remains unfinished amid disputes over the design mimicking Muslim symbolism. Really? As a designer I can tell you that once someone makes such a charge, if there is any scintilla of truth to it, you scrap the design and start over. Instead we litigate and tweak a bad design, have public meeting after public meeting to justify our stubborness and insensitivity dragging out the process while the families of the victims suffer unbearable pain anew at the hands of their own neighbors. We have pseudo-intellectuals redefining pedophiles as merely suffering an illness and should be understood, not despised. In days gone by we would take them to the woods and beat the Hell out of them. Now, we give them tenure and publish their drivel for world wide consumption. My disgust could not be more profound.

While we find ourselves ten years on, fighting a war against an evil enemy determined to end Western civilization, we have an entire political party that refuses to call them terrorist, but doesn't even flinch to call their fellow Americans such. Why? Because they have the temerity to suggest we balance the budget. Racist bastards! How dare they preach fiscal responsibility. What? How is it that such people are not immediately drummed out of the public sphere in shame? We the People have elected a committed Marxist, who hates America as founded, surrounds himself with communist sympathizers, publicly submits forged documents, uses the federal treasury as a slush fund for his cronies, bows to our enemies, disregards our friends, kills American business while supporting foreign business, debases the dollar and spits in the face of good Americans who dare to remonstrate.

How pray tell? Please tell me how. In all my years, thirsty for knowledge, absorbing books and studying human nature I am intellectually feeble to understand how our once great nation could descend so fast into such a detestful cesspool of selfish ignorance. There is an answer but it is impotent to describe why it could happen to us; Americans. Once proud, independent, strong, faithful and patriotic. Now weak, pathetic, skiddish, debased and ignorant. Even the so-called leaders who are attempting to turn the tide are wholly inadequate to the task. They parse their words and couch their stance so as not to offend some potential voter. Their meekness will condemn this nation to evermore tyranny should they be elected. We need no more self-centered weak kneed professional politicians, we have plenty. We need patriotic saviors willing to storm the machine gun nest at risk of life and limb to sacrifice all for the good of the nation. We need strong, smart, devil be damned statesmen willing to lay down their political lives on the altar of constitutional republicanism. We need leaders willing to speak the truth to unproductive ever offended self loathing thieves of productivity and prosperity.

Please spare me the apologetic rhetoric that we are all Americans. No we aren't. The term American does not just describe the soil upon which you stand. It includes the blood in that soil, spilled for Liberty. It includes our faith in God and His guiding hand in founding this nation and leading us to greatness. It includes our rugged individualism that refuses charity in lieu of a life of productive labor. It includes respect for our laws and our Constitution. It includes our love of good and disdain for evil. It includes our righteous disregard for the destructive and oppressive nature of collectivism. It includes our respect for the rights of the individual.

If you believe in redistribution of wealth you are NOT an American. You are an enemy of America. If you support the unconstitutional federal takeover of the powers of the States you are not an American, you are her enemy. If you believe that a judicial decision is sacrosanct even if it flies in the face of the Constitution, you are not American. If your church preaches Social Justice, a ruse of communist infiltrators, they are not American and they are not Godly. God does not justify stealing from one to give to another. That is not charity, it is theft; evil in all its forms. The enemies of America have too long enjoyed the anonymity of 'being American'. True Americans must call them out at every turn, every day, in every venue, with every breath. If you don't stand for individual Liberty, righteousness, constitutional republicanism and American Exceptionalism you are not my countryman, you are my enemy, you are the enemy of the greatest nation known to Mankind. Go from us and kiss your chains, let not a soul know that you were once our friend and neighbor, hide your face from the world lest they know your shame, seal your mouth lest your ignorance be known and your disrepute befall your genealogy. The enemy within is all the more despicable for it contains foreknowledge of what it destroys.

Happy Birthday Bittersweet Birthday Boy.

by: Keith D. Rodebush