The Red Fox of Kinderhook
"No evil can result from its inhibition more pernicious than its toleration." -- Martin Van Buren
On this day in 1836, Martin Van Buren was elected President of the United States. He was the first President to be born a citizen of the United States of America.
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Martin Van Buren's comment, which serves as epigraph above, is certainly relevant to the website matter at hand -- Jihad, and allthose who promote, through whatever instruments, the goals of Jihad. And relevant to the same subject is another event of historical importance in American history that took place, like Van Buren's birth, on December 7, but far from drowsily Dutch Kinderhook, in sunny Hawaii.
Now what President grew up in Hawaii and therefore should be especially attentive, one would think, to that event, and have its larger significance -- attacks, even without dive bombers, but characterized by the same kind of stealth as was employed by the Japanese in their attack on Pearl Harbor, can wreak havoc and cause great destruction and death -- fixed firmly in mind?
Martin Van Buren also eradicated the national debt for the first and only time.
Van Buren actually is recognized as one of our finest presidents by Ivan Eland's excellent 'Recarving Rushmore'. But the real question is why.
Because he had a higher regard for constitutional fidelity and limited government. He had relatively strong economic policies. And he didn't go traversing the world in search of monsters to destroy, respecting the Founding Fathers precepts of non-interventionism.
One can be certain that Van Buren would not agree to have become a sugar daddy for Zionist Jewish supremacism.
So while the anti-jihad jihadis, the neo-cons, proto Zionists, and faux conservatives who are desperately trying to cover up their Trotyskite roots while never really ever shedding them crow on about the supposed greatness of the Trumans, Reagans, and Bushes of the world, those who stand for authentic constitutionalism and Christian values will pay the true authentic homage to the Van Burens of the world instead of the flimsy lip service that is belied by all too much other nonsensical drivel.
Van Buren had some good points, but his handling of the Amistad affair, by coddling slavery, was not good.
fairuzfan: The real supremacists are the proponents of islam. Your bringing-in of Zionism and Judaism into this thread is a clear example of a certain mental pathology, thankfully absent (except from dimwits who live under bridges) from Jihadwatch.
Eland is a fool. He faults Lincoln for waging a civil war, even for causing it. He considers that Jefferson acted unconstitutionally by purchasing all of the Louisiana Territory (as if not buying it for a mere 15 million dollars would have been the better course of action because the Constitution nowhere specifically authorized acquisition of new territory-----more important it didn't forbid it and not engaging in the purchase would have disallowed America spreading from the Mississippi to the Rockies which could only be considered a good thing by those who don't believe in American exceptionalism). He also faults Washington for putting down the Whiskey Rebellion, which was of paramount importance to do in order to demonstrate federal power for the first time, respect for the law and insure a binding union. His characterization of Lincoln is particularly small-minded, deeply ungrateful and even stupid. Lincoln saved his nation and is not only our greatest President but arguably the greatest American of all time.
But why am I not surprised you would find Eland sapient? Nope, not surprised at all. Not suprised either by your "Zionist Jewish supremacism" comment. Interesting to reflect upon how your brain works. It's starting to become a minor hobby of mine. As an educator I find it fascinating how certain people can come to such distorted views of the world.
Van Buren was also our only president who was not a native speaker of English. He spoke only Nederlands--or the Hudson Valley creolized form thereof--until he started school.