Today will be a historic day as America has it's 1st African-American (or 'Black' if you prefer) President sworn in. As someone who admires the Abolitionists and the role they played in the Republican party, as someone who is the descendant of a Union soldier and who has a relative who was involved in the civil rights movement in the 1960's, I feel that today is a watermark in our nation's history. That said I have mixed feelings. As a Republican activist (I am the county chairman in my area) I supported John McCain and the GOP by working 30 to 40 hours a week in our headquarters and did much door-knocking and literature dropping for the party, spending time away from my family and my business to get John McCain and Republicans up and down the ticket elected. I was then and am now very suspicious of Barack Obama's associates. 1st Rev. Wright and Bill Ayers, now the 'politicos' Blagojevich & Burris.
As one could predict, Michelle Malkin is positively verklempt over Barack Obama becoming the 1st Black President. I offered her these words of comfort,
As one could predict, Michelle Malkin is positively verklempt over Barack Obama becoming the 1st Black President. I offered her these words of comfort,
"My President Is Black? Well, sort of. What we have here is a classic example of the "Free Rider" problem - the free rider problem exists when people enjoy the benefits of government provided goods independent of whether they pay for them. Barack Obama is neither a Republican (the party that freed African slaves and had the 1964 Civil Rights law built into it's platform since the 1860s) nor is he a descendant of African slaves. Thus he is not part of the political party which gave 'blacks' freedom & equality nor is he related to anyone who suffered under it. Barack Obama is a 'Free Rider' reaping all the benefits and having paid none of the cost."
An interesting irony indeed is it not? History is full of them.
For now, his supporters and others momentarily taken with our new President (including some conservatives with their brains caught in the headlights) will swoon and be charmed but it won't last forever. Right after the media elected Bill Clinton it tore him (and Hillary) down. Obama has some really big challenges like gracefully bringing our troops home from the Middle East without emboldening terrorists and doing as little harm as possible to the economy. Quite frankly, even a milquetoast Republican would have better solutions because he would have the correct ideology to fix our current problems and would tread very, very carefully. Barack Obama will have to completely chuck liberal ideology in order to fix our current problems and his voting record suggests otherwise.
What we need now is more Adam Smith and less John Maynard Keynes. We need to make deeper tax cuts, drill more here in the USA, maintain a muscular foreign policy, maintain and build a strong intelligence community, keep our military strong, and have social policies which favor the traditional family.
One idea whose time has most certainly arrived is the end of all race based preferencial policies. If Barack Obama can win in Iowa and across the nation (my home state of Wisconsin included) then it is time for the politics of race to be dismantled. My generation was raised to be tolerant and inclusive and my children even more so. The 1964 Civil Rights bill should stand but all preferential policies should be repealed. The Republican Party has always favored equality of opportunity, just not a forced equality of of outcome. For example:
14. That the Republican party is opposed to any change in our naturalization laws or any state legislation by which the rights of citizens hitherto accorded to immigrants from foreign lands shall be abridged or impaired; and in favor of giving a full and efficient protection to the rights of all classes of citizens, whether native or naturalized, both at home and abroad. - 1860 Republican Party Platform
It is noteworthy that a much more qualified candidate lost to one with far more charisma. In laymens terms, the majority of the country was far more comfotable having a beer with Obama than McCain. This means the old barrier of 'race' while no longer a barrier. There may be lingering sentiments of racism, but it is with a minority of Americans because many Americans (myself included) voted for McCain not because of race but because of political ideology and therefore the number of people in this country who voted against Obama due to race is now the minority - and that is how it should be because racists are brain dead and the idea of race-based inequality is both un-American and un-Christian.
My other misgivings about Barack Obama were aired following the election and so I won't repeat those here. But lastly I will say that we seem to be heading back to big government - i.e. - Socialism and that too is both un-American and un-Christian. Some will say those are loaded things to say but America is a capitalist country because capitalism is consistent with individual freedom and personal responsibility. When we give up those political virtues, we cease to be American. As for being un-Christian, socialism is premised on faith in the state rather than the providence of a caring God who created us and watches over us. To trust in the state is to trust in man and that is why you can never have 'socialism with a friendly face'. Socialism always will lead to totalitarianism.
So while Barack Obama may be a historic figure as our 1st President of African descent, he may be clinging to policies which are frankly, inimicable to Americanism and belong on the ash-heap of history.
TTFN,
Jim
An interesting irony indeed is it not? History is full of them.
For now, his supporters and others momentarily taken with our new President (including some conservatives with their brains caught in the headlights) will swoon and be charmed but it won't last forever. Right after the media elected Bill Clinton it tore him (and Hillary) down. Obama has some really big challenges like gracefully bringing our troops home from the Middle East without emboldening terrorists and doing as little harm as possible to the economy. Quite frankly, even a milquetoast Republican would have better solutions because he would have the correct ideology to fix our current problems and would tread very, very carefully. Barack Obama will have to completely chuck liberal ideology in order to fix our current problems and his voting record suggests otherwise.
What we need now is more Adam Smith and less John Maynard Keynes. We need to make deeper tax cuts, drill more here in the USA, maintain a muscular foreign policy, maintain and build a strong intelligence community, keep our military strong, and have social policies which favor the traditional family.
One idea whose time has most certainly arrived is the end of all race based preferencial policies. If Barack Obama can win in Iowa and across the nation (my home state of Wisconsin included) then it is time for the politics of race to be dismantled. My generation was raised to be tolerant and inclusive and my children even more so. The 1964 Civil Rights bill should stand but all preferential policies should be repealed. The Republican Party has always favored equality of opportunity, just not a forced equality of of outcome. For example:
14. That the Republican party is opposed to any change in our naturalization laws or any state legislation by which the rights of citizens hitherto accorded to immigrants from foreign lands shall be abridged or impaired; and in favor of giving a full and efficient protection to the rights of all classes of citizens, whether native or naturalized, both at home and abroad. - 1860 Republican Party Platform
7. Resolved, That the Government owes to all men employed in its armies, without regard to distinction of color, the full protection of the laws of war—and that any violation of these laws, or of the usages of civilized nations in time of war, by the Rebels now in arms, should be made the subject of prompt and full redress. - 1864 Republican Party Platform
Second—The guaranty by Congress of equal suffrage to all loyal men at the South was demanded by every consideration of public safety, of gratitude, and of justice, and must be maintained; while the question of suffrage in all the loyal States properly belongs to the people of those States. - 1868 Republican Party Platform
Third. Complete liberty and exact equality in the enjoyment of all civil, political, and public rights should be established and effectually maintained throughout the Union, by efficient and appropriate State and Federal legislation. Neither the law nor its administration should admit any discrimination in respect of citizens by reason of race, creed, color, or previous condition of servitude. - 1872 Republican Party Platform
Here you can see the Republican Party from it's inception has always favored the policies which eventually came to their natural culmination in the 1964 Civil Rights Act . . .but somehow the Democratic Party took the credit because Kennedy was assasinated and LBJ passed it as JFK's legacy even though he needed a substantial number of Republican votes to pass it because most southern democrats would not.It is noteworthy that a much more qualified candidate lost to one with far more charisma. In laymens terms, the majority of the country was far more comfotable having a beer with Obama than McCain. This means the old barrier of 'race' while no longer a barrier. There may be lingering sentiments of racism, but it is with a minority of Americans because many Americans (myself included) voted for McCain not because of race but because of political ideology and therefore the number of people in this country who voted against Obama due to race is now the minority - and that is how it should be because racists are brain dead and the idea of race-based inequality is both un-American and un-Christian.
My other misgivings about Barack Obama were aired following the election and so I won't repeat those here. But lastly I will say that we seem to be heading back to big government - i.e. - Socialism and that too is both un-American and un-Christian. Some will say those are loaded things to say but America is a capitalist country because capitalism is consistent with individual freedom and personal responsibility. When we give up those political virtues, we cease to be American. As for being un-Christian, socialism is premised on faith in the state rather than the providence of a caring God who created us and watches over us. To trust in the state is to trust in man and that is why you can never have 'socialism with a friendly face'. Socialism always will lead to totalitarianism.
So while Barack Obama may be a historic figure as our 1st President of African descent, he may be clinging to policies which are frankly, inimicable to Americanism and belong on the ash-heap of history.
TTFN,
Jim
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