Why We Fight: Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures and lots of courage

Daniel Horowitz writes for Red State and also has his own blog, Red Meat Conservative.  He has a worthy post out that describes how dire and late the hour it is in America's collapse.  The post, "Why We Fight" says:

Historically, the growth of government statism has been irremediable. For every “100 yards” that they have advanced, our most successful counteroffensive has only slowed their rate of advance by a few yards. Now, after 80 years of soft-socialism, and 2 1/2 years of hard-Marxism, if nothing drastic is done, the government will control our healthcare sector, financial sector, and many other large components of our once proud free market. In other words, we are down big in the Super Bowl of socialism.

Horowitz doesn't just preach doom and gloom, but sees Obama's coming electoral defeat to be a major opportunity to fulfill some of Ronald Reagan's dreams, e.g. a balanced budget amendment, a 2/3 vote requirement for raising taxes, and a constitutional ban on price and wage controls.

Read it all here.   I have added "Red Meat Conservative" to my blog roll.

Barack Obama as Ronald Reagan? (Photoshop)

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General McCain's Speech to the Troops on the Eve of Battle

Stacy McCain has pointed to the example of the great General George S. Patton on the mindset needed to win the coming battle for America.  He has penned an inspiring post, Lessons of Failure and Hope of Success:  Reflections on the Eve of Battle.  Stacy writes:

Victory is the choice we make when we decide that no defeat can make us stop fighting. If you are defeated today, return to the battlefield tomorrow even more determined to prevail. And no matter how often you lose, you can never be defeated so long as you continue the fight.

We are now on the eve of a political battle that could determine whether America is to achieve its destiny or be doomed to deserved oblivion, having failed to live up to that ancient vision of the City on a Hill.

Indeed, after our terrible electoral defeat in November 2008, I wrote a post titled:  "Tomorrow we begin again."  It's only content was a Photoshop graphic of the Statue of Liberty lying in ruins on a lonely beach, similar to a scene in "Planet of the Apes."  On that terrible day, we could do naught but view the ruin and the wreckage and feel the depths of our defeat.  But even then we knew we weren't through.  We would return again to the fight.  As Churchill once advised, "Never give up.  Never, never, never give up."

Occasional defeats are the price of success.  Another great American, Teddy Roosevelt, made a speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France on April 23, 1910.  The most memorable quote from that speech will forever be an inspiration to those who strive for something better.  He said:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Stacy McCain can count himself among the "men in the arena," and never be one of the "cold and timid souls," and his efforts on our behalf are an inspiration in themselves.

"Star Wars" is Finally Here: US Navy Shoots Down Drones With a Laser Beam

Remember back when Ronald Reagan proposed "Star Wars," a highly technological shield against attack?  Liberals screamed in outrage and the USSR went bankrupt trying to keep up.

Well now it appears that, thirty years later, we are finally on the verge of getting Star Wars.

See Bee Ess has the story here.

Sarah Palin Comments on Doug Hoffman's Defeat

From her Facebook page (hat tip Another Black Conservative), Sarah Palin commends Doug Hoffman and remembers Ronald Reagan in his political defeat of 1976:

The race for New York’s 23rd District is not over, just postponed until 2010. The issues of this election have always centered on the economy – on the need for fiscal restraint, smaller government, and policies that encourage jobs. In 2010, these issues will be even more crucial to the electorate. I commend Doug Hoffman and all the other under-dog candidates who have the courage to put themselves out there and run against the odds. 

To the tireless grassroots patriots who worked so hard in that race and to future citizen-candidates like Doug, please remember Reagan’s words of encouragement after his defeat in 1976: 

“The cause goes on. Don't get cynical because look at yourselves and what you were willing to do, and recognize that there are millions and millions of Americans out there that want what you want, that want it to be that way, that want it to be a shining city on a hill.” 

The cause goes on. 

- Sarah Palin 

I voted for Reagan in 1976.  He was running against Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination.  I was living in Scottsdale, Arizona then and I got a large REAGAN button from the local Republican headquarters.

I still have that button, as new and shiny as the day I got it 33 years ago.