<HTML>Derek:
You seem to want everyone in the world to have what America has, yet you don't want the others to pay for it in the way America must pay.
Is this correct?
Last I heard, we weren't turning down ANY new states here in these United States of America. South Africa is free to join. Egypt is free to join. Japan is free to join. Peru is free to join. Afghanistan is free to join.
And when they join, they will receive the benefits of education, retirement income, healthcare for the poor, and protection from enemies and cowards.
So long as they pay the price.
And what is that price?
Well, there's taxes. But as far as I can tell, we charge fewer taxes than most of these countries right now, anyway.
What's the other price?
This is the big one. The scary one. The one at which most countries balk...
they must relinquish their claim to being "better" than their sister states. They must tolerate all races... all ages... all genders.
You can't put armbands on Buddists.
You can't kill women for showing skin.
You can't keep children working 15 hours a day. As a matter of fact, you can't put your children to work at all.
You can't commit a hate crime. It's against the law.
You can't deal in drugs... it's against the law.
You can't mutilate, mame, or even kill your daughters because they are "inconvenient"... it's against the law.
This is the "Imperialism" for which Ishmael argues, Derek. This is what you argue against.
Free will. Free economy. Free thought. Freedom of expression. The right to bear arms, so that if the government DOES become overzealous in its power, than the citizens have the capacity to STOP that same government, and rebuild it as our Founding Father's intended over 200 years ago.
Our tolerance knows only one bound. It has now been crossed. We have been betrayed by those who used our freedoms and tolerances against us.
As Mr. Scott once said...
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
We will not be fooled again. This way of life, that allows for education, safety, freedom, prosperity, joy and worship must be preserved.
If it is NOT allowed to persevere, as you have suggested, Derek, then what will fill the void is a Hell of Biblical proportions.
Ishmael and myself are standing for freedoms and liberties, Derek. If you stand against us, then you stand against those things.
If you stand against those things, then you need to take it up with the 82nd Airborne Division. And if you get through them, you will run into the resolve that those cowards ran into on the 4th airplane... a group of Americans who were not going to go quietly into the night.
Your words of caution, Derek, will be taken under advisement... trust me. It is AGAINST our way of life to be TOO powerful... TOO domineering... TOO controling.
You need to trust in that.
God Bless America.
Anthony</HTML>
