Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

Yes! Go for it.

24 (75%)

No, leave TMM as it is

6 (18.8%)

No. I have a better idea (details below)

1 (3.1%)

So THAT's where the old coot went....

1 (3.1%)

Total Members Voted: 29

Voting closed: March 05, 2015, 06:56:24 am

[RVM45]

If you see the Constitution as an attempt to Codify a Limited Representative Republic…

And I mean sure, a lot of folks here don't believe in any republic or state whatsoever…

And some believe that the Constitution was crafted by Cynical Manipulators…

But View it—at least momentarily—as an attempt to establish a rather limited government.

The main problem is that Statists have had over 200 years to plink away at it.

Which underlies my point, that Any attempt to limit the power of the State through Any sort of Charter seems a Futile Endeavor.

The Constitution was a fair attempt, but even it was powerless to halt its own undermining.

Why is it always far easier to undermine something like the Constitution than it is to defend it?

I really don't know. Entropy? I am convinced that it is.

I don't even think that if the Constitution had a magic "Reboot" button that could be used Once—and all our state, federal and local laws would be reinterpreted rigidly by the Constitution as it was the day after the Bill of Rights was added that it would do a whole lot of good.

O, I'd be all for it. Maybe—just maybe—I could live out my last years in some Peace…
 
But the Undermining would proceed far faster in the Modern World—partly because of electronics and partly because they have many prior examples to learn from.

But the Point is:

If the Constitution exists to protect our Freedom—and it can't protect itself from Cynical Manipulation and Undermining…

Then what good is it?




…..RVM45     

[Klapton Isgod]

Insert Spooner quote here.

.

[A Patriot]

What do they say today... "Throwing the baby out with the bath water?"

I have to agree with Elias... Right on man!  let's try to keep what little Freedoms we have,  before we lose those too!

[DiabloLoco]

...I just accepted this forum for what it is: a motley crew of personalities ... this is still a place that is comfortably familiar –a place I call home.

Love it!

[DiabloLoco]

What do they say today... "Throwing the baby out with the bath water?"

I have to agree with Elias... Right on man!  let's try to keep what little Freedoms we have,  before we lose those too!

I agree too, but only in the sense of- "You gotta start somewhere". If that means trying to get back to the true meaning and enforcement of the US Constitution, then so be it. It's a start. Not an end though. That said, true enforcement of the 10th amendment is the beginning. Get back to THESE United States, rather than THE United States.

[jamie]

23  voted in the poll. 23

[DiabloLoco]

23  voted in the poll. 23

And that's why we need to revitalize TMM. It's dying. There's still quite a few lookieloos, but not much participation.

[slidemansailor]

23  voted in the poll. 23

And that's why we need to revitalize TMM. It's dying. There's still quite a few lookieloos, but not much participation.

The stats that used to be visible to all are no longer. Personally I liked them a little, but not enough to complain even to the fly on the wall about their absence.  However, that leaves me guessing as to the membership and readership here in a form known as WAG... a favorite of many professed statisticians.

With that disclaimer out of the way, I feel it is safe to say that 16 of those with opinions are FOR while 5 who are concerned are AGAINST.  The rest, whatever that number is, are along for the ride.

If vitality of TMM is of interest or somehow in the charter, the riders are not a consideration.

[DiabloLoco]

23  voted in the poll. 23

And that's why we need to revitalize TMM. It's dying. There's still quite a few lookieloos, but not much participation.

The stats that used to be visible to all are no longer. Personally I liked them a little, but not enough to complain even to the fly on the wall about their absence.  However, that leaves me guessing as to the membership and readership here in a form known as WAG... a favorite of many professed statisticians.

With that disclaimer out of the way, I feel it is safe to say that 16 of those with opinions are FOR while 5 who are concerned are AGAINST.  The rest, whatever that number is, are along for the ride.

If vitality of TMM is of interest or somehow in the charter, the riders are not a consideration.

Certain stats are still available. http://thementalmilitia.com/forums/index.php?action=stats

The yearly summary is the most telling stat.

[slidemansailor]

Wow. Nice link to stats.

Very telling that in the 2006 to 2009 time frame that many of us think as the prime of its life, the number of posts were 5-6 times what they are in 2014.   The numbers tend to agree with that curmudgeon who is, paraphrasing his words, watching it die.

Can I vote a second time for advancing the distributor, increasing the boost to see if it blows or goes?

[DiabloLoco]

Can I vote a second time for advancing the distributor, increasing the boost to see if it blows or goes?

Ditto!

[Adventurer, Explorer, Inquiring Mind.]

I don't know what to say, because I've got far too much of my crap going on.  I also don't feel like arguing with slideman, who apparently considers non attacks to be so, and personal attacks aimed at everyone by certain self professed "ubermenschen" to be nothing of the sort.

Elias, do as you please, I just don't know if I can help.  I'll make sure to prune what remarks I can so they're "helpful" if the people who start coming are actually interested in that.

I was about to hit the sack, and thought of something you said.  Ever notice that some of us who get totally burned out on the never ending struggle tend to get bitter and burned out about it?  I'm pretty sure I've been there for the last 8 years or so.  Especially since every apparent promise turns out to be a lie.

I sure hope what you're doing turns out right.  I really do.  Its about time for something to go right.

[Bill St. Clair]

Wow. Nice link to stats.

That stats link is available on the forum home page in the "Forum Stats" section near the bottom of the page from a link titled "[More Stats]". Were there other stats that you used to see that are no more?

[slidemansailor]

Wow. Nice link to stats.

That stats link is available on the forum home page in the "Forum Stats" section near the bottom of the page from a link titled "[More Stats]". Were there other stats that you used to see that are no more?

My entry point to TMM is "unread posts" where I peruse headlines and read threads that tickle my fancy. I then hit "new replies" catching anything of interest before I count my TMM time allowance spent.  The Forum Stats have thus eluded me.  It is good to break with patterns from time to time. New things can be experienced that may have value.

I did like the activity markers next to poster's names, but others apparently don't.

[Mr. Bill]

I haven't been participating much here for a while, but I've been a member for a little over 10 years, so I'll declare myself entitled to offer a few comments.

On the basic question, I don't think Elias (or any other member) needs other members' approval to invite newbies.

Yes, the forum will change if new members join.

It will also change if old members leave.  It will change if NO members come or go, just because time passes, and we change, and the world changes.

One big problem that ALL online forums are facing: we're running software designed 10-15 years ago for people using desktop computers, but smartphones and small tablets are now the dominant tool for internet access.  I don't even own one of the things, but I'm told that forums are not easy to use on the tiny screen.  Eventually, forums will have to adapt, or they'll fade away like dialup BBSes.

As for the forum's culture and political philosophy...  I appreciate what ML wrote somewhere way above, about how all sorts are welcome here, but...  We're a "big tent" that spans the entire range from anarchist libertarian to minarchist libertarian.

Sure, others are technically welcome here, but (as ML also said) they need to have a thick skin.

So, even if we do acquire some Oath Keepers members who are closer to Tea Party Republican, I think there's a good chance that, no matter how thick their skins, they'd find it unpleasant to participate here.

This would also be true if we courted (say) members of the LGBTQ community, or blacks angry about Ferguson-style policing, or progressive Muslims fleeing persecution, or polygamous Mormons, etc.  All of the above are primed to hear the message of liberty.

Whether they would actually participate on this forum depends largely on personalities, both ours and theirs.

As it stands now, newbies who choose to stay and participate on this forum must either:

• Already agree with us, or
• Be ready to promptly change their minds and agree with us, or
• Have a giant ego and stick around just to argue with us.

I'm not saying this is a good or bad thing, it's just a fact.  Unless the current members agree to welcome dissenters and have a big tent, it'll be a small tent.  Small tents are useful things too, but you've got to accept that membership will then be small.