I know TFLers go down this road at least once a week, but this was kind of a fresh perspective from www.boortz.com I thought some of you may be interested in.
I'm not saying a word. Just presenting it here for your discriminating review:
"THANK YOU KINDLY, DESERT PETE
You've got to prime the pump
You must have faith and believe …… ("Desert Pete," The Kingston Trio)
It’s a song about a desert traveler who happens upon an old pump standing in the middle of nowhere. Hanging on the
pump is a bucket … with some water in it. The traveler has two choices. He can take the guaranteed safe route and
drink the water, or he can use that water to prime the pump to bring up even more water from below. If the traveler
takes the guaranteed, safe route and just drinks the water in the bucket it will leave the bucket empty for the next
traveler, and no way to prime the pump. At least he won’t be taking a chance that there’s no more water in the pump.
End of story.
Well, that’s the way I look at my presidential vote in this year’s election. That’s my vote in that bucket. Do I cast that
vote for the Republican nominee --- the safe choice --- or do I use it to try to prime the pump.
I absolutely believe that it is going to be a resurgence of libertarian thought --- a love for freedom, liberty and individual
responsibility --- that is going to save America from the tyranny of statism and government dependence. I think there
are millions of American voters who are looking for a political home. Millions of American voters who, while they
appreciate the personal and social liberties promoted by the left, just can’t handle the statist, socialistic big government
tyranny that is developing from the Democratic Party political agenda. These millions of voters also appreciate the
smaller-government fiscal conservatism of the Republicans, but can’t handle the influences of the religious zealots
who want to control and dictate every aspect of a person’s personal life.
I truly believe if that pump standing out there in the political desert is primed with my vote, and with the votes of others
who fear for the future of our country, it might just start pouring forth the votes and support of these lost and dismayed
American voters.
Sure – I can take the safe route and vote for Bush. Actually, that would be more a vote against Gore …. But the safe
route nonetheless. But if I chose that course of action I leave that pump un-primed and un-workable. If enough people
follow the safe route – and vote Republican – that pump not only remains unused … but there will be no water left in
the bucket to prime it with.
The libertarian voters are out there … I’m convinced of it. Freedom loving Americans are just sitting there beneath the
surface, waiting for someone to come along and furiously work the pump-handle.
There’s really not that much time left, friends. Actually, we’re already on borrowed time. We’ve already exceeded the
average life span of governments based on personal liberty by about 25 years. It’s way past time to play it safe. We
need to prime the pump and see what’s down there."
------------------
"Put a rifle in the hands of a Subject, and he immediately becomes a Citizen." -- Jeff Cooper
"The fact is that the average man's love of liberty is nine-tenths imaginary, exactly like his love of sense, justice and truth. He is not actually happy when free; he is uncomfortable, a bit alarmed, and intolerably lonely. Liberty is not a thing for the great masses of men. It is the exclusive possession of a small and disreputable minority, like knowledge, courage and honor. It takes a special sort of man to understand and enjoy liberty - and he is usually an outlaw in democratic societies." -- H.L. Mencken, February 12, 1923, Baltimore Evening Sun
"If God had not wanted them to be sheared, he would not have made them sheep." -- Bad guy from the Magnificent Seven.
"Don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blow." -- Bob Dylan
"This is This" -- Robert DeNiro as "Michael" in THE DEER HUNTER
"The unarmed man is not just defenseless - he is also contemptible." -- Machiavelli
I'm not saying a word. Just presenting it here for your discriminating review:
"THANK YOU KINDLY, DESERT PETE
You've got to prime the pump
You must have faith and believe …… ("Desert Pete," The Kingston Trio)
It’s a song about a desert traveler who happens upon an old pump standing in the middle of nowhere. Hanging on the
pump is a bucket … with some water in it. The traveler has two choices. He can take the guaranteed safe route and
drink the water, or he can use that water to prime the pump to bring up even more water from below. If the traveler
takes the guaranteed, safe route and just drinks the water in the bucket it will leave the bucket empty for the next
traveler, and no way to prime the pump. At least he won’t be taking a chance that there’s no more water in the pump.
End of story.
Well, that’s the way I look at my presidential vote in this year’s election. That’s my vote in that bucket. Do I cast that
vote for the Republican nominee --- the safe choice --- or do I use it to try to prime the pump.
I absolutely believe that it is going to be a resurgence of libertarian thought --- a love for freedom, liberty and individual
responsibility --- that is going to save America from the tyranny of statism and government dependence. I think there
are millions of American voters who are looking for a political home. Millions of American voters who, while they
appreciate the personal and social liberties promoted by the left, just can’t handle the statist, socialistic big government
tyranny that is developing from the Democratic Party political agenda. These millions of voters also appreciate the
smaller-government fiscal conservatism of the Republicans, but can’t handle the influences of the religious zealots
who want to control and dictate every aspect of a person’s personal life.
I truly believe if that pump standing out there in the political desert is primed with my vote, and with the votes of others
who fear for the future of our country, it might just start pouring forth the votes and support of these lost and dismayed
American voters.
Sure – I can take the safe route and vote for Bush. Actually, that would be more a vote against Gore …. But the safe
route nonetheless. But if I chose that course of action I leave that pump un-primed and un-workable. If enough people
follow the safe route – and vote Republican – that pump not only remains unused … but there will be no water left in
the bucket to prime it with.
The libertarian voters are out there … I’m convinced of it. Freedom loving Americans are just sitting there beneath the
surface, waiting for someone to come along and furiously work the pump-handle.
There’s really not that much time left, friends. Actually, we’re already on borrowed time. We’ve already exceeded the
average life span of governments based on personal liberty by about 25 years. It’s way past time to play it safe. We
need to prime the pump and see what’s down there."
------------------
"Put a rifle in the hands of a Subject, and he immediately becomes a Citizen." -- Jeff Cooper
"The fact is that the average man's love of liberty is nine-tenths imaginary, exactly like his love of sense, justice and truth. He is not actually happy when free; he is uncomfortable, a bit alarmed, and intolerably lonely. Liberty is not a thing for the great masses of men. It is the exclusive possession of a small and disreputable minority, like knowledge, courage and honor. It takes a special sort of man to understand and enjoy liberty - and he is usually an outlaw in democratic societies." -- H.L. Mencken, February 12, 1923, Baltimore Evening Sun
"If God had not wanted them to be sheared, he would not have made them sheep." -- Bad guy from the Magnificent Seven.
"Don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blow." -- Bob Dylan
"This is This" -- Robert DeNiro as "Michael" in THE DEER HUNTER
"The unarmed man is not just defenseless - he is also contemptible." -- Machiavelli
