Notes From The Cave

Smashburger has brought back the turkey burger!

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“In the 1700s, philosophers like John Locke argued that public life and politics should be separated from gratitude. Civic relations should be based on rules and laws—not gifts, favors, or quid pro quo—with the participation and consent of the governed. Private life, philosophers suggested, could still be ordered by gifts and gratitude in the more limited arenas of families and friends. Thus, constitutions eventually replaced kingly rulers, and laws distributed political benefits through the will of the people.” (emphasis mine)

— Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks by Diana Butler Bass
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“The emperor or king gave his subjects the “gifts” of protection and provision. In return, subjects offered loyalty, homage, service, tithes, and taxes. If you failed to return the ruler’s favor—such as not paying a tribute or refusing to send your son to serve in the army—you were branded an “ingrate.” Ingratitude was disloyalty and sometimes treason, crimes punishable by denial of favor, reduction in rank, seizure of property, enslavement, prison, exile, or death.”

— Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks by Diana Butler Bass
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President Trump simply believes that he as president cannot commit a crime. He believes that a president is above the law. Trump’s belief is the logically conclusion of decades of expansion of presidential powers that started with Vietnam.

All presidents in my life time have desired more power. The real problem has been Congress’ abdication of it’s prime constitutional responsibility to be a check on the presidency. At root of this abdication is the transformation of Congress as representative of all U.S. citizens to only representative of the majority party. Rather than upholding and defending the U.S. Constitution, Congress has become all about enabling and implementing a Republican or Democrat ideology.

What I find ironic is that I think the core belief of conservatism is that “abosolute power corrupts absolutely” and yet Republican conservatives have been the prime architects of the expansion of powers to the president. Conservatives should be truly republican but do not act like it, but rather tend to act more as anarchists.

Worst of all is that too many U.S. citizens do not care that this is happening! Too many people do not know the Constitution nor appreciate the fundamental reasons for why the U.S. form of republican democracy has designed and adopted. These people pledge allegiance to a flag as if the flag is the thing rather than a symbol of the real thing, our way of life enabled by the Constitution.

What has been taking place over the course of my life time is the ascendency of a U.S. monarchy or dictatorship under the veneer of the Presidency. If you are truly a U.S. patriot your loyalty should be to the “Republic for which it stands”, which means the Constitution that defines the republic.

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What is a Misdemeanor Crime?

A misdemeanor crime is a type of criminal offense that is more serious than a citation but less serious than felony charges. They are less serious to moderate crimes that are associated with less serious punishments.

In case you think a President can only impeached for something really, really serious.

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