This prophetic piece is not going to be appealing to staunch Republicans or Democrats. This is an outreach to Americans who still have enough brain activity to make up their own minds about right and wrong. In previous articles I have made the case that there is nothing to be proud of in politics, and that is truer now than ever before. The premise that I am going to present to you is that you need to abandon party affiliations for they have forsaken the majority of us, and embrace the idea of electing a much stronger percentage of Independents to both State Legislative and Federal Congressional bodies.
The reason is BALANCE. That’s the change most of us were looking for and didn’t get in the last election. We are swinging between ideological extremes when the majority of us reside in the middle. This is exactly why we need a tie buster. A group of representatives that are not beholding to either party and will vote accordingly.
Let’s take an honest look at the last Republican administration. While the Republican Congress abandoned its sense of fiscal responsibility, the President went off on a wartime spending spree, and for what? To protect us, or bring liberty and justice to the poor oppressed masses in Iraq? After all, isn’t it our responsibility to expel our financial resources protecting the dignity of man all over the world or was that the job of the United Nations? So, let me get this straight, it’s our duty to weaken our economy in order to introduce democracy to a tribal culture that has been warring amongst itself for over 4,000 years. In other words, after we’re gone Iraq will remain stable and democratic, a social example of truth, justice, and the American way. A guiding light for the rest of the region. You think?
The worst part of this is it appears that President Bush was a one trick pony, capable of only spending on terrorism and war, while the American economy escaped him completely. Of course you won’t hear any complaints from Halliburton or General Dynamics. I don’t care what you think, I’m just going to stick to my convictions, no matter how misguided, is not what I want to hear from a president. Remember, the intelligence community failed Bush completely. That should have been his signal to pack it in.
In fact, if you want to look at it honestly, the complete Bush cabinet was an abject failure. Condi Rice is no Hilary Clinton. For all her falsehoods, at least Hilary is not afraid to get into your face. What about the Treasury Secretary? Where was the leadership from the Securities and Exchange Commission? It’s no wonder we wanted change, but at what expense?
Now, let’s look honestly at the Democrat’s contributions to our political and economic woes. Carter was and is a major embarrassment to the Democrats. He instituted the socialist agenda of the Community Redevelopment Act. This was supposed to encourage lenders to make risky loans in order to help the depressed neighborhoods, but with interest rates at 21% and a Nation in the throes of Stagflation, this idea didn’t get much traction. Then Bill Clinton, that “I did not have sex with that woman” guy, decided that he would give the Community Redevelopment Act some teeth, by adding the Anti-Discrimination Act to the menu, thereby cohering the finance community to make loans it would otherwise not make. When I was in Mortgage Banking, you needed at least 10% down payment, 2 years tax returns, full credit documentation, and a note from your mother to get a real estate loan. Not any more. By the time Bill’s influence had played itself out you could actually be a 1st time buyer and get a NINJA loan. That means no income and no justifiable assets for 120% of value with cash back. Then, with the help of Fannie Mae, who backed these loans, they got bundled up and sold as Mortgage backed securities with A quality assurance, when in reality they were D minus at best.
Now, when the Republican Congress wished to launch over site on Fannie Mae, Chris Dodd (D) filibuster the process, while Barney Franks (D) stood before the American people and assured them that Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae looked good into the future. This was just before they collapsed. Nothing like great leadership for one and all.
I repeat my premise; there is nothing to be proud of in politics. Both sides have failed you completely. They both play serious games of social manipulation. I’ll bet the majority of golden parachuted CEO’s, who have been running large corporations into the dirt, are good God fearing Republicans. After all, they just wanted to empty the treasury before those nasty socialist Democrats could get their hands on it. What they didn’t count on is that the Democrats don’t care; they’ll just print more until it’s worth nothing. Anything to bring about real change, right?
By now I have probably pissed off a whole bunch of you, but if you would just bear with me and free yourselves momentarily from the specter of party affiliation, I would like to propose a solution. First, we are never going to be a completely free market driven economy. We are to kind hearted not to help those in need. We also know from experience that unbridled Capitalism is a horrendous beast that will trample individual freedoms in a heartbeat, but billions of dollars of social engineering is equally undesirable. Big Government is an even greater horrendous beast. Government works best on the local level where the people have the most influence. What we have seen in DC lately is a complete disregard for the will of the people. The people want balance, they deserve fairness, not to mention a little respect. Therefore, I submit to you that We The People, need to inject some sanity amongst the Political Elite, by bringing untainted player to the party.
Who might that be? From where do you draw balance? To begin with attorneys need not apply. The profession has been increasingly contaminated ever since they were allowed to advertise their services and replicate disproportionately. China produces scientists and engineers at about 100 to 1 over the US and we produce attorneys at about 1,000 to 1 over China. Go figure. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there is attorneys who are not morally infertile somewhere, I just don’t know where. What we need is straight out of the Middle Class. How about electing entrepreneurs from small or medium size businesses. After all they produce a 1/3 of our GDP and do 70% of the new job hiring. They are resourceful, ingenious, creative, and would probably have the innate capacity to look beyond the laws and the games to a place where fair and just resides, a quality that is desperately needed.
Just a Thought
Scott Sterling