Posted on 10/20/2006 7:05:29 AM PDT by Interesting Times
Dispirited conservatives and Republicans rightfully appalled at the Cunningham, Abramoff, and Foley scandals should remember history as they contemplate not voting in the 2006 elections because of disillusionment.
In early 1973, the Dow approached new highs in a booming economy. In the 1972 election, the new left was rejected in almost every state. The Paris Peace Treaty was concluded with North Vietnam memorializing its pledge not to interfere militarily in the affairs of South Vietnam. The nation was prosperous and at peace.
Worst President
Within a short time, the mainstream media were able to dismember and destroy the Nixon Administration, using as their sword the Watergate affair. In the congressional elections of 1974, Republican candidates were pounded, losing 48 House seats and five Senate seats.
Until the 1990s, the so-called “Watergate Babies” (i.e. left-wing Democrats) ruled Congress. As its first act after the 1974 election, the new Congress cut off all aid to South Vietnam. Within a short period of time, this led to Communist conquest of all of Indochina, the massacre of at least 4 million of our friends in the killing fields of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, and the displacement of millions of “boat people.”
In 1976, the left wing captured the White House with the worst President of modern times—Jimmy Carter. By 1979, the U.S. economy was in shambles with 12% inflation, 11% unemployment, and vast deficits. Our military was reduced to a shadow. With even our embassy officials held hostage in Tehran, the United States became a powerless joke to the world. It may be fairly said that but for Ronald Reagan the days of our democracy might well have been numbered by the consequences of the 1974 election.
It is not clear why the voters of 1974 thought it wise or just to indirectly cause the destruction of millions of allies in Southeast Asia because of the cover-up of a minor burglary at the Watergate. They certainly did not know that by their votes they would punish themselves severely, leaving, by the end of the Carter years, a U.S. economy that was a burned-out hulk and a nation that was humiliated.
I wonder whether history will repeat itself this year. Despite mainstream media distortion, the economy is in its strongest condition since the Reagan years with low unemployment and inflation rates and diminishing fiscal deficits. We have recovered from the implosion of the Clinton Internet bubble and the shock of Sept. 11, 2001. We have crippled al Qaeda, assembled an international coalition to deal with North Korea and made reasonable progress in defeating at least the foreign insurgency in Iraq. We have seen no terrorist attack on our heartland in more than five years.
Despite the second-guessing by Democrats who have no military experience and by a few veterans who question the Iraq policy, an overwhelming majority of active-duty personnel support the Bush policies and the Republican administration. For example, in 2004, an Army Times poll of active-duty military personnel showed less than 15% voting for Kerry and more than 80% voting for Bush. Despite the token military veterans trotted out by the Democratic Party as Trojan horses in Republican areas, it is clear that a large majority of veterans and active-duty personnel reject the “cut-and-run” policies of the fringe element now in control of the Democratic Party.
In the spring of 1975, I watched in horror our refusal to aid our South Vietnamese friends and their collapse. I watched our friends die by the millions in the gulags of Cambodia and Laos and in frenzied attempts to escape on the high seas, and I remembered my friends, who died in Vietnam, and whose sacrifice was so casually discarded by the “Watergate Babies.” I lost faith in the United States for many years.
I wonder now if we are so blind and ignorant of history to actually allow a new crop of “Watergate Babies” to install clearly unfit leaders such as Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.), John Conyers (D.-Mich.), and impeached Alcee Hastings (D.-Fla.) as the guiding force in our nation. Considering that a Democratic win could mean the rise of John Murtha (D.-Pa.) from Abscam to majority leader, and Hastings from impeached federal judge to House Intelligence chairman, it is no exaggeration to say both parties have bad actors. The distinction is that the Democrats promote them and the Republicans fire them.
Finally, I wonder if voters (like those in 1974) are going to actually vote for the betrayal of our Iraqi and Afghan allies and the sacrifices of our troops. I wonder if our Iraq War veterans will watch the mass execution or flight of those who fought with them and believed in us. If so, history teaches us that in the end we will suffer terribly ourselves. This is particularly true here, where we face adversaries who have said they will not stop at the waters’ edge but have already reached across the ocean to destroy our nation’s largest buildings and thousands of our people.
Now the choice is between Corker and Ford, nobody else, no mater how much we might want it. That means, in comparison to Ford, Corker, warts and all, is the Second Coming.
"He is to hardcore conservatives but not to the people of Tennessee as a whole. "
Jeff, you have it backwards, Corker was the moderate in the GOP primary against 2 more conservative opponents.
A conservative would have made it an easier race anyway because the GOP based would be more solid,
but it still is an easy choice to pick Corker over Ford.
Latest poll had Corker UP against Ford by 7! This is a MUST-WIN seat so take nothing for granted.
"Until the 1990s, the so-called “Watergate Babies” (i.e. left-wing Democrats) ruled Congress. As its first act after the 1974 election, the new Congress cut off all aid to South Vietnam. Within a short period of time, this led to Communist conquest of all of Indochina, the massacre of at least 4 million of our friends in the killing fields of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, and the displacement of millions of “boat people.”
In 1976, the left wing captured the White House with the worst President of modern times—Jimmy Carter. By 1979, the U.S. economy was in shambles with 12% inflation, 11% unemployment, and vast deficits. Our military was reduced to a shadow. With even our embassy officials held hostage in Tehran, the United States became a powerless joke to the world. It may be fairly said that but for Ronald Reagan the days of our democracy might well have been numbered by the consequences of the 1974 election."
If anyone thinks Speaker Pelosi + President Hillary cant do great damage to the country, they must be born after 1980!
RE: "I wonder whether history will repeat itself this year. "
I suspect that it will. 80% of the US people are idiots.
By '74 the worst was over. '73 was rock bottom.
Thanks for the Friday chuckle!
I was in my 20's in 1974 and hadn't done much voting up until then. I may have voted for Richard Nixon both times, but honestly can't remember - it's been so long. I do remember thinking that Nixon was too busy to have done much two-bit robbery planning, and was going to win his second term anyway without having to cheat. It seemed that his only "crime" was in covering it up; unlike Clinton, whose crime was more along the lines of uncovering and then covering up - but I digress. I was, like most in my generation, tired of Vietnam but hadn't joined the hippie anti-war activities. I had a family to take care of and wasn't a hippie. . and then, uninformed, I fell for Carter's charming personality and voted for him . . once, and that was enough . . after that, Reagan, and never looked back . . . This bunch of Democrats will abandon Iraq, cut and run, negate our soldiers' sacrifices, watch Iraq and the Middle East turn into a killing field and terrorist training camp of epic proportions,blame the Republicans for it and then usher in another round of the Clintons in '08, about in time for another round of the pigeons coming home to roost by about 2010 with no Ronald Reagan on the horizon - unless we are very, very lucky or very blessed indeed.
Excellent! Thank you for the ping.
Those who are not TAUGHT history are doomed to repeat it, and that explains why leftist "educators" don't teach history and instead use disinformation to serve their own purpose.
Worth Remembering as we head towards Nov 7, 06 and the candidates position themselves for the 08 elections.
So are you going to let the Foley scandal keep you from voting?
There is a more recent time, in 1992, when the voters voted for Ross Perorat to punish President Bush and the Republicans. That selfish insanity gave us two terms of the Clintoons. Now many of those insane selfish SOB's want us to stay home and enable Pelosi and her thugs to weaken if not destroy our country to punish Republicans.
THE ABOVE MASS MURDER OF THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT AMERICANS WAS THE INHERITANCE OF 8 YEARS UNDER THE CLINTOONS.
fyi and ping lists.
You've got me in stitches!
and Hastings from impeached federal judge to House Intelligence chairman
Slick Willie wanted "A Legacy"
I'm just archiving it
Walt Disney and Charles Schultz style
That's true. But many of them were Dixiecrats who supported the war effort. '74 tipped the balance in favor of the pinko type Democrats, the very same folks in many cases who now rule the Democratic Party. Others were "Blue Collar" types who also supported the war effort. Sam Nunn would fall into the first category, while Henry "Scoop" Jackson would probably fall into the second category. In those days lots of Democrats were Conservative, most especially on foreign and military matters, maybe a little like a less Socialist Liberman.
Like radioactive ruins where several major cities once stood?
BTTT
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