Theodore Roosevelt on Criticizing the President

[KenH]

"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."

Theodore Roosevelt in the "Kansas City Star", May 7, 1918

 

[Salty]

What would Teddy have said about the State o the Union message last night

 

[Charlie24]

What would Teddy have said about the State o the Union message last night

He would probably have said, I didn't have any idea the leaders of our great nation could separate themselves so far from the truth.

I think he would have been shocked at what he seen and would have been calling for a rope and hangman.

But that's my opinion, a MAGA guy.

 

[Salty]

What would Teddy have said:
A) those dems who refuse to attend the State of the Union
B) When Trump ask them to stand up if they believe that the job of the US is to protect American citizens

 

[Scarlett O.]

What would Teddy have said:
A) those dems who refuse to attend the State of the Union
B) When Trump ask them to stand up if they believe that the job of the US is to protect American citizens

The 73 who refused to attend were making a statement. They were wrong in my opinion - if I were a Democrat, which I am not - I would have been in attendance out of respect of the office of the President, stood and cheered at the appropriate times and sat at the appropriate times.

Those that came were looking for a fight. A big one. JUST LIKE TRUMP WAS. I didn't watch, but saw some clips on Fox News [sigh] the next day.

What Trump actually asked was not is it the job of the government to protect American citizens. He asked "if it was the first job of the American government to protect American citizens over illegal aliens."

Donald J. Trump KNEW they would not stand up no matter WHAT he asked. He could have asked -

[1] Stand up if you like chocolate ice cream better than vanilla!!
[2] Stand up if you don't want to die tonight!!
[3] Stand up if you love our country!!
[4] Stand up if you want $1,000,000!!

Their collective rear ends would not have come out of those chairs no matter WHAT he said to them. And he KNEW that. And they showed their tails and stayed true to their hatred of Trump.

That's why he goaded them, baited them, manipulated them with a loaded question and thought he made himself look grand and them insane.

I think they are all deluded and unhinged.

 

[KenH]

I think they are all deluded and unhinged.

Both sides have acted badly at State of the Union Speeches in this century. I recall Joe Wilson, Lauren Boebert, and Marjorie Taylor Greene doing so on the Republican side when a Democratic President was speaking.

The United States would be so much better off if it returned to the Articles of Confederation of 1781 as its Constitution and if the American people would stop voting for any candidate of the failing two-party paradigm.

The American political system needs a total reset from what the Republicans and Democrats have developed during the 21st century.

 

[Salty]

I remember when Joe Wilson yelled "Your Liar".
He might have been correct - but that was not the time or place to do so.
If I remember correctly, he was forced to apologize.

FWIW - Joe is now the 36 ranking member of Congress.
He is one of the 5 who initially entered Congress in 2001

 

[Van]

What request did President Trump make during his SOTU speech? Stand if you agree with this statement:"

"The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens."

Globalists would reject the premise, believing their first duty is to protect mass migration. OTOH, MAGA folks believe our government should be of the people, American citizens, by the people, American citizens, and for the people, American citizens, not illegal aliens.

 

[Van]

"Finally, the man who wants to do his duty as a citizen in our country must be imbued from beginning to end with the spirit of Americanism." TR

The question we must ask ourselves is this: Is "Americanism" the Judaeo Christian culture, or the cotillion of Communists and islamists advocating dictatorial elitism? Government rights over Parental rights. Migration rights over border rights.

How about a government of the few, by the few, for the few? Individual rights being bestowed by the government, not the other way around, our American way. You know inalienable rights bestowed by God? Life, even in the womb, liberty, even to believe in God, and the pursuit of happiness, in the safety of law abiding citizenry.

 

[KenH]

"Americanism" as established by the Founders of the United States of America is composed of three elements:

1. Free market capitalism.
2. Personal liberty.
3. Noninterventionist foreign policy.

"When the American spirit was in its youth, the language of America was different; liberty, sir, was then the primary object." - Patrick Henry, in a speech on June 5, 1788, at the Virginia Convention of 1788, where he expressed his concerns about adopting a new constitution

 

[Scarlett O.]

What request did President Trump make during his SOTU speech? Stand if you agree with this statement:"

"The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens."

Globalists would reject the premise, believing their first duty is to protect mass migration. OTOH, MAGA folks believe our government should be of the people, American citizens, by the people, American citizens, and for the people, American citizens, not illegal aliens.

It was a loaded question and I think most people understand that.

It implies that ALL immigrants who have not achieved citizen status are rapists and murderers and that American citizens are all angels.

I know at least three people who have tried to achieve legal status but were duped by an American lawyer in Houston into giving them all their money and the lawyer stole it and did nothing.

Do you not see that those Democrats were not going to stand up no matter what he said and that he presented a loaded question and as of today has not shut up about it?

 

[Salty]

It implies that ALL immigrants who have not achieved citizen status are rapists and murderers and that American citizens are all angels.

The statement was:
"The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not ILLEGAL aliens."
(Bold and capitalization used for emphasis )
Trump was NOT talking about LEGAL aliens!

If the DEMS who did not stand and thought that was a loaded question - were being led like sheep!
aka - not thinking for themselves.

I find it interesting that the Libs love to say that MAGA & other only say what Trump wants them to say!

 

[Charlie24]

It was a loaded question and I think most people understand that.

It implies that ALL immigrants who have not achieved citizen status are rapists and murderers and that American citizens are all angels.

I know at least three people who have tried to achieve legal status but were duped by an American lawyer in Houston into giving them all their money and the lawyer stole it and did nothing.

Do you not see that those Democrats were not going to stand up no matter what he said and that he presented a loaded question and as of today has not shut up about it?

Mid terms are coming up, you'll be seeing those Dems sitting there in commercials.

 

[KenH]

It was a loaded question and I think most people understand that.

It is what the two-party paradigm has devolved to in the 21st century. Neither the Republican nor the Democratic Parties care to solve problems(they haven't touched the immigration issue since 1986 - 40 years ago); they just want to use issues to play "gotcha" to create campaign commercials and try to keep their well-paid jobs in government and wield power over the rest of us.

American politics is now pretty much nothing more than the MAGA trying to "own" the Progressives and the Progressives trying to "own" the MAGA.

(edited my last sentence to add "now" and "much".)

 

[KenH]

The statement was:
"The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not ILLEGAL aliens."

These are the natural functions of government:

"The state therefore has two natural functions, functions essential to the existence of any peaceful, ordered society: to protect the rights of citizens against violent or fraudulent assault, and to judge in conflicts of right with right. It has a further third function, which is another aspect of the first, that is, to protect its citizens from assault by foreign powers. These three functions are expressed by three powers: the police power, which protects the citizen against domestic violence; the military power, which protects the citizen against violence from abroad; and the courts of law, which judge between rights and rights, as well as sharing with the police power the protection of the citizen against domestic violence.
…
But since this institution must possess a monopoly of legal physical force, to give to it in addition any further power is fraught with danger; that monopoly gives to the state so much power that its natural functions should be its maximum functions."

- excerpt from Frank S. Meyer's In Defense of Freedom: A Conservative Credo

 

[KenH]

"The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not ILLEGAL aliens."

Maybe the American Indians should have considered that back on May 14, 1607.

 

[Scarlett O.]

It is what the two-party paradigm has devolved to in the 21st century. Neither the Republican nor the Democratic Parties care to solve problems(they haven't touched the immigration issue since 1986 - 40 years ago); they just want to use issues to play "gotcha" to create campaign commercials and try to keep their well-paid jobs in government and wield power over the rest of us.

American politics is pretty nothing more than the MAGA trying to "own" the Progressives and the Progressives trying to "own" the MAGA.

It's heartbreaking to me to see that. It's the complete truth.

 

[Salty]

Maybe the American Indians should have considered that back on May 14, 1607.

Regan said at the time - it would be a one time thing - but after he left - well, look at the mess we have now!

Maybe the American Indians should have considered that back on May 14, 1607.

But the Pilgrims and others were NOT illegal!

 

[KenH]

Regan said at the time - it would be a one time thing - but after he left - well, look at the mess we have now!

Do you have the source for President Reagan saying it would be the last time immigration would be dealt with by the Congress?

But the Pilgrims and others were NOT illegal!

Do the have the source for proving that the Pilgrims and Jamestown were legal immigrants? What American Indian law provided for their legal status?

 

[Salty]

Do you have the source for President Reagan saying it would be the last time immigration would be dealt with by the Congress?

Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Do the have the source for proving that the Pilgrims and Jamestown were legal immigrants? What American Indian law provided for their legal status?

You would have to show me the law of the Indians about immigration? Then we can discuss it!