A MAGIC FORMULA
Some years ago I figured out an easy way to resolve burning political questions and issues.
I decided that a simple determining factor regarding politics, politicians and political parties, is the concept that if you penalize production or reward non-production, you get a worsened economic situation, not a bettered one. It’s a natural law.
And if an economic situation gets bad enough, all the other issues and principles you care about will collapse under the weight of it. So we’ve got to get this one right.
If you had an NFL franchise and you wanted to win games, you would not fine your star running back every time he made a touchdown. Neither would you increase a player’s salary on the basis of most fumbles, dropped passes or missed field goals.
It’s just inherent common sense that good works and success be rewarded… if you want to improve things.
When a candidate or party promotes activities that run counter to this principle regarding rewards and penalties, I know they are either ignorant of this natural law and its importance or they don’t care what turmoil they create in pursuit of their own political aims and power. Either way, it’s extremely dangerous to society’s success and good health.
THE WORKER’S PARADISE
In general terms, the political philosophy most closely associated with violating this principle is socialism or, at its extreme, Marxist communism.
A well known Marxist principle is “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”
Here you have an attempt to create a society where everyone is “equal”—no winners or losers—as in the old Soviet Union. There is also no individual freedom… and the leadership class is a bit more equal than others.
To ensure that no one has an unfair advantage—to housing, to jobs, to health care, education, travel, food—the government owns and controls it all, and bureaucrats decide who gets what and from whom.
If we have a lot of ability and work hard, we give. If we have a lot of need, we get… and large walls and fences are built to keep us from leaving the “worker’s paradise.”
BY THEIR WORKS SHALL YE KNOW THEM
Politicians in favor of this socialist system see themselves as a special breed of individual, ideally suited to the task of deciding things for the rest of us. They know what’s best.
I guess you could say that anyone who aspires to public office has this attitude to some degree—a sense of specialness—but that doesn’t make them all the same.
You can look at a person’s past record and see what was done. And you can look and listen to the candidate in present time and determine what he or she has in mind for us.
This can be tricky because the politician is trained to tell us, in a charming and convincing manner, what the polls have suggested we want to hear. So you can’t necessarily go by what is said.
But, if he says he will “help” the American people by expanding government programs—health care, housing, education—and the way we will pay for it is to raise taxes on “wealthy” people, this is a Marxist approach and a clear indicator of someone who will worsen conditions. It runs counter to the natural law. It is penalizing production and success, and rewarding mediocrity and failure.
Its purpose is to weaken the successful and the strong so they may be replaced, via an all-powerful government, with the politicians and their shadowy overseers, the ones who are behind this socialist movement.
WHAT TO DO?
There are lots of issues in an election—the environment, the economy, the war, abortion rights, gay rights, rights to life.
And there is a lot to like or dislike about the candidates, be they eloquent, friendly, handsome—old, nasty, slick.
And there can be emotional issues—party loyalties and animosities, such as loving or hating Bush or Clinton.
It’s not easy to make an objective, sensible choice in the whirl of such issues, opinions and emotions, but it can be done by applying this simple test of logic.
Ask yourself the question: will he or she reward success or reward failure? This effectively bypasses most of the other issues and takes the emotion and bias out of it. It is a completely objective test along the lines of: when dropped, do heavy objects fall down or up?
THE PERFECT CANDIDATE
None are closer to perfection than you or I. In other words, the perfect candidate doesn’t exist. No matter the party or the candidate we vote for and support, we all must hold our noses to some extent.
Just recognize that the most socialist-inclined, high-taxing, big-government candidates and parties need to be defeated or we will be a giant step closer to a socialist super state.
I’m sorry if the correct choice, by this standard, might not be the cutest or most charming or clever. And it may seem that you are sacrificing some issues that are close to your heart.
CHOOSING SIDES
If I lean toward Republicans and shy away from Democrats, it’s not because I was born a warmonger or was indoctrinated at an early age to favor the rich. I have made the choice based on what I have observed.
What I noticed, over the years, is that Democrat politicians, to an increasing degree, like to reward victims and punish success. As in the NFL example, this doesn’t make sense to me and nowhere in life have I found this approach to work.
Does the Republican Party need work? Absolutely. They drive me nuts some times, most recently in regards to the financial bailout, which is a socialist program in itself.
But at least, in terms of basic principles, they espouse the right idea—less government, more individual responsibility. They just need to have their feet held to the fire and be made to walk the walk that they like to talk.
Then there is the alternative party option.
Unfortunately, though there is much to like about certain alternative party candidates, a vote for them, right now, or a non-vote, is a missed opportunity to vote against the socialist candidate.
And as the left consolidates its power, it will eventually squeeze out all dissent.
WHAT? ME WORRY?
This is what happens when a militant socialist party comes to power—as in the National Socialists of Germany (NAZI) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
And then, more recently, there is Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, as he nationalizes industries and the press, while snuggling up to Castro and Putin. Do you think the voters in Venezuela really knew what they were getting when they elected this charming, blustering, U.S hating Marxist? I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time.
From the World Book Dictionary
“Communism and socialism are systems of social organization under which the means of production and distribution of goods are transferred from private hands to the government.
The classic difference between the two systems lies in the different means they take to establish themselves: communism emphasizes the impracticality of replacing the social order by any means other than force or outside intervention; the advocates of socialism seek to establish it by peaceful means, through legislation rather than force.”
Thanks for small favors.
NAMING NAMES
Barack Obama is a nice looking, smooth talking community organizer, schooled and drilled in the classic methods of “peaceful” social-political takeover. He has been groomed and moved up the political ladder by radical socialist operatives, at home and abroad.
This is with the willing or unwitting help of the Democrat Party and their backers in the news media. The target is the Presidency of the United States, arguably the most powerful position in the world.
From such a position of power, and with socialist Democrats also controlling the House and Senate, every aspect of government can be peopled with like-thinking operatives and the U.S. will, effectively, have been overthrown from within, just as the socialist agenda predicts.
As well, the socialist candidate and party will be least likely to support Supreme Court nominees who are strong constitutionalists. In other words, they will be able to alter the country’s bedrock policy to suit their social engineering and political ends.
And it is a fact that Barack Obama is an outspoken proponent of widespread “mental health” screening. That is a nightmare scenario, in terms of loss of individual liberty and sanity. It is right out of “Brave New World” and “1984.”
It’s looking like a duck, walking like a duck and quacking like a duck. Do you suppose it might be a duck?
YOUR MISSION, IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT…
Like them or not, we can at least slow this process down by voting for the Republicans. You don’t have to tell anybody. Though flawed, they are more apt to resist this headlong dash towards socialism, with its loss of our culture and our liberties.
Thus, buying a bit more time, we can continue to use all means possible to educate the populace to life’s laws and truths, so they will be more prone to nominate and elect sane leaders to replace the seriously tainted ones we are currently having to deal with.
EPILOG
I know there is a lot more to all of this than can be covered in one posting. I’m just trying to provide a shortcut answer, based on this one principle that I know to be true, in order to get us through this election, upon which so much is riding.
Reward success and you will get more of it. Reward mediocrity and failure and you will get more of that!
Vote sensibly!
October 11, 2008 at 12:28 am |
Thank you, Tom, for putting this up.
October 14, 2008 at 5:48 am |
Absolutely correct in this asessment. I am amazed at your ability to restrain yourself from just blasting away with all barrels to bear.
I’b be in jail for inciting a rock fight, calling all patriots to rise and fight and declaring open season on anyone even marginally socialist.
Yet I do see it coming to that. There are those in this country that will not let it fall into the hands of socialists and what is really tragic is the socialists are too damn stupid to realize that they are in harms way if they keep pushing for it.
This is a fantastic piece of writing and I do hope people heed the words of wisdom herein and if not circumvent a national disaster, at least buy some time.
October 14, 2008 at 11:28 am |
So simply stated and funny, brilliant really!
Thanks, Tom.
October 14, 2008 at 2:32 pm |
Much truth in what you say. You’ve been a voice of reason.
October 14, 2008 at 5:37 pm |
Hi, Tom -
Awesomely clear thinking expressed very well.
October 14, 2008 at 7:08 pm |
Dear friends,
Thank you for all the responses. I read them all and really appreciate them, whether or not you agree.
Because it is not my intent to run a forum on this blog, I won’t be posting further comments but I will read them and answer them.
Thanks again.
Tom
October 16, 2008 at 3:58 pm |
Tom,
Awesome article!
I, for one, do not like the rate at which we are moving towards socialism and the New World Order. We definitely need to try to get a Republican Congress elected to stop this train wreck that is about to happen if Obama wins.
Thanks for posting this!
Sandra
October 16, 2008 at 5:48 pm |
Tom,
Thank you for articulating my sentiments exactly. I have a democrat friend open to discussion. Thanks for some ammo!
Nancy
October 19, 2008 at 10:04 pm |
Tom, Very clearly and well stated. Thank you. I have been especially trying to communicate the point of a “wasted vote”, with a write in of Ron Paul as an example, which “let’s Obama in”. That is my greatest worry – a vote from the heart is not a valid vote “against”. Your Post is very well received.
October 20, 2008 at 1:47 pm |
Tom, I am an Obama supporter; let’s get that out of the way. The Republicans do not want government interference…until it comes to a woman’s right to choose, same sex marriage, toting guns down Main Street, and teaching creationism in school; little things like that. The “trickle down” theory of the economy hasn’t worked very well for middle class WORKING Americans. Please don’t lump all of the liberals into a group of folks with a hand out. It’s a stretch to say that if a Democrat is in office the US will turn into a Socialist country. Compare Bill Clinton’s record in office to George Bush’s fiasco and to me, the choice is clear.
October 29, 2008 at 5:29 am |
Tom,
So simple and clear. Thank you, I will forward.