Bringing LIBERTY to
Capitol Hill -- 2008
OZARKS
VIRTUAL TOWN
HALL
Saturday Morning, January 12, 2008, 10:30am
|
A Discussion of The President's Saturday Morning
Radio Address
|
Click here
to listen to a replay of the January 12, 2008 Ozarks Virtual
Town Hall |
Notes and Summary of the President's Address --
Separate but Equal States in Israel
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I'm speaking to you from the Middle
East, where I have been meeting with friends and allies. We're
discussing how we can work together to confront the extremists who
threaten our future. And I have encouraged them to take advantage of
the historic opportunity we have before us to advance peace, freedom,
and security in this vital part of the world ... a vision of two
democratic states -- Israel and Palestine -- living side by side in
peace and security.
How the President Differs from the American vision of
"Liberty Under God":
The Middle East conflict is a religious conflict. It ultimately
requires a religious solution.
- The purpose of American
Government is to promote Christianity. We are to be a "City
upon a Hill." (text)
- If America breaks her covenant with God, and fails to observe
"the Laws of Nature and of
Nature's God,"
- Every government on earth, including the the state of Israel and
any state of Palestine that might be created by George Bush, has
this same duty: to acknowledge God and True
Religion.
- The United States should "make
disciples of every nation," helping them beat
"swords into plowshares" so that everyone may dwell
safely under his own Vine
& Fig Tree.
- Violence is not the instrument by which
this objective is attained:
As Noah Webster said, "The ecclesiastical establishments of
Europe which serve to support tyrannical governments are not the
Christian religion but abuses and corruptions of it."
Daniel Webster similarly explained: "Christianity to which
the sword and the fagot [burning stake or hot branding iron] are
unknown -- general tolerant Christianity is the law of the
land!"
- Government promotes Christianity by protecting the rights of
individual Christians to do so.
- Foreign Policy: This means missionaries and businessmen
are America's frontline of "diplomats"
|
The great rule of conduct for us, in regard
to foreign nations is in extending our commercial
relations to have with them as little political
connection as possible."
—
Washington, Farewell Address (1796) [Washington’s
emphasis] |
|
I deem [one of] the essential principles of
our government, and consequently [one] which ought to
shape its administration,…peace, commerce, and honest
friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with
none.
—
Jefferson, First Inaugural Address (1801) |
- Bush is violating this most fundamental precept of American
foreign policy by creating entangling political alliances.
- During the 20th century, the United Nations, Britain, and the
federal government of the United States, have been creating the
forces of war and conflict in the Middle East.
- The majority of Israelis and Arabs are willing to live with
each other in "peace, commerce, and honest
friendship," "extending their commercial
relations" with each other, buying, selling, living life.
- Wealthy Jews have been able to purchase land from Arab
Palestinians in voluntary commercial transactions which were
mutually beneficial to both parties.
- There is a minority among both Jews and Arabs who seek to
impose their will by force on
others.
- These violent people tend to form "governments."
- A "Jewish Homeland" was emerging in the early part
of the 20th century through voluntary transactions in the
absence of "Hamas," the "PLO," the
"State" of Israel and similar institutions of
violence
- America, as a Christian nation, should recognize that the
willingness to resort to violence is primarily a religious and
spiritual problem, and conventional
weapons are futile and counterproductive.
- The U.S. federal government is not a force for
peace in the Middle East as long as it seeks to impose
governmental/political solutions.
- Israel as a "nation" has no right to exist.
Neither do the Palestinian Arabs. Neither does America. The
"right" to "exist as a nation" is the
"right" to impose one's will on a minority by force and
threats of violence.
- The United States federal government has no Constitutional,
moral, Biblical, political, ethical, or pragmatic justification to
use government coercion to protect the Jews.
- The United States federal government has no Constitutional,
moral, Biblical, political, ethical, or pragmatic justification to
use government coercion to protect the Arab Palestinians.
- President Bush claims that his foreign policy is going to keep
us safe and keep gas prices down. It's part of his overall plan to
give Americans everything they could possibly want, if they
continue to vote Republican.
- President Bush thus promises to be our Savior, and Taxes are our
offerings to a false god.
- America is, on the one hand, a nation "under
God."
- America is, on the other hand, a nation that ignores God and
commits idolatry.
- Idolatry is when we fail to trust God (our national motto is
"In God We Trust")
and trust the Government to bring us "salvation."
- Americans must think about these issues, not just in terms of
the Constitution, but in terms of the values enshrined in the
Declaration of Independence -- the philosophy of "Liberty
Under God."
| President's
Radio Address |
Liberty
Under God |
| THE PRESIDENT:
Good morning. I'm speaking to you from the Middle East, where I
have been meeting with friends and allies. We're discussing how we
can work together to confront the extremists who threaten our
future. And I have encouraged them to take advantage of the
historic opportunity we have before us to advance peace,
freedom, and security
in this vital part of the world. |
peace, freedom, security
These are really the same thing.
Peace = freedom from the initiation of force
Security = peace that can be depended upon
The Bible describes these things as "salvation."
|
| My first stop
was Israel and the Palestinian Territories. I had good meetings
with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas.
Both these men are committed to peace in the Holy Land. Both these
men have been elected by their people. And both share a vision of
two democratic states -- Israel and Palestine -- living side by
side in peace and security. |
Two states are worse than
none.
Why a
"two-state solution" in Palestine is absurd
|
| I came away
encouraged by my meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Each side understands that the key to achieving its own goals is
helping the other side achieve its goals. For the Israelis, their
main goal is ensuring the safety of their people and the security
of their nation. For the Palestinians, the goal is a state of
their own, where they can enjoy the dignity that comes with sovereignty
and self-government. |
Why does a "separate
nation" of Palestinians ensure the safety of Israelis?
Why does Bush have respect for the "sovereignty and
self-government" of the Palestinians while working to merge
50 American states into one federal government, and then merge the
U.S., Canada and Mexico into a "North
American Union?" |
| In plain
language, the result must be the establishment of a free and
democratic homeland for the Palestinian people, just as Israel is
a free and democratic homeland for the Jewish people. For this to
happen, the Israelis must have secure, recognized, and defensible
borders. And the Palestinians must have a state that is viable,
contiguous, sovereign, and independent. Achieving this vision will
require tough decisions and painful concessions from both sides. |
|
| I believe that
a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians that defines a
Palestinian state is possible this year. Prime Minister Olmert
made clear to me that he understands a democratic Palestinian
state is in the long-term security interests of Israel. President
Abbas is committed to achieving this Palestinian state through
negotiation. The United States cannot impose an agreement on the
Israelis and Palestinians -- that is something they must work out
themselves. But with hard work and good will on both sides, they
can make it happen. And both men are getting down to the serious
work of negotiation to make sure it does happen. |
|
| The United
States will do all we can to encourage these negotiations and
promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. But the
international community has a responsibility to help as well. In
particular, the Arab nations of the Gulf have a responsibility
both to support President Abbas, Prime Minister Fayyad, and other
Palestinian leaders as they work for peace, and to work for a
larger reconciliation between Israel and the Arab world. And in my
meetings with Arab leaders over the next few days, I will urge
them to do their part. |
|
| A democratic
Palestinian state is in the interests of the Palestinians. It is
in the long-term security interests of Israel. And it is in the
interests of a world at war with terrorists and extremists trying
to impose their brutal vision on the Middle East. By helping the
Israeli and Palestinian people lay the foundation for lasting
peace, we will help build a more hopeful future for the Holy Land
-- and a safer world for the American people. |
|
| Thank you for
listening. |
|
John Adams once wrote that the American
Revolution began in 1761, when Massachusetts attorney James Otis
began legal challenges to the Writs of Assistance. He lost the case, but
"American independence," Adams wrote, "was
then and there born." Now do the math. That means it took 15
years to convince the rest of America to declare Independence (1776).
Then another seven years of war was required before a Peace Treaty was
signed (1783), and then six years before the Constitution was finally
ratified (1789). That's almost 30 years. (And Jefferson said we
shouldn't go 20
years without another rebellion!) How can we hope to convince
Americans to fight for principles they were never taught in government
schools? We need to be in this battle for the long term. "Eternal
Vigilance is the Price of Liberty."
Additional Resources:
Kevin Craig's platform:
Libertarian Resources
Communicating with Government and Media
- Contact Congress -- this
is from the JBS website, powered by "CapWiz," from Capitol
Advantage. Lots of organizations use capwiz. If you don't want to go
through the JBS, search for capwiz
on Google and find another organization that uses it.
Notice that you can also contact media through this webpage.
- Action E-List
Sign up for the JBS Action E-List and be notified when you can
make a critical difference on important issues.
The Democrat Party Radio Address:
New York Senator Chuck Schumer delivered the Democratic
Radio Address.
"Get the economy moving."
- "stimulus package" that is targeted to middle class,
immediate, and temporary
- "stimulus spending" -- extending unemployment insurance,
clean energy and infrastructure
- prevent unnecessary foreclosures
- government must help the economy, but not just tax breaks for the
wealthy
Nothing new here.
Click here
for a replay of this edition of the Ozarks Virtual
Town Hall
|
| |
|