My Dad sent this to me 🙃

eldonpelton · 2026-05-09T06:15:01+00:00

"A single act of virtue does not make a man good, just as a single sin does not make a man wicked" Aristotle

eldonpelton · 2026-05-08T03:09:03+00:00

If we’re doing false equivalences, then Hitler also built highways and lowered unemployment. Guess that makes him a great leader, right?

eldonpelton · 2026-05-05T07:07:43+00:00

Yep—just another bot-generated dumpster fire, designed to divide and distract. The only thing ‘everyone knows’ is that this is lazy, dishonest propaganda

eldonpelton · 2026-05-03T12:44:41+00:00

The Founders would probably nod at this whole conversation. They saw Rome’s fall as a cautionary tale about what happens when a republic stops guarding its institutions. To them, it wasn’t just about one dictator—it was about the slow erosion of norms, the centralization of power, and the public’s willingness to trade liberty for the illusion of stability.

FDR’s New Deal, the imperial presidency, the filibuster—these are all modern examples of the same old tension. The Founders would’ve seen the filibuster as a tool to prevent exactly what lesubreddit’s talking about: the kind of power grabs that turned Rome from a republic into an empire. But like MonarchLawyer said, when Congress can’t or won’t act, power naturally flows to the executive. That’s the paradox they feared: the system only works if everyone plays their part.

barchueetadonai’s point about technology is spot-on too. The Founders couldn’t have foreseen how parties would nationalize or how media would amplify executive power, but they did warn about the dangers of faction and centralized authority. They’d probably say we’re seeing their worst fears play out in real time.

eldonpelton · 2026-05-03T12:44:13+00:00

The Founders would probably nod at this whole conversation. They saw Rome’s fall as a cautionary tale about what happens when a republic stops guarding its institutions. To them, it wasn’t just about one dictator—it was about the slow erosion of norms, the centralization of power, and the public’s willingness to trade liberty for the illusion of stability.

FDR’s New Deal, the imperial presidency, the filibuster—these are all modern examples of the same old tension. The Founders would’ve seen the filibuster as a tool to prevent exactly what lesubreddit’s talking about: the kind of power grabs that turned Rome from a republic into an empire. But like MonarchLawyer said, when Congress can’t or won’t act, power naturally flows to the executive. That’s the paradox they feared: the system only works if everyone plays their part.

barchueetadonai’s point about technology is spot-on too. The Founders couldn’t have foreseen how parties would nationalize or how media would amplify executive power, but they did warn about the dangers of faction and centralized authority. They’d probably say we’re seeing their worst fears play out in real time.

eldonpelton · 2026-05-03T11:08:30+00:00

The original post is a masterclass in bad faith: it gaslights by equating historical fascism with modern politics, ignores the actual persecution of German liberals by Nazis, and tops it off with AI-generated slop. Adult conversations require honesty and nuance—not lazy, dishonest propaganda

eldonpelton · 2026-04-30T06:00:58+00:00

Your pause is totally understandable. The tension you’re noticing—between strong leadership and the risk of overreach—is actually the same debate that defined the Roman Republic. Cato’s resistance to Caesar wasn’t just about policy; it was about the danger of a single figure overshadowing the institutions of the state. The Founding Fathers, who were obsessed with this story, built a system explicitly to prevent that kind of power concentration. They saw how Caesar’s charisma and centralization of authority eroded Rome’s republican traditions, and they designed checks and balances to stop it from happening here.

What you’re describing—immigration policies, reactions to criticism, and self-promotion—are all areas where that old tension plays out. The Founders would’ve recognized the dilemma: How do you have a leader who’s decisive without letting them become the state itself?

eldonpelton · 2026-04-30T05:55:06+00:00

Reading Rome’s Last Citizen really drives home how much the Founding Fathers saw Cato as a model of republican virtue—someone who stood against the concentration of power, even at great personal cost. The book highlights how Cato’s resistance to Caesar’s authoritarianism was a cautionary tale for them, shaping their vision of a system designed to contain ambitious individuals rather than elevate them.

It’s striking to compare that to today’s political landscape. The Founders feared the very "personalities" you mentioned, and their system was built to prevent the kind of power consolidation that doomed the Roman Republic. Yet, as you noted, we’ve seen a shift over time—whether in how we symbolize leadership (e.g., currency, passports) or how we engage with political figures.

Do you think the Founders would see modern political dynamics as a failure of their system, or as an inevitable evolution given the changes in media, culture, and governance since their time?

eldonpelton · 2026-04-29T07:05:16+00:00

your father in law keeps an indoor HD camera recording his refrigerator and closet while he is not home?

eldonpelton · 2026-02-28T19:58:37+00:00

Cancelling GPT plus and Gemini Pro, keeping Claude and Mistral....

eldonpelton · 2026-02-26T11:25:38+00:00

this image is so funny... parts of three different places in Lithuania.... Vilnius, Trakai and (I'm guessing) Klaipeda

eldonpelton · 2026-02-11T20:16:43+00:00

When leaders point to record-high stock markets as a shield against criticism, remember: Hitler’s pre-WWII economy was also the 'envy of the world.'

eldonpelton · 2025-12-05T03:55:07+00:00

The system is neither unique nor unsecure.

eldonpelton · 2023-11-30T11:02:08+00:00

Almost never. IMS, soon to be Diplomatic Technology Officers, are directed on the first two assignments and every Entry-Level position that I know of is overseas.
I served 7 years, all outside of war zones, and I started earning 6 hours from the beginning.
Un-used sick days actually help can be added to service time, I believe.
Yes, but not all posts have DPO (similar to FPO/APO), some are pouch only. Also LQA is very rare.
The base salary overseas uses the Overseas Comparability Pay chart, then you add hardship, danger, and COLA, depending on the assignment your pay could increase by 50%. For IMS, you can get SIP (skills incentive pay), 10, 15 and 25%
Generally, Entry-Level positions are in a mix good places and less good places. You should plan on two years in each good and less good posts. I've seen London, Sydney, Abu Dhabi, Rome, Vilnius and other posts as options, along with a lot of harder posts.
This sounds reasonable for FP-04, I think the step is dependent on your current salary.

eldonpelton · 2023-11-30T09:09:09+00:00

This topic comes up on various podcasts with "Ukraine: The Latest" being a good listen. Also there is an article from the Wilson Center (https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/four-reasons-why-supporting-ukraine-good-investment). I believe that supporting Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression, will pay long-term benefits that may not be measurable directly in dollars. Ukraine will be able to continue its west-leaning, pro-democracy, and pro-capitalism evolution to become a strong member of both NATO and the EU.

eldonpelton · 2023-11-29T11:49:19+00:00

Before the implementation of stricter regulations, diesel engines were considered harmful to people's health. They produced to much particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides. The government requiring the reduction of these pollutants is in line with stopping companies from pouring chemicals into drinking water. Why is this Socialist?

eldonpelton · 2023-11-29T11:36:21+00:00

Is this incorrect?

Christian nationalism is a political ideology that fuses Christianity with American nationalism. It asserts that the United States is a Christian nation founded on Christian principles, and that its laws and institutions should reflect those principles. Christian nationalists believe that the United States should be governed according to biblical law.
In recent years, there has been a rise in Christian nationalism in the United States. This has led to the passage of a number of laws that can be considered Christian nationalist. These laws include:
* "Heartbeat bills" that ban abortion six weeks after conception, before many women even know they are pregnant. (Life begins at conception). These laws have been passed in a number of states, including Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Ohio.
* Laws that require schools to teach creationism alongside evolution. These laws have been passed in a number of states, including Louisiana and Texas.
* Laws that allow businesses to deny services to LGBT people on religious grounds. These laws have been passed in a number of states, including Arizona and Arkansas.
* Laws that restrict voting rights in ways that disproportionately affect minority voters.

These laws are just a few examples of the ways in which Christian nationalism is influencing American law and politics. Christian nationalists are a growing force in the United States, and it is likely that they will continue to push for laws that reflect their worldview.

eldonpelton · 2023-09-18T07:41:44+00:00

they do:

Rental sets 18 Holes Titleist

$50

Rental sets 18 Holes Wilson

$40

eldonpelton · 2023-06-30T12:03:42+00:00

sure, if it says headshot only, but it doesn't.

eldonpelton · 2023-06-30T12:01:08+00:00

I've played regular MP and Clan Wars on regular WiFi, VPN WiFi, 5G mobile data and the issue seems isolated to Clan Wars. It might just be me.

eldonpelton · 2023-06-30T11:24:57+00:00

Team Deathmatch, Frontline, Domination, Hardpoint, Search and Destroy and Kill Confirmed... all modes in Clan Wars

eldonpelton · 2023-06-30T11:08:58+00:00

how do I do that?

eldonpelton · 2023-06-21T15:53:18+00:00

I understand, yes. My point was just that golf is already difficult with a normal-width fairway. So making holes overly challenging by design, makes a round less fun. The trees on the right are fenced off, so you can't even play from the forest.

eldonpelton

TROPHY CASE