Yes it’s the political season and as much as so many seem to hate to keep talking about politics and some not at all I still persist. I can’t really explain why I like talking about it. Perhaps I enjoy a good controversy or perhaps I just want something better for future generations or perhaps it’s a little of each. I just know I need to at least get it out if for no one else but myself. (And that is likely a bigger reality than I realize)
I am talking about the Presidential race here and while I realize that really it’s the Congress and local politicians that get anything done the Presidential race is a kind of symbol of the direction we are headed and after all we have become a country of symbolism. If the symbol of nationally directed and mandated healthcare with the thought we are helping everyone have insurance than how can that be a bad thing? If the welfare program symbolizes that ever person in our country doesn’t go hungry how can that be a bad thing? If amnesty lets all of the “undocumented” population in our country live happy lives how can that be a bad thing? That is basically, in my mind, how Liberals portray their platform and emotionally it is hard to argue with that position; until you look at the numbers that is. The Liberals want to charge that we are a top heavy country and that the rich keep getting richer. I would submit that exactly the opposite is on the horizon. We will become a bottom heavy country with the entitlement class outnumbering the achievers. This will in turn cause a cascade of achievers to slide into the entitled masses. What is the incentive for someone to achieve and be successful if the failures in our country are the prime beneficiaries? That is how Socialism begins and it will fail as it always ultimately has.
The insurance issue which is a big one this year to me is another attempt at getting government involved in another part of our lives. It is about more government control and less private sector ability to allow competition and free markets to drive the cost of healthcare. Now I know, healthcare costs are out of control now so the question is how can we not do something. We can. Just not what is on the table. I believe the way forward is to deregulate insurance across state lines and allow all companies to compete for your business. If you believe in capitalism and I know some of you don’t, you put every one of the companies in the healthcare pool then prices come down or companies go out of business. That is called competition.
Let’s talk about the immigration issue a bit. This is another hot topic. I think every President, both Republican and Democrat has promised to do something. Well here we are now with little progress to show. This is a tough subject. I’ve heard the pros and the cons about why we should just allow all of the non-citizens to stay or we should deport them all. The emotions run high on both sides about this. I am a fundamental guy and look at things purely through the prism of law. The way our country has remained strong is because we have a system of laws that while not perfect has worked more times than it has not.
So the question is where does the law stand on immigration? It is actually quite clear and has never really changed. Each year we have in the neighborhood of a million people become citizens legally and that number continues to increase. That sounds like a lot and it is but look at how in 10 years there are a reported 98 million people that have entered this country through other than legal means. How does our country just allow these people to not only enter our country but make use of all of the entitlements that are maintained for citizens? I think it comes down to the same old reality and that is enforcement of laws on the books. If we can’t enforce the current laws then new laws will make no difference. What a slap in the face it must be to the millions of immigrants that earned citizenship legally to see what is going on now. Time to shore up the borders folks.
The welfare system is another issue that always surfaces. It is a self propagating system that was never intended to be income for so many but was in place as a hand up to ultimately return citizens to being a contributing member of society. It has failed miserably. It has become a way of life. There’s no shame in needing help. There is shame in taking advantage of that help with no intention of ever giving back to society. I don’t know how we ever reform welfare but it will bankrupt this country.
So those are some of the issues on my mind. You can chose the current President if you feel he has this country moving in a positive direction and is showing leadership with every move he makes or you can chose to change the direction of this country. Anyone who knows me at all knows where I stand. Is Romney perfect? Absolutely not. Is any candidate ever perfect? That said, however, I am looking to a President to uphold the constitution and respect it and not flaunt his own agenda regardless of whether that agenda is constitutional or not. I am looking for a President that has solutions and not just positions. I want a representative Republic not a Socialist state. I think government is too big and too intrusive and too powerful. Our liberties are slowly being taken away and it is because it is being done incrementally that many don’t even notice.
I realize many have made up their minds already. My hope is that when you pull that lever or punch away that hanging chad (God willing) you will be striking a vote that makes a statement about how you think this country should move forward.
