We will not find our way back by continuing to accept poor or no performance from our elected officials, nor should we continue to support candidates solely because they are the lesser of two evils. We will only get more by demanding more.
“You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline,” Phil Gramm told the Washington Times in an interview last week.”
Loss of competitiveness? America in decline? Those phrases sound pretty egg headed, and are not the phrases very many Americans would use to do their whining, if that is how one wants to term current complaining. But the remarks were ill advised because Americans have several very legitimate reasons to complain recently. Is it okay complain about $4.00+ gasoline? What about the mortgage loan scandal and enormous losses the tax payers will have to make good? Who’s responsible, the average citizen? What about more auto company closings?
Americans do whine at times, but this just wasn’t the time to say it because there are justifiable reasons to complain, and government screw ups are responsible for the energy crisis and the mortgage industry crisis.l
Bad timing by Gramm, and poor examples.
I thought the wisdom of Gene Autry in the Cowboy Code was appropriate here:
1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
3. He must always tell the truth.
4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
6. He must help people in distress.
7. He must be a good worker.
8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation’s laws.
10. The Cowboy is a patriot.
Interesting short essay; I have some briefer observations:
1. From the sentiments of the founders, I'm sure they were not interested in America once again succombing to the intersts of foreign traders as we are currently suffering. (And really suffering of.)
2. I don't think they had in mind becoming overwhelmingly indebted (and losing our control, i.e., "the power to change.") due to "medical industry" profiteers taking advantage of illness or accident to furnish their stockholders' exhorbitant lifestyles. Or, through insurance, so profiteering from even the threat of harm, effectively asking the typical racketeer's question, "Well, what is your life worth to you?"
3. We were not founded upon the philosophy of "rugged individualism," but upon a recognition that we each were ruggedly responsible to God and thereby to our neighbor. Lose track of that and "conservatives" lose much, much more than their elections. For just one example, individuals who contribute to the rugged deaths of 1,2000,000 other, innocent individuals per year are somewhat divergent from constituting a nation holding to America's Creator endowed rights.