Paul A. Ibbetson
Burning down the straw man
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By Paul A. Ibbetson
November 19, 2009

As has been the case for many years, and especially most recently, the charge is that conservatives are falsely railing against a straw man in their observations and accusations leveled against the activities of liberals, and the Obama administration. Before I address this situation directly, let's take a moment to look at what is meant by the term "straw man."

The concept of the "straw man" is the observation of the deceptive capability of humankind. When an individual wants to divert attention from a true issue, a false or irrelevant topic is created and attacked, and by doing so, advantage (if not victory) is achieved through such an argument. This is a mixture of misdirection and deception, and in layman's terms, a battle waged against things that just aren't there. Defending against the straw man charge is problematic. For conservatives that have the fortitude to stand up to the Obama administration's attacks on this country, it is not just the repercussions brought forth by angry liberals that are a problem. Going beyond those attacks is the challenge for conservatives to constantly disprove the straw man; that is, that the threats facing this nation being brought forth by the most aggressive socialistic pushers of modern day are more than the fictitious creations of a minority party wishing to grab back the reins of political power.

When it comes to battling the accusations from the left that conservatives are simply attacking a straw man, the strategy liberals have in play is for those who wish to stand up for this country to spend endless time trying to prove the obvious — that this administration is about to destroy the country. This is the epitome of hypocrisy, even from the left which has hit some really highs lately, hitting below the belt pertaining to the best interest of this country. This does not mean that illusionary constructions are not taking place to deceive the public. What it does mean is that the biggest scams on reality today are not coming from the demonized gun toting, Bible-clinging conservatives. Here are the real culprits and the straw man illusionary constructions they are spinning, and why they must be stopped sooner — not later.

The biggest false reality and misdirection that is being framed across the United States is that we, the American people, are living in a state of normalcy and the greatest nation on Earth is being guided by a President, with a supporting cast of politicians, who aspire to promote the continual prosperity of a capitalistic Christian nation. The most deadly of illusions being forwarded daily to the public, and with extreme efficiency, I believe, is the notion that this nation can survive any and all actions of abuse heaped upon it. It's time to remove the veil of deceit before the face of this country and let all the straw men burn until nothing but the truth stands before us. The truth, unfortunately, is that we are all in big trouble. As the nation goes, we go.

In a country where the waters of the "well of the benefit of the doubt" run deep, President Barack Obama has drawn every drop in his short tenure as commander and chief of the United States. From his lips alone, he has rejected America as a Christian nation and washed his hands of the Biblical (if not humanity's) responsibility for the unborn. This same president has indebted the nation to our economic opponents to amounts the human mind can no longer fathom, and the numbers keep increasing by the second. Through his minions found in the radical, left-leaning Democrat Party, this president is attempting to socialize the very existence of every man, woman, and child within our borders and bring them to their knees as modern-day slaves.

The question of the acceptance of a fabricated illusion of normality versus the cold reality of impending doom and chaos is nothing new as it has been the unfortunate choice for people throughout history, such as the Romans in the time of Caligula, the Soviets in the time Stalin, the Germans in the time of Hitler, the Iraqis in the time of Hussein, and now the Americans in the time of Obama. The tyrants, methods of destruction, and illusions spun to quell revolt may change but the inevitable outcomes remain the same. Slavery, pain, suffering, economic and physical death have consistently been the end product.

The American people stand in a historical place where others have been before. A place where once a myriad of choices stood, having been squandered, now only the most basic remain. As those before us have had to decide, we can choose to languish in an illusion that all is well, that all will be well, until the bloody end, or we can collectively take up the mantle of responsibility and meet the forces of destruction and unseat them from power and stop the deadly tide that will inevitably destroy us. Let all the straw men burn with their adjoining deceptions despite who may be their creators as this country can no longer afford illusionary constructions when our current situation is so near, real, and dangerous.

© Paul A. Ibbetson

 

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Paul A. Ibbetson

Dr. Paul A. Ibbetson is a former Chief of Police of Cherryvale, Kansas, and member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. Paul received his Bachelor's and Master's degree in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University, and his PhD. in sociology at Kansas State University. Paul is the author of several books and is also the radio host of the Kansas Broadcasting Association's 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 award winning, Conscience of Kansas airing across the state. Visit his website at www.ibbetsonusa.com. For interviews or questions, please contact ibbetson91.9@gmail.com

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