Posted on 02/29/2016 9:18:43 PM PST by Kaslin
The "Super Tuesday" primaries may be a turning point for America -- and quite possibly a turn for the worse. After seven long years of domestic disasters and increasing international dangers, the next President of the United States will need extraordinary wisdom, maturity, depth of knowledge and personal character to rescue America.
Instead, if the polls are an indication, what we may get is someone with the opposite of all these things, a glib egomaniac with a checkered record in business and no track record at all in government -- Donald Trump.
If so, the downward trajectory of America over the past seven years may well continue on into the future, to the point of no return.
Democrat Susan Estrich says that it is "fun" watching Donald Trump. She may be able to enjoy the spectacle because Trump is Hillary Clinton's best chance of winning the general election in November. Even if the FBI's investigation leads them to recommend an indictment, the Obama administration is not likely to indict Hillary.
No doubt "The Donald" is entertaining, and he has ridden a wave of Republican voter anger against the Republican establishment, which has repeatedly betrayed them, especially on illegal immigration.
But these political problems are a sideshow, in a world where Iran is guaranteed to get nuclear weapons and North Korea, which already has them, is developing long-range missiles that can reach American cities. Iran is also developing long-range missiles.
Then there are the international terrorist organizations from the Middle East -- many sponsored by Iran -- whose agents have had easy access to the United States across our open border with Mexico.
We will need the cooperation of nations around the world to keep us informed of these terrorist organizations' activities, and to help disrupt the international money flows to terrorists.
Those nations know that helping the United States makes them targets of terrorism. So they have to weigh how much they can rely on America, before they risk their own national survival by cooperating with us against the terrorists.
Is Donald Trump someone who would inspire such confidence among leaders of other countries? Already Trump's irresponsible rhetoric has caused a backlash in Mexico and there has also been an attempt in Britain to ban him from setting foot on British soil.
We need all the allies we can get, from countries around the world, including Muslim allies in the Middle East. The last thing we can afford, at this crucial juncture in history is a president who alienates allies we have to have in a war against international terrorists.
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump's theatrical talents, including his bluster and bombast, may be enough to conceal his shallow understanding of very deep problems. But that will not cut it in the White House, where you cannot clown or con your way out of problems, and where the stakes are matters of life and death.
Trump's acting like a bull in a china shop may appeal to some voters but, in the world as it is, he may well cost us our last chance to recover from the great dangers into which the Obama administration has gotten this nation.
We already have an ego-driven, know-it-all president who will not listen to military or intelligence agency experts. Do we need to tempt fate by having two in a row?
Despite Donald Trump's string of primary vote victories, he has not yet gotten a majority of the Republican votes anywhere. But although most Republican votes are being cast against him, the scattering of that vote among so many other candidates leaves Trump with a good chance to get the nomination.
Everyone understands that the best chance for stopping Trump is for that fractured majority vote to consolidate behind one candidate opposed to him. But who will step aside for the good of the country?
When we think of American military heroes who have fallen on enemy hand grenades to save those around them, at the cost of their own lives, is it really too much to ask candidates -- especially those who present themselves as patriots -- to give up their one political chance in a zillion this year for the sake of the country?
Voters have a responsibility too. They might well ask themselves: Do I plan to use my vote to vent my emotions or to try to help save this country?
And Thomas Sowell and his ilk at the National Review want us to preserve it!!! They want us to to just do nothing; to go along to get along; to just hope that the Establishment will somehow reform itself from within; to trust us just one more time; to choose a reliable insider by electing either Hillary or her Republican equivalent.
Not this time.
The best thing that could happen to this country is for the DC Establishment (both parties) to be shaken to their core! They need to be politically obliterated. Nothing could be more important, or more beneficial for America and its People. Nothing.
These pundits and elitists are not the gatekeepers of the US Presidency. They are not the bosses of us. They are clueless. Their feelings are the timid sentiments of the Loyalists back in 1776. They are the modern-day American Tories.
Hey National Review: the Revolution is on! Didn't you get the memo?
They didn't get it, they don't get it, and they won't get in until President Donald Trump is inaugurated next January...
Good column, Dr. Sowell. God bless.
I wonder if Sowell’s gonna vote for Hillary if Trump gets the GOP nomination?
After all, she seems to meet Sowell’s meager requirements for President: anybody but Trump.
“And what is Donald Trump’s ideology?”
Stop illegal immigration.
End unfair trade practices by China and Mexico.
Support Vets, Fix the VA
The trend with office holders has been to convince voters they personally hold all the answers. They seem to have not delivered, whether they perhaps never intended to, or are simply incapable of follow through. The professional politicians have an atrocious track record.
The range of knowledge necessary for great governance exceeds any one man’s breadth. The requirements of governance is to collect people with specialized acumen as needed, to winnow a desirable path from diverse possibilities, to delegate detailed implementation into the hands of exceptional talent, and to nurture a grand vision forward toward worthy goals.
Why would you think to paint Trump as incompetent?
Hegelian dialectic in action. The R/D political divide has merged and the new antithesis is emerging. Right now it is a choice between Sander border line Marxist ideology and Trumps Nationalist ideology. I suspect both will be rejected before a new antithesis emerges too the Globalist thesis. Interesting times but I will not live to see the end. This will go on for decades. The old order may hang on for a few elections but it is on its death bed.
But take heart fearful ones. Trumps is not expansionist Nationalism as is normally thought of in the historical context, it is more along the Chinese model, a nationalism that that looks inward, not externally
I don't expect that everybody should agree with him always; I've disagreed with him on some things over the years myself. Disagree? Sure. But disavowing him seems not just over the top, but ridiculous.
Do we really want to reject rational analysis and throw in our lot with sound-bite emotional appeals? What could go wrong?
If/When trump wins the primary then our last chance is to defeat the Democratic party in the general election. Primary for president means nothing to me as that will be decided before my state votes.
‘..a glib egomaniac with a checkered record in business.’
Mr. Sowell, few people are as bright as you are. Your books are wonderful, your essays are clear and your economic advice is the best. I trust that Trump would welcome you to his crew which includes some other bright people: Roger Stone, Duncan Hunter and ICE officer Crane.
Heck, why not lobby to become the best Chairman of the Federal Reserve in history?
Great words of a great patriot.” What is it the gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?
Forbid it, Almighty God.
“We already have an ego-driven, know-it-all president who will not listen to military or intelligence agency experts. Do we need to tempt fate by having two in a row?”
The above is a better descriptor of Cruz and Rubio! TRUMP has the military vote and will certainly hound intelligence for the latest news!
When did you become a moron, Sowell? Perhaps the better question would be, “How much are they paying you.”
That is just a front as the uniparty steals us blind. It is all a big con job.
That is just a front as the uniparty steals us blind. It is all a big con job.
I’m afraid that train left the station a long time ago, Dr.
You are right. Love Sowell, always have. Brilliant man.
However, he has lost me at the moment with statements like this:
“Is Donald Trump someone who would inspire such confidence among leaders of other countries? Already Trump’s irresponsible rhetoric has caused a backlash in Mexico and there has also been an attempt in Britain to ban him from setting foot on British soil. “
That is a huge, huge reach. Mexico ? The UK which took an online poll to have about 57k people vote to take up banning Trump in the UK ? 57k people ? Really ?
“The best thing that could happen to this country is for the DC Establishment (both parties) to be shaken to their core! They need to be politically obliterated. Nothing could be more important, or more beneficial for America and its People. Nothing.”
“These pundits and elitists are not the gatekeepers of the US Presidency. They are not the bosses of us.
Hey National Review: the Revolution is on! Didn’t you get the memo?”
^THIS^
Good comment, sargon.
As for ideology, does he support limited Constitutional government? What is his view of Federalism and the 10th Amendment? Does he think the President should have to go to Congress for a declaration of war? What about executive orders, and other balance of power issues? He says now that he's for the 2nd Amendment, but why -- does he think it's just about hunting? What does he think is the government role in the economy; does he really believe in the free market, or does he believe in crony-capitalistic business-government shenanigans? Would he get rid of price supports and other ways in which government picks winners instead of letting the free market make the decisions?
This isn't exhaustive -- those are just a few things off the top of my head.
If Trump actually answered questions like these in a consistent manner, that would be a formulated ideology. My guess is that, even so, Trump's answers wouldn't be a conservative ideology.
Nope, just have defined the ideologies wrong.
Currently the real ideological battle is between Globalism vrs Nationalism.
“The range of knowledge necessary for great governance exceeds any one man’s breadth. The requirements of governance is to collect people with specialized acumen as needed, to winnow a desirable path from diverse possibilities, to delegate detailed implementation into the hands of exceptional talent, and to nurture a grand vision forward toward worthy goals.”
BRAVO!
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