Comments on: On Whether to Tear Down or Build Up http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up Rants and musings about things political, philosophical, and religious. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:34:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: John http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63651 John Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:23:06 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63651 While the options are not a dichotomy, they are also not an equality. One is more important than the other. If we merely tear down corruption, more corruption can rise to replace it, and we create a world defined by conflict. If we merely learn, live, and teach correct principles, we would govern ourselves, and corruption would eventually be starved of support and votes. One is helpful, but the other is necessary, and they synergize together. While the options are not a dichotomy, they are also not an equality. One is more important than the other. If we merely tear down corruption, more corruption can rise to replace it, and we create a world defined by conflict. If we merely learn, live, and teach correct principles, we would govern ourselves, and corruption would eventually be starved of support and votes. One is helpful, but the other is necessary, and they synergize together.

]]> By: A Message About Mike Lee For Senate (Utah) | Saxey.net http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63494 A Message About Mike Lee For Senate (Utah) | Saxey.net Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:56:09 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63494 [...] and action — are key elements of restoring the liberty we’ve lost. As I explained in one recent article, I believe that we both need to tear down corruption and build up principled structures of good [...] [...] and action — are key elements of restoring the liberty we’ve lost. As I explained in one recent article, I believe that we both need to tear down corruption and build up principled structures of good [...]

]]> By: Pat Henry http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63262 Pat Henry Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:11:57 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63262 Prophets (as Jeremiah) were to both tear down and build up. Paine (though I do not like him a lot) was in fact very influential in waking people up. Without that, they would not have fought and worked for a "solution" as there'd have been nothing to change. Both Paine and Adams (and others) worked together. In McManus' article, I think you also missed the important allusion to Washington believing a "conspiracy theory." He said and wrote that they knew there were those (referring to Illuminati / Masons / Weishauptians) who were trying to infiltrate and control the budding government. I have to believe that while he fought at the risk of all to keep back British tyranny, he supported the limited, separated, enumerated powers of the Constitution to hinder such revolutionaries. False dichotomy. We need both strategies. Let's keep working together. Prophets (as Jeremiah) were to both tear down and build up. Paine (though I do not like him a lot) was in fact very influential in waking people up. Without that, they would not have fought and worked for a “solution” as there’d have been nothing to change. Both Paine and Adams (and others) worked together.

In McManus’ article, I think you also missed the important allusion to Washington believing a “conspiracy theory.” He said and wrote that they knew there were those (referring to Illuminati / Masons / Weishauptians) who were trying to infiltrate and control the budding government. I have to believe that while he fought at the risk of all to keep back British tyranny, he supported the limited, separated, enumerated powers of the Constitution to hinder such revolutionaries.

False dichotomy. We need both strategies. Let’s keep working together.

]]> By: Jim Davis http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63261 Jim Davis Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:56:11 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63261 Amongst our liberty-loving culture there are some of us who turn others away with our extreme methods. Granted, too much truth and light can be blinding to those who are accustomed to their complacent darkness. But I see some amongst us (and perhaps I have been guilty of this in the past) who use much negativity, fear-mongering, and anger in an attempt to expose whatever corruption we see in government. If we appear to others as merely "Paines" (attacking the wrong) but give little energy to promoting the good then we lose all credibility (and rightfully so). I believe the message of freedom is a positive one that should be promoted with hope and joy. The corruption which exists in government deserves little more than our humble acknowledgment to its reality. We can seek to educate others by exposing the evil but unless we instill hope in others with a simultaneous positive message than our message has been nothing more than destructive. A few examples of those who, while acknowledging the bad, first and foremost promote the good: LDS Church- How many of you Latter-Day-Saints have heard sermons on the devil or of his corruption? I haven't heard much. On the contrary almost everything I've heard has had a positive tone. Yes, evil exists but spending the majority of our time focusing on it doesn't make it go away. Ron Paul- If you pay attention to him when he speaks you'll notice he promotes freedom, the constitution, sound money, a moral foreign policy etc, etc. I have yet to see him attack anything or anyone. He points out bad policy but most of his efforts are spent promoting moral solutions. Amongst our liberty-loving culture there are some of us who turn others away with our extreme methods. Granted, too much truth and light can be blinding to those who are accustomed to their complacent darkness. But I see some amongst us (and perhaps I have been guilty of this in the past) who use much negativity, fear-mongering, and anger in an attempt to expose whatever corruption we see in government. If we appear to others as merely “Paines” (attacking the wrong) but give little energy to promoting the good then we lose all credibility (and rightfully so).

I believe the message of freedom is a positive one that should be promoted with hope and joy. The corruption which exists in government deserves little more than our humble acknowledgment to its reality. We can seek to educate others by exposing the evil but unless we instill hope in others with a simultaneous positive message than our message has been nothing more than destructive.

A few examples of those who, while acknowledging the bad, first and foremost promote the good:

LDS Church- How many of you Latter-Day-Saints have heard sermons on the devil or of his corruption? I haven’t heard much. On the contrary almost everything I’ve heard has had a positive tone. Yes, evil exists but spending the majority of our time focusing on it doesn’t make it go away.

Ron Paul- If you pay attention to him when he speaks you’ll notice he promotes freedom, the constitution, sound money, a moral foreign policy etc, etc. I have yet to see him attack anything or anyone. He points out bad policy but most of his efforts are spent promoting moral solutions.

]]> By: Krista http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63260 Krista Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:26:51 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63260 Great post! Simultaneous efforts building their monster and eroding our foundations seem to be working pretty well for organized opponents of liberty, as well... at the moment, I feel like it's all we can do to kick down their ladders! ;) The civic involvement that has grown as a result of economic trouble and political disenchantment, though, has the potential to result in some RAPID liberty-building. :) Great post! Simultaneous efforts building their monster and eroding our foundations seem to be working pretty well for organized opponents of liberty, as well… at the moment, I feel like it’s all we can do to kick down their ladders! ;)

The civic involvement that has grown as a result of economic trouble and political disenchantment, though, has the potential to result in some RAPID liberty-building. :)

]]> By: Brian Mecham http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63259 Brian Mecham Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:14:53 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63259 I also <a href="http://www.latterdayconservative.com/blog/philosophy-vs-conspiracy-my-response" rel="nofollow">wrote a response to the original article Philosophy Vs Conspiracy...</a>. I thought Jerry's article was great, and made multiple valid points, but also felt it was lacking in voicing at least some responsibility of understanding the enemy. I also wrote a response to the original article Philosophy Vs Conspiracy…. I thought Jerry’s article was great, and made multiple valid points, but also felt it was lacking in voicing at least some responsibility of understanding the enemy.

]]> By: Steven Montgomery http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63258 Steven Montgomery Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:16:15 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63258 As I recently wrote in another forum regarding this article, "I don't know why you can't emphasize both. I believe that both are important and necessary. It goes without saying that an understanding of the principles of freedom and liberty is vital. But an understanding of the who, what, why, when, where, and how of the secret combination which seeks to destroy our freedom is also vital." As I recently wrote in another forum regarding this article, “I don’t know why you can’t emphasize both. I believe that both are important and necessary. It goes without saying that an understanding of the principles of freedom and liberty is vital. But an understanding of the who, what, why, when, where, and how of the secret combination which seeks to destroy our freedom is also vital.”

]]> By: sloanie http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63257 sloanie Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:08:24 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63257 Indeed. You can pull weeds all day long, but if you don't cultivate the ground and plant some good seeds, what's the point of pulling weeds? Indeed. You can pull weeds all day long, but if you don’t cultivate the ground and plant some good seeds, what’s the point of pulling weeds?

]]> By: a concerned mommy http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63256 a concerned mommy Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:40:08 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63256 Yes, that seems to me to be the point of the post, David. No argument here. I agree entirely!!! Yes, that seems to me to be the point of the post, David. No argument here. I agree entirely!!!

]]> By: David http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63255 David Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:18:20 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63255 I agree that the need for each is ongoing, but tearing down without a followup of rebuilding is ineffective - it simply creates a vacuum that will be filled with at least as much corruption as was torn out by Paine. I agree that the need for each is ongoing, but tearing down without a followup of rebuilding is ineffective – it simply creates a vacuum that will be filled with at least as much corruption as was torn out by Paine.

]]> By: Connor http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63254 Connor Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:06:44 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63254 I'm not so sure I agree, David. There is always corruption, and it's always in need of being pulled down. So, Paine is constantly necessary. But we always need a bit of Adams to be ready to build up a solid structure in place of what's torn down. It's like a construction project, where demolition and building is part of the entire project. If something gets built in the process that is not to spec, it has to be torn down (in part or entirely) and something better built in its place. I seem these two, Paine and Adams, as being best manifested in an individual in synchronous fashion—people who can, in whatever circumstance, respond with a bit of Paine, or a bit of Adams, always prepared to switch over to the other where necessary. I’m not so sure I agree, David. There is always corruption, and it’s always in need of being pulled down. So, Paine is constantly necessary. But we always need a bit of Adams to be ready to build up a solid structure in place of what’s torn down.

It’s like a construction project, where demolition and building is part of the entire project. If something gets built in the process that is not to spec, it has to be torn down (in part or entirely) and something better built in its place.

I seem these two, Paine and Adams, as being best manifested in an individual in synchronous fashion—people who can, in whatever circumstance, respond with a bit of Paine, or a bit of Adams, always prepared to switch over to the other where necessary.

]]> By: David http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63253 David Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:03:30 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63253 It's not simply both, it is one and then the other in a specific order. Paine following Adams would not succeed - it would actually work against improvement. It’s not simply both, it is one and then the other in a specific order. Paine following Adams would not succeed – it would actually work against improvement.

]]> By: Jeremy Nicoll http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/on-whether-to-tear-down-or-build-up#comment-63252 Jeremy Nicoll Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:57:01 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=1458#comment-63252 Thank you - it's not one or the other, it's both. So many false dichotomy arguments go around. Thank you – it’s not one or the other, it’s both. So many false dichotomy arguments go around.

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