In private email I got this msg: “If I wanted political bull shit, I’d turn on TV.. I just unsubscribed!”
It’s the first email I received with the sentiment, but don’t we know… for every man who speaks up, there’s a hundred thinking it, and it’s a fact that participation drops when it gets political..
This is most likely my last political post..
As of this date, if you are undecided as to whom you’ll vote for, you might be needing a good and intensive mental exam same as Joe.
I’ve made political posts for one reason, and I think Dr. Ileana Johnson makes a great summary of those reasons. She came here to escape the brutalities inflicted on the people in her homeland, she knows first hand how it happened. A leader same as Obama started by dividing the people, pitting one group against another. This was followed by increasing the taxes on the so called rich, and later confiscating their land and giving it to people loyal to the leadership. (many here would love that, many here loved Joe’s performance in debate!)
With our modern tools, our government can distribute more wealth overnight than they once could in a year with our near paperless environment. What Happened in Ileana’s homeland took a few years, with modern tools, the same thing could happen here in a few weeks.
Of great interest to me, is how we Americans ignore the facts that President Obama’s vision of what America should be is failing all around us.. Europe is literally coming undone, those who are attempting to stop the bleeding are being demonized in Europe and here!
Right or wrong I’ve put up political posts because I >know< we are at a crossroads. Soon we will see what choices America makes. We are like an Island, we have been for many years. Will people here who have never lived elsewhere help destroy God Given rights and the Freedoms we have here? Maybe so..
But regardless of our direction, the DIYer will live the far more comfortable life, you can’t confiscate knowledge… but you can kill it as Pol Pot did..
Dr. Johnson’s latest post includes her experience of driving in her homeland on a recent visit. She rented a VW Jetta Diesel, fuel at $10 a gallon, and a need to bribe every person she needed services from. She notes the damage done by the free lunch program in her homeland.. and it will likely take generations to rebuild what a few years of ‘progressive’ rule.
For me, I can say I at least tried to warn my family and friends should we decide to take the easy road to hell, it’s far more than politics.. we are at the TEE in the road.
I’d like my grandchildren to enjoy the same freedom I was given.. a gift from all those who sacrificed before me, and now we see a society who demands gifts, and knows that it is their right to receive them. There’s no way I couldn’t share, but like I say, minds are already made up, so future posts will be about how we DIYers go forward with whatever voters choose..
George,
Don’t cease to express your views, for the time being we still have that right. labeling
your views ‘ Political crap’ is just another phrase for ‘I really don’t give a shit about what is going on.’ I think most DIYers care more for the country than you realize but lack the skill to express thier passion.
Keep up the fight buddy.
Pat
Even if you leave out “vote for this joker” or “vote for that joker” (all non-libertarian or non-anarcho-capitalist politicians are clowns) it will still be political. All DIY, alt-energy, alt-building or home food activities are about independence that is inseparable from politics in a government whose life blood is dependency for all. Nobody who is actually creating any of this is free from political thoughts involved as they work. Then there’s the political needs. A person working, planning and experimenting for their needs or just the joy of it can go about 1 minute before they start breaking barriers raised by inferior people and become, technically, criminals. There is almost nothing you can do involving land use, building, electricity, plumbing, heating or transportation that is not heavily regulated with permits, inspections, fees or outright prohibitions. It is true for almost all counties in America and I’m fed up with ignorant people who don’t even know where we are. It is simple. Unless you are a sheeple, you are involved in politics. People who take abuse by their government without complaint because they have been bought off with candy are of no consequence.
Thinking over Pat and Bill’s post..
It’s a fact I get emails from around the world.. It’s a fact that DIY is not much of a pursuit in Europe because there’s just so many rules and regulations that make it near impossible. In some countries, adding a a luggage rack of your own making to car top wil to get you a large fine.. it’s not for you to DIY! I got one from Italy recently, amazing what they don’t allow there..
I’ll add.. my family has been here since before the American revolution, my Ancestors being everything from Judges, Ranchers, Politicians, and one even running for President of the United states.. We didn’t just get off the boat, but like many Americans, I’m not sure we did a very good job of passing along to our children why we are different and just how important God given rights are. Some won’t miss God given rights till their heads are on the chopping block and waiting for the knife to fall.
Life is cheap in all too many accounts.. and it’s happening right now, people being slaughtered like animals while we watch honey boo boo.
Recently our fellow American was tortured, sodomized, then killed… and it seems not important enough to make the news.
The stock market >is< being manipulated, numbers being fudged, and a Media doing it all it can to help in a re-election. These are facts, and will be part of American history soon.
Obama openly make an effort to divide us, and was it second grade that we were taught that divided we fall?
My Grandchildren will not blame me for being silent, but as I say.. minds are made up at this point..
folks can only bury their head in the sand for so long, then they must come up for air.
things in dc are coming unwound this day, hillary is likely going to be thrown under the bus to protect the white house and you can bet she is not falling on anyone’s sword on this one.
the senate has announced that they too will start hearings to determine what exactly happened, what the white house knew and when they knew it.
btw. reliable sources report that Bill Clinton, ever a good democrat is circling his minions now to provide cover for hillary.
these obama boys have no clue who they are messing with.
i will bet on the arkansas boys any day over the chicago boys.
i realize this discussion is not comfortable for our diy’ers that are on the left side of the spectrum, what they don’t understand is this has been and continues to be, no picnic for us on the right either.
do they really think folks like us like reading page after page of data, watching hours of congressional hearings, more hours of media coverage from “all” sides of the political spectrum. well at least for me i can firmly state, i don’t enjoy it! however i feel i must do so, so that i an direct others to what is out there.
hell if we don’t do it, who will?
even our investigative reporters on the TV/cable are sometimes several news cycles behind the curve or for whatever reason have neglected to report important pieces of information… all of which were in things like those 4 hours of house hearings.
don’t give up George, many folks depend on this information
and this source.
bob g
Bill Knighton wrote;
“Unless you are a sheeple, you are involved in politics.”
Unfortunately even sheeple are involved with politics. Also unfortunately, they can vote.
George, don’t stop posting your views because of 1 email. Yea, you may be correct that if 1 speaks up there’s 100 thinkin’ it.
If that ratio holds true, then I’d say the “no more political BS” camp is out numbered.
You have a website. You have the Freedom Of Speech. If you want to make your opinion public then that is YOUR God given right.
It is YOUR choice as to what contents/opinions/commentarys are posted. I, nor anyone else has the right to tell you otherwise.
If you wanted to start posting recipes for whatever reason, that’s YOUR right.
Granted there are some postings I may not agree with. That’s MY right. I do however like the option of clicking on a link you may have posted to read the article you found. From there I hope I can make up my own mind as to wheather there is any merit to the story.
Thanks George for all your efforts in trying to keep the DIY community informed.
“When bad men combine, the Good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle” . Freedom is never comfortable, I for one respect your work.
Herb A.
Thanks for the comments diyers, we do share so much.
knowing we do it better ourselves is likely part of our bond.
I am in the mountains now, a slow drizzle, a warm fire, and the lister cs fired first compression stroke to pump water…back soon, thank you all…..
Thanks for your comments. I have been trying to tell people since 2004 that we were headed down the wrong road. Any time you spend as we have without the income, you will have problems. Spending like a drunken sailor – the sailor will run out of money, but we can print more. This last administration has just gone wild and will continue to bring this country down. I am in the mist of making the necessary adjustments as fast as I can. I feel that there will be major civil unrest within the nest few years if things continue on the same path. We need to change a lot of things.
I quite enjoy your political posts! Its unforunate that some people cannot think outside the box.
Thanks Nate, Bud,Russ, H, and more.. lots of off line comments, thank you all.. I learn from all of you…
I align mostly with your political views, but with your best interests in mind I remember a long time ago that I suggested you keep politics off of your website.
I said what you are doing is alienating 50% of your potential buying customers for Utterpower products.
I wish I could remember your exact answer, but basically you said, “I don’t care”.
And you went on to explain why you didn’t care about alienating that 50% (47% actually). Wish I could remember exactly what you said.
Personally I enjoy your blog and enjoy your political posts more than your DIY technical posts
Brian… I recall the conversation, and it’s good you force me to recall it.. I think I told you it was very rare I meet a strong DIYer that doesn’t agree that he can do it better and more correctly for himself. I guess we should expect that many of us would favor more freedom and less empty promises, reminds me of the promise speedy lube made.. they stripped the threads on my air cleaner box. I’ve changed my oil and air cleaners ever since..
How does one accquire great wealth having done nothing other than public service? Joe biden, Harry Reid for two.. as least Mitt made his on top of the table regardless of what shortcomings he might have.
Term limits.. it would help, but collectively as voters.. we may be too dumb to do it..
Dear George,
I have been fascinated by your political posts, thank you so much for what came before, all things must end and if you feel this is the time then so be it, but do know that you have helped open many minds, mine creaked a bit in the process, I even learnt that lesbians can be ok and that so can British humour! Here is a British comedian that you may have missed, when I start taking life too seriously Lee Evans can always make me chuckle, potty humour indeed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVg5G2tGXig
With around 4000 hours on my CHP I am now convinced that it is reliable, God bless stainless steel EGHE’s. I will have that article for you by the 01/05/2013.
From the UK, Paul.
I’d like to read about your stainless eghe and what it is doing. Also, is the 4000 hour engine a listeroid?
Thank you Paul… and others.. many others…
Since I’ve watched Atlas Shrugged part 2, my thoughts have turned to Miss Piggy who runs our EPA, little did I know that the progressives have tinkered with the word sustainable! More about this today, I’ll write about a valuable tool to learn exactly what these theives are up to. Progressives lack vision, and seem to know nothing of the many failures their plans have hatched.
Bill, that’d be a perkins 40311d! I got burnt with a dodgy listeroid, literally many times as well as figuratively. if a decent original popped it’s head up around here I’d find it difficult to turn down, in terms of a summer power/heat source I can’t think of a better unit. But in the winter we need the calories up here, hydroponic veggie business thrives on the heat so an 8kw (electric side) system is about right.
Cheers.
Don’t take the bait brother.
There is nothing the Commie’s want more than to stifle you intelligent reasoned opinion.
That very person probably spends long hours on Huffpo and Moveon.org screeding his half baked ideas.
Isn’t there some bible quotes that say things like, “Tell it on the mountain” and “the truth shall set you free”?
I think by and large that people that are thinkers be they theist, atheist, Left or right find thoughtful debate stimulating.
But, I guess I see your point. A little over 20 years ago Rush Limbaugh saw the writing on the wall and chose not to pick a side. This monumental decision has turn a disc jockey into a radio phenom.
(that’s sarcasm son, sarcasm)
i remember doing verbal battle as a businessman over politics at a customer of mine back in the clinton years. it was in Woodinville Washington, hardly the Bastian of conservatism.
the liberal employee’s of that company would often times surround me, ridicule and rhetoric were the modis operandi of the time. i remember it getting very heated often times to the point it looked like i would be soundly beaten by this group of idiots.
one day the manager, who i was in very good with, who also shared my political views told me, “bob, you really should keep your politics to yourself, there are many around here that don’t share you views and as a businessman you will find it hard”
my response?
“Roy, anyone that thinks as these idiots do, i don’t need as customers”
🙂
now i have matured a bit since then and become a bit more practical, however when it comes to politics? and fighting for what i believe?
i am afraid i haven’t matured that much!
yes, those were some of the best times in business in the Pacific NW, fighting with Seattle area liberals was just plain fun! it always amazed me how a Kansas farm boy could completely and totally inflame the sensibilities of a Seattle liberal.
damn i miss Seattle some days, and if romney wins, i would love to be a fly one the wall within the belly of Seattle. not to fear though, i will probably hear them crying clear out here in Kansas!
George,i have been a fan of your site for years,
And i have never contacted you before. I have allways agreed with you,some times it took a second or two to see were you were headed ,but you allways nail it nomatter what your topic was. Keep up the good work . Darin schaub ,christmas valley ,oregon.
Darin, thanks for writing, DIY and freedom to DYI go hand and hand.. I do think it’s been under constant attack and that will likely continue. I appreciate your visits. BTW, can you guess the biggest day ever for utterpower? Oct 31st 2012 ! Folks that got their ass kicked by the storm were flooding in here reading articles. The number one article was installing a transfer switch at Zach’s house!