Sunday, July 19, 2009

Public Good or Private Gain

At the risk of being accused of overly pounding the same topic over and over again, I have just one more thing to say concerning the "Political Aristocracy" that I wrote about in my last post. Why? Because I came across a statement that confirms my thoughts.

John Tanner, the academic vice president at Brigham Young University, recently wrote about the "founding generation" and offered George Washington as a supreme example of ideal "citizen leadership" (see "More Than Self," BYU Magazine, Summer 2009, 3). He indicated that General Washington "won the war by the art of strategic retreats" and "secured lasting liberty by the art of strategic resignations."

Washington was a public servant, not a public snob. He carefully showed "how citizen leaders should wield power and yield power." He also pursued "the public good rather than private gain."

Now, how many of today's politicians could be so characterized? By my count... just... none. I'm thinking of Arlen Specter. So, why did he jump from the Republican to the Democratic Party? I think it had something to do with realizing he would have lost the republican nomination (most likely because of his vote on the stimulus package). Does that sound like he's pursuing the public good? Or is it private gain? I have my suspicions.

So, are there any public servants left in America? If so, who are they? I certainly hope some can be found... because if not, there's little hope for a free America.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Political Aristocracy

Well, it seems like it's been forever since I last blogged...I guess that's because it has been forever. However, since it's the 4th, I just couldn't keep from saying something, considering what usually gets said on this most illustrious day. I fear we get so caught up in things that lead us to "forget" why we celebrate this day as opposed to those things that cause us to "remember" why we celebrate it.

As I watch the unfolding events and follow the trends going on in America, I see cause for serious concern. I'm amazed at the audacity of some politicians (way too many) who vote for bills that their constituency oppose or at least plead for more discussion. The Democratic majority ram bills through congress, often without having read the details. Exhaustive bills of a thousand pages or more are introduced and the party leadership forces early votes.

Where is the debate? Why are we not doing the research and considering what is best for the American people? Why are bills introduced by the opposing party buried in committees and never allowed to be heard on the floor? You know, there is a reason why the Founding Father's built in a system of checks and balances. That same wise idea should be employed in congress. We need healthy debate so the best possible options can be vetted for the people of this great land.

I've thought about this for some time now. I've wondered why Democratic leadership is taking such a risk. Are they not worried about backlash from their constituency? Do they think they'll safely ride on Obama's coattails? Do they feel like America gave them some mandate to press forward every liberal thought that ever crossed a liberal mind? The answer is probably yes to all of these questions. However, I think there might be one more... and it is very disconcerting to me.

One of the reasons our Founders issued the Declaration of Independence 233 years ago was their objection to British prideful aristocracy. British royalty felt like they were God's gift to mankind and owned the colonies. Colonist needed the intelligence and wealth of the royals to survive. Colonist also existed for the realm, not the realm for the colonist. No wonder early American colonist rallied around this revolutionary thought:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."


It appears to me that a new aristocracy is developing in America... a Political Aristocracy. Many of our politicians seem to believe that they are God's gift to mankind. They pass laws like they "own" the American people. They vote as if only they have the necessary intelligence to take care of the less intelligently endowed normal folk who possess the land. Only the wealth of this new aristocratic government can provide what is necessary for their needs. Finally, these political aristocrats act like lowly Americans exist for them, not them for the American people. This thought is confirmed every time I hear names like Pelosi, Reid, and Obama.

You know, I feel pretty certain that this is not the kind of change that most Americans were hoping for. I hope that Americans will soon wake up to this growing threat to peace and prosperity. Maybe we need to resolve, as the Founders did, "that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it."

Maybe it's time to throw out those who believe they are the political elite... a new aristocracy that is as dangerous as any that once wielded power in Britain. We need to either vote them out of office or reduce their salaries... take away their special retirement plan that will bankrupt this country as quickly as the unions imposed retirements destroyed GM. If nothing else, we all need to pay better attention to what the "royals" are doing in Washington and let them know of our growing concerns.

I have little respect for royalty... especially political royalty. There is only one royal that gets my vote... and that is the King of kings... all else are simply men and women given the privilege to serve the greatest nation on earth... even the United States of America.