Who Is Really Right (Correct)?
Commentary Written by Average American Bob
Who Is Really Right (Correct)?
It always happens… during a political debate one party or another will resort to something like… “Your truth is different than my truth.” Or “We’ll just have to agree to disagree.” Maybe there are subjects for which terms like these can apply… but I would suggest very few when it comes to political topics. There are topics and subjects for which there is a core source for what is right or wrong, good or bad or true or not true and in America… that source is the Constitution of the United States.
Maybe the best way to approach this subject is ask the question… What is truth? As a Christian I have been taught that stealing and lying are wrong and that’s a truth. It’s based in a core belief accepted by hundreds of millions of people. For us Christians those truths are chronicled in the Bible. The atheist will say: “I don’t believe in God/Jesus but I still know it’s wrong to steal or lie thus I don’t do those things.” It doesn’t matter. Honesty and truthfulness have a moral origin and whether you believe in the origin or not… you believe in the morality established by that origin. If someone chooses to lie or steal, they are saying I don’t care about the moral origin. But that doesn’t change the fact that they are very wrong if they chose to lie or steal, and they know it. It’s not a matter of coming to believe what they are doing is good or right… it’s a matter of ‘justifying’ the wrong they are doing. I firmly believe that slave owners knew very well that it was very wrong to ‘own’ people. The fact that within a large group of people it was ‘accepted,’ the practice didn’t make it right and eventually the truth of that action was very wrong… the truth of what is right/good resulted in change.
Let’s now talk political philosophy within the United States of America. The people who first migrated here to avoid religious persecution used religious values to guide their behavior. There was a clear distinction between what was right and wrong. Later both believers and non-believers drafted and embraced the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with its amendments. Those documents are not long, complicated or confusing. Along with so many writings from the founders involved with the creation of those documents, it was clear what their intent and objectives were when creating them. They looked at every other government in the free world of the time. They looked at the pit-falls of big government and the abuse of power by leaders who have too much control ‘over’ the people. So what they did was draft documents that made it clear that it was individual freedom and liberty that was at the core of a truly free nation.
But that required an understanding that the people needed to be self-sufficient, self-reliant and be personally responsible for providing for themselves and their families. The centralized federal government was to only provide for those things that the states could not do effectively themselves. It only makes sense that we have a federally run military. That we have federal buildings, parks and interstate highways.
Or, stated another way, “things” that are necessary or enjoyed by everyone in the nation. It’s understandable that the cost to provide and maintain those things be shared by all. For those things we absolutely need taxes to pay for them. The states were left to do the rest of the governing. What was best for the people of the state of Main could very well not be the best to serve the people of Virginia.
This was an experiment in a concept of “self-governing.” Maximum personal freedom, minimum intrusion of a federal, centralized government in our lives. That’s why the Constitution was written, to protect the individual citizens from a tyrannical centralized government. The federal government was to SERVE the people, not the other way around. George Washington didn’t even have a salary when he took office. It was only later that the congress took up discussion of compensation for the President or members of congress. John Adams and other presidents didn’t have life-long compensation… they returned to their homes and continued their personal lives after they served.
But knowing that there would always be those who would push for power and control and eventually abuse that power, they drafted these great documents as a list of things that the government couldn’t do to you! These documents limited what the government could do to you, and those were outlined specifically as limited numerated powers. They even thought to establish three bodies of government with EQUAL powers… and even broke the legislative branch into two bodies for further checks and balances.
Human Nature… the Urge to Have Power Over Others is Very Strong –
The battle started right from the beginning… there were those who simply felt they knew what was better for the citizens and set out to expand and claim power within the government. For over a hundred years the far left liberals who refer to themselves as “Progressives” have been pushing for more and more centralized power. It’s a simple concept… they know better than you what is best for you and the rest of our people. They use words like “fairness”, “compassion”, and “equality” to push their agenda of Socialistic/Marxist policies that give the federal government control over most of your decisions and choices. In short, taking away your individual freedom to make your own choices. There core attitude is that you and I do not know what’s best for us and that we are too stupid to figure it out.
The underlying motivation is power. To gain and keep power you must convince people that you know what’s better for them they do and count on their lack of ambition, laziness and yes… greed, that they will accept a level of existence where they don’t have to work or, if they do work, they don’t have to strive to better themselves to have a higher standard of living. Let’s be clear here: I’m not talking about helping the “truly needy,” i.e., those who are not physically or mentally capable to care for themselves. No, I’m talking about able-bodied Americans who simply want something for little or nothing. I’m talking about the lower paid people who expect that the government owes them a higher standard of living just because it’s “fair.”
For Progressives, it’s called the building of a “dependent class” who will vote for the politicians who provide the free stuff. But where do you get the money to give extra money or free things to these people? You tax those who do have ambition, who are not lazy and developed their talent to succeed. These slick politicians understand that you can’t just take money from someone and give it to another without rebellion… so they use propaganda, lies, deception and manipulation to advance their agenda. You explain that it’s the right thing to do… we must be compassionate and fair. But there is a truth here…
Nowhere in the Constitution does it allow for the federal government to take from you and give to another for the sole reason the government has determined the recipient is more deserving of your money.
It would be no different than if I came to your home and took some of your money and things and gave them to someone else for the only reason I thought they deserve it more than you. If I did that… would you say:
“Oh, it’s okay. He gave it to someone who was poorer than me”
Or would you have me arrested for theft?
In a true fee society, shouldn’t you have the right to chose who YOU give your charity money to? Shouldn’t you have the freedom to help who YOU think is deserving of help? Shouldn’t YOU have the right to make your own decision as to the morality of whether you chose to give anyone anything? When the government takes your money for social programs, it means THEIR choice. YOUR freedoms have been taken from you. You can spin this any way you want with those words that are meant to tug at your heartstrings, but it doesn’t alter the fact, i.e., it is very wrong! And that’s the TRUTH! And that statement has a solid, core basis of origin… The United States Constitution!
But for so long we, who believe in the Constitution and the personal freedoms it offers, were oblivious to the gradual, incremental changes the Liberals/Progressives have been using to infringe on the Constitution. They usually move when things are bad economically using fear and intimidation to move their agenda forward passing laws that force us to comply with their agenda of fundamentally transforming the United States into a European Socialistic/Marxist country. (just a note of why this blog is entitled Incrementalism.com)
They say these things are good… but why then must they be mandatory… forced upon the American people? They say it’s fair, but only to the recipient, not the one who is losing their hard-earned money through more and higher taxes. They say it’s better because it’s run by the government, yet with that power they can change, add, delete or take away altogether anything they want. Look a how Social Security (SS) has changed raising the tax again and again until today it’s a total of over 13% of what you make up to $109,000 a year. They have raided the fund many times hurting the program stability having to push the full retirement age further and further out… they are now talking about age 70. Are you kidding me? But do you notice that the Federal government doesn’t participate.
Those in congress can retire with full pensions after only 8 years… any age. Federal workers can retire after only 25 years of service and with only an annual contribution of 7% can retire with full pensions in their 50s and early 60s at 30% to 40% more than those who work 10 to 17 years longer in the private sector and earned and contributed much more. And today if you work and make over $36,000 a year… you get to pay income tax up to 85% of your SS income. Federal workers can earn as much as they want and are not penalized by paying a tax on their collected pension amounts. Like Obama Care, to pass SS they had to call it a tax… so today, earn too much and you get to pay a tax on a tax dollar income. Talk about what is fair? Where’s the fairness here? SS is almost broke with over 22 Trillion in unfunded liabilities. (source www.usdebtclock.org)
Same with Medicare… forced upon you. Pay your entire working life…45 years for most without collecting a single dollar in befits and guess what… you still pay the premium at age 65 when you can finally start collecting benefits. And don’t forget we still have to pay deductibles and co-pays. Medicare has over 90 Trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities and those funds have been raided by the government many times the most recent was Obama who took over 800 billion to pay for the ACA. Causing seniors to have to pay more for their Medicare. Government run doesn’t mean efficient or economical. The drug plan introduced by Bush has more unfunded liability than SS and has racked up that debt in ten years. Look at the post office… it’s broke. Government simply isn’t very efficient when it comes to running large programs. That’s not a just a criticism, it’s a fact!
What you have seen starting in 2006, when the Progressives got control of both houses of congress and then in 2008 got the most radical, far-left Progressive person in congress elected president, is a huge push to greatly expand the federal government and the dependent class in order to secure power for many years to come. The over-reaches of power and the Constitution have been widely reported but that doesn’t matter because to the Progressives… “THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS”. In other words… say and do whatever you have to do to advance the agenda… get enough in place and it can never be undone because there will be more recipients than providers.
What you are witnessing right before your eyes is a non-violent attempt, the next increment, in fundamentally transforming the Untied States from a Capitalistic, free society to a European type Socialistic/Marxist state where the government controls both business and individuals in what they want them to do and how to do it. You will be called upon, no, dictated to comply for the greater good. Dictate to companies the minimum of how much they can pay… control how much CEOs make.
They have already demonstrated they feel they have the power to take over a private company… GM and fire their CEO. Tell companies what types of products they will make through regulations or eliminate an entire industry such as coal with the same regulations. They have already shown that they can force you to buy the type of cars they want… just cause the price of gas at the pump to soar. Control the sale of new guns by forcing ineffective, so-called ‘safety’ technology that will cause gun prices to double, triple or more.
It’s all wrong because it violates the Constitution. But who’s going to stop them? Just overwhelm the system. Do it all very fast and there is no one or congress itself who can bring charges fast enough on all the violations to stop them. There may not be “no one” but there is something that can stop this insanity… WE THE PEOPLE!
We can stop… or at least slow this tragedy by looking ahead to November and researching your candidates. Make sure they have a track record for being fiscal conservatives and embrace conservative social principles… the notion that conservatives want dirty air, dirty water, have no concern for kids or that we hate women and that we have waged war against them is all absurd and ludicrous. These Progressives think they are being ‘slick’ using advanced propaganda techniques, lies and deception but look at the polls and we can see ‘silent majority’ waking up again as they have many other times. But this time is different. The Progressives see this as the tipping point. They know the next two election cycles will be the deciding points of which way we go. Don’t be fooled, snookered or taken in by these people. All you have to do to know they are wrong as are their supporters is to go to the origin of right and wrong in American politics… the Constitution of the United States. If it’s not there… it’s bad, wrong, negative and must be stopped!
Liberals will tout over and over again that their position on many of their issues are right, good or truthful. But to what core origin are they measuring against? If a person lies… it’s wrong and bad. If they deceive you… it’s wrong and bad. If they try to manipulate you with distractions and misdirection…It’s wrong and bad. If a politician pushes for legislation, directly or indirectly to limit your access to firearms violating the Second Amendment… it’s wrong and bad. If they try to silence you through ‘political correctness’ violating the First Amendment… it’s wrong and bad. If your representatives push legislation to take more from hard-working Americans for the purpose to give that money to another group of Americans just because they have less… It’s a violation of your personal freedom and is very wrong and an absolutely bad.
We have come to a point in America where the Progressives are attempting to take control of politics in this country by securing votes by expanding the recipient class to a greater number of the provider class and once that happens… they are counting on the recipients who will outnumber the providers, will never vote themselves less.
Our government has become very corrupt. I and many others are not saying to hate the government, but we absolutely are accurate in saying that we can’t trust them as a general statement. If our president and anyone in his administration can’t govern with truth and transparency… they must, as our founders said, be thrown out and replaced. If you love freedom, liberty and the Free Enterprise, Capitalistic System then YOU… yes everyone you must make sure you are heard. I give you an easy way to do that. It takes less than thirty minutes a week. Every week do one of these three things. To your Representative and both of your Senators… send a short, two or three paragraph letter… snail mail. The next week send a one page e-mail. The next week make three calls, one to each of those elected officials. Leave a short message if you don’t get a live person.
And finally… start now… look at candidates and research their voting record. It’s easier today than ever. Just Bing or Google (Candidates name) voting record. It will come up.
I consider myself a Constitutional Conservative before I’m an Independent voter. Although that usually means I’ll end up voting for the Independent, Libertarian or GOP candidate, it’s not an absolute for me. I’ll vote for anyone who demonstrates that they are first a Fiscal Conservative, truthful and trustworthy. For me nothing is more important at this point in time. If we don’t get our financial house in order… we could see our entire financial system collapse… and that would move us to a place I don’t think any of us want to experience. Next I want to see if their voting record says they don’t vote for legislation that is in conflict with the Constitution. And then finally, I’ll look at social values, those things that I agree with such as the rights of unborn human beings.
We are RIGHT – CORRECT and we have the Constitution to support our stand.
I know this article was a little longer but I felt very strongly that it all had to be said at this time. I welcome your response.
Average American Bob
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