The United States of America
It has Become Apparent in recent years, given the current state of affairs, that the United States of America could be more accurately named the United Political Parties of America. It would seem that the focus which used to be centered on the states is now on the one part of our country that isn't a state; Washington D.C. This is not the direction we need to go. When I look at my paycheck and see how much of my money goes to the state I live in, compared to the amount that goes across the country (and even across the world), I'm worried.
Few have any substantial level of trust in the organization that makes out laws and presents us to the world, and many are apathetic to the subject.
Elections are no longer a matter of supporting one candidate, but rather making sure the other does not get put into office.
This blog will discuss some of my ideas for fixing such problems.
Let's begin...
3 comments:
Jared-
We both know that we are on different sides when it comes to politics, but I look forward to being able to read your thoughts on the matter.
You have a lot of platitudes in your blog here, but not a great deal of substance. The greatest chance we have today for helpful and meaningful change is through the Republican party. I know you're above the party fray, but if you stop and take some historical perspective, things are not really that bad today. It is not 1979 with Jimmy Carter as Pres., hostages in Iran, stagflation, 70% tax rate for the highest income bracket, SCOTUS out of control, gas rationing, etc. We have problems, yes, but it seems like our self-absorbed generation is on the lookout for anything and everything to complain about instead of accurately assessing the situation. Yes, I know John McCain is the candidate for Pres., warts and all, but we can do a lot worse (a la Obamamania).
1st and foremost, partisanship ain't going away any time soon. We've had it from day one in this country and the only thing that has changed is the names of the parties. You should read the Federalist Papers to understand the purpose for the 2-party system (spoiler: to avoid a factional government that lacks broad-based support).
2nd, in assessing the current state of elections, you should probably look back just a few years to the greatest president elected this century (Ronald Reagan, who's resume speaks for itself). Elections can be a matter of supporting a candidate if you get the right candidate in the primaries. The great thing about the Republican party right now is the caliber of young, conservative leadership ready for the next couple of elections (Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, etc.).
I am interested to see what new "ideas" you have to form your utopia, but if you start advocating to dump the electoral college after arguing state's rights, I'll know that your blog is useless and completely contradictory.
Finally, ideology matters (and independent is not spelled with an "a"). If you have no philosophical basis for policy positions, you're lukewarm and you need to be spit out. Thus, with my conservative/libertarian ideology, I propose the a few Federal government corrections. Notice that I did not say solutions because America's solutions lie beyond the powers of government.
1 - overturn Roe v. Wade
2 - phased introduction of Social Security/Medicare personal accounts
3 - Flat tax or Fair Tax (I like the fair tax...no IRS)
4 - Cancel membership at the U.N. and stop all funding (you want to talk about organizations with problems and corruption!!!)
5 - Scrap the Federal Department of Education (as Reagan wanted) and stop any funding of the NEA
6 - Keep winning in the middle east (notice no terrorist attacks in U.S. since 2001...coincidence?)
7 - Drill for oil in Alaska/Gulf coast, drill for shale oil in the midwest while we start building nuclear plants...man-made global warming is a farce (unless you believe, like Oprah, that Al Gore is the prophet Noah reincarnated)...solar energy today is a pipe dream overall
8 - Finish the job securing the border
That's enough to keep any pres. busy. I don't expect McCain to do much, but at least he'll have a more difficult time making things worse. Can you tell I can't sleep the night before on campus interviews at law school?
17 All obstructions to the execution of the Laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels, and modified by mutual interests.
18 However combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people, and to usurp for themselves the reins of government; destroying afterwards the very engines, which have lifted them to unjust dominion.
GEORGE WASHINGTON, Farewell Address, Sep. 17, 1796
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