From the Other Side of the Edge…..
“…Let your Conscience Approve your Conduct…”
(Thomas Paine Nails Obama)
By Joe Facinoli 

There are times, when we feel particularly discouraged with the ways of the current world, that we just need a little help.  

We watch, in disbelief, with shaking heads and mouths agape.   We listen, forlornly, with growing despair.   And we wait, for our tormenting “usual suspects” to give us even the smallest break, …..or just a crumb or two.    

But we always seem to go home disappointed, if not hungry.  

During these “trying” times, I have found a respite.   An oasis, of sorts.   A place to go where there is an understanding of our problems, and of our trials.   And there is empathy.  

It’s not from around here, nor even from this time.    But it’s very close.  

Two hundred and thirty five years ago, there lived a group of individuals, so unique for their bravery, wisdom, and determination, that one could argue there has never been such an assembly, neither before that time, nor since. 

“Our Founding Fathers” has become a catch-all phrase, one that is often used rather loosely, and even overused, at the mere convenience of the user.    Typically, not much thought is given as to what those words really mean, nor to just who these gentlemen really were.  

And even less about what they actually stood for.  

There were dozens of these patriots, from every colony and region.   And of those, a solid ten or fifteen who we always hear about, in history and legend, and who will forever hold their country’s reverence.  

And then there are the most famous among them, who did the heaviest of the lifting, and who eventually saw through the forming of our new nation.  

Everyone knows their names.   They wrote and constructed the Constitution, and provided us with our first six Presidents, not to mention winning a totally unwinnable war of independence.  

But there is one guy, a patriot to be sure, who did it in a way different from all his fellow “brothers in arms”.    And arguably, had as much or more influence, even though he signed neither the Declaration of Independence, nor the Constitution.  

Ya see, he was a writer.    A pamphleteer.   A slinger of words and phrases.   North America’s first marketing agent.   The first of the “Mad Men”.  

His name?    Thomas Paine.    And he brings me comfort.  

An Englishman, and naturalized Pennsylvanian (before there was a U.S., or any I.N.S. or I.C.E. peeps to annoy him, and/or not do their jobs), he arrived late to the party, but soon became its life. 

You may recognize some of his stuff:   “Common Sense”,  “The American Crises”,  “The Age of Reason”,  “The Rights of Man”.  

Not exactly beach reading fare, but works that should be read by all, but aren’t, other than the rare few.  

He was a “pen is mightier than the sword” kind of guy, who had an unmatched talent, and who crafted his words, and explained his thoughts and beliefs, in such a way that they created and sustained the inspiration for our revolution against King George, like no other.  

And, as it turns out, he was quite prescient.   

Little did he know, nor realize, that his words would still be particularly relevant, all the way into the 21st century.  

Let me share a few, along with a couple of comments from “another” writer, on today’s application of Paine’s brilliance,…...as it just might pertain to….well, ….you know who (and his minions).    

“A long habit of not thinking a thing as Wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being Right, …and then raises…..a formidable outcry in defense of (that) custom.”  

Don’t we know it!   BHO has been the “Chosen One”, and the Messiah, for Liberals, Progressives, and Socialists everywhere, for much too long, without ever having the slightest shred of experience, nor background, nor aptitude, even for the positions he held before he was swept into the one he now so mightily denigrates.  

And we know all too well what that “formidable outcry” is, every time Al Sharpton or Chris Matthews points an accusing finger at anyone “not of color”, who dares question the Emperor’s New Clothes (the King was naked in that yarn, btw, for the unread, and unwashed among us). 

Paine then added:   “What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly.”    

Isn’t that the truth!    Obama rode the crest of serendipitously perfect timing into a situation for which he was completely unready and unprepared, without paying any dues, nor suffering any slings, nor arrows, of any kind, along the way.  

None.    

And he now treats the highest office in the land like a video game, or his personal (unlimited) ATM card, to do and go whatever and wherever he and his babymomma pleases, leaving the details of his job (like sending troops to embassies, to save ambassadors), to people he doesn’t even know, let alone speak to very often.  

But Thomas Paine saw what was coming next, when he wrote:

“Time makes more Converts than Reason”

Right again, Tommy boy!    Try as we might, through all the arguing, head banging, class warfare, and social (read:  race card played whenever possible) upheaval, we folks of “reason” just couldn’t make any progress towards establishing even the smallest beach heads of “common sense” with our fellow citizens from the Left.  

But then, enough “time” passed, and enough true “colors” (and behavior) emerged, and then soon, many of those same folks, who had been steady drinking all that Koolaid, started to throw it back up.   At least the antidote was slightly more palatable, even though it took almost five years.  

“….the object for Attention is the Doctrine Itself, not the Man.” 

We always need to keep this close to the front of our minds, and first in all discussions.     It’s what he DOES (or doesn’t do), not WHO he is, nor what he is, and especially not what color he is.   All you race baiter/apologists need to think about this as well.   A lot.  

This is a bad President.   Very bad.   And if THIS man were white, green, or orange, he would still be just as bad.  

Paine got after the Press too, when he said:

“Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little distinction between them.” 

Could he have been talking about the all too complicit, simpering, sycophantic yes men and women of today’s adoring, far too liberal media, who blindly follow their Pied Piper into the polluted river, like so many naïve and illiterate sewer rats?  

Probably.   Even though he most likely would have thrown himself into that river, had he known just what the future would bring.   

And he had one more for them:   

“Where knowledge is a duty, ignorance is a crime.”  

There used to be journalists at work in this country, who took pride in doing their jobs professionally.   Investigating, finding sources, verifying stories and quotes.   Now there’s just MSNBC, CNN, and Keith Olbermann.    And of course, Mr. Matthews.     Do I really need to explain further?

Paine’s most famous quote is:   “These are the times that try men’s souls….”

And they are.   Not as much as then, but getting there. 

But right behind those words, in the same publication, he added:

“ ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” 

This is perhaps the quintessential Obama, and the absolute anti-Obama, all in one sentence.   

One, we wish he actually had a conscience, and/or, a heart.   If he did, then there would be some of that “hope” he promised.    And unfortunately, we have seen the shrinkage.  

But if his conscience (or whatever’s inside there, making him tick) approves all that he’s done, or had done in his name, then we can be sure that he will indeed continue to pursue his misguided, wrongheaded principles (read:   socialist agenda) right up until either the death of his Presidency (at the appointed time, or perhaps earlier), or his legacy dies a slow and tortuous death by history.  

A man of BHO’s incalculable smugness and ego would rather be drawn and quartered, than to die a slow death from the pen.  

Which brings us nicely back to Mr. Paine.   And what he meant to our history, and to our present.   

All current day talking heads, purveyors of opinion, and wannabe “journalists”, should take a lesson.   

Their one truth, their sole guiding light, their “raison d’etre”, should be the last of Paine’s thoughts to be shared here, from among the dozens, if not hundreds of others that could still fit right into modern American politics and culture (even though written over 200 years ago):

“I offer nothing more than Simple Facts, Plain Arguments, and……Common Sense.”

Beautiful. 

This writer can add no more.  

Joe Facinoli

(Joe can be reached at:   joefacinoli@gmail.com )

Intelligent Response Encouraged !!

© Copyright 2013, Joe Facinoli