Representative Democracy

     The fact that Americans are largely uninformed and disconnected with government has been an issue from the beginning. It is why the founders of the constitution instituted the electoral college and formed a representative government, instead of a pure democracy. Political parties formed to organize and inform the public about who to vote for and to bridge the gap between the everyday citizen and the government. Political parties are really just minority groups who have risen because of a disorganized, apathetic public.

Many Americans today are fed up with the division political parties create and the distraction from issues that need to be dealt with. Congress cannot seem to get anything done because each party wants to have it's way. Even worse, the president bipasses congress to make laws through executive orders.This is unconstitutional and in my opinion, leads to the downfall of the American government.  So, the point of this blog entry is to take a look at what is going wrong here, not to see the symptom of the problem but to get down to where the problem really lies. 

How do we inform the public, and get a better system of Government? To begin with throw out the two party system! Todd Phillips has some great ideas in his article, Local Electors,  Phillips states, " We should view political parties as a symptom of an underlying problem—a disorganized, apathetic, uninformed, and disconnected public—and as a “solution” that conflicts with the core value of democracy—that the people shall govern themselves. Government by political parties is government by minority groups, which is contrary to the intentions of the Framers of our Constitution and contrary to the central premise of democracy."

I think the reason our government is no longer functioning as it was ment to be is because we have become too big. We need smaller, more manageable, more local governement. Communities need to be represented on a smaller scale, and those representatives need to be the public's way of being informed. Our country has grown, we are huge compared to when the founders wrote the constitution. We are still trying to run it without enough representatives and without a better form of communication. This two party system is not the answer, it only divides and polarizes the country.  

Liberalism vs Capitalism

In the 1800's anti-monopoly laws limited growth of corporations, but there are no laws limiting growth of the Federal Government. This is an issue in America today, government workers make an average of 78% more than the private sector.

America is no longer a capitalist economy. Capitalism means the countries trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit rather than the government.

Liberalism uses the power of government by transferring wealth from one class of people to another by exploiting the incomes of the private sector through local property taxes, high income taxes, and high college tuition.

Liberalists do not create jobs in the private sector, they only create jobs for more liberalists, or more government jobs. 2.1 million people work for the American Government, costing over 260 billion in wages and benefits. Government workers make an average of 78% more than the private sector, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Now, obviously, it is important to have some government employees, and to have good ones, but really!! America is going broke paying high government pensions financed through taxation of the public sector. America cannot afford liberalism!

In my last blog I wrote an article about Welfare. It just doesn't make any sense that here we have 2.1 million people working for the American government, making great incomes and getting even better benefits all the while shouting, "look at how selfish this country is, look at all the poor, raise taxes on the private sector, businesses and corporations and give more to the poor," while they are not creating money, only using money taken from tax paying citizens, to pay their own paychecks.

A Citizen’s Guide to Combating Election Propaganda: Debunking Anti-Welfare Myths

In his article,"A Citizen's Guide to Combating Election Propaganda: Debunking Anti-Welfare Myths, (found in Counterpucnch.org), Arthur Dimaggio presents evidence to help refute pre-existing prejudices against the poor. He points out those who receive welfare and government assistance are considered lazy freeloaders, who drive Cadillacs, and he wants to fight back against the racist, classist stereotypes. As Dimaggio says, "Many conservatives have been socialized by parents, friends and political elites without looking into actual evidence."

As a conservative and someone who believes it is moral and right and often a blessing to help those who have less and are in need, I have to stop and wonder how we can differ so much and agree at the same time. I agree with Dimaggio that we too often judge others whose circumstances place them in need of assistance and vulnerability. But in a free society there will always be more successful people and less successful people, rich and poor, if you will. Is it better to take away freedom in order that everything is equal? Wasn't liberty the reason this country was founded?

According to his article Dimaggio tackles anti-welfare claims, "head-on" as he shows how the U.S. is the least committed of all wealthy countries to taxing and spending on all types of social programs.
I may not be the most informed American but I know that America is not a "wealthy country," at least not any more. America is no longer the land of opportunity, in fact, it only ranks 20th in terms of overall gross pay. "Welfare is the best paying entry level job in 35 states in this country," according to David Hodges, http://www.thecommonsenseshow.com/2014/08/05/the-statistics-do-not-lie-welfare-is-the-best-paying-entry-level-job-in-35-states/

According to the U.S Census Bureau more than 100 million Americans are enrolled in at least one Welfare program run by the Federal Government, not including mas entitlement programs of social security or medicare. People on food stamps, 47.9 million Americans. Ninety million unemployed Americans are no longer looking for work. The nation is hopelessly addicted to living in the welfare state! Can we continue to believe everything is fine in this Country?! Government needs to allow people the privilege and right to have success and to govern themselves morally in regards to the poor, not tax the devil out of citizens by trying to make everyone equal.

After reading Dimaggio's article and taking careful consideration, I conclude that America's biggest problem is in trying to make government the answer to all social problems. I believe people generally are good, I see goodness all around and I believe this democracy thrives when citizens pursue a dream, and have a drive to succeed. We must not be a society that judges others because of their success, or the lack thereof. 

Sober Judgement

     The handout reading for this assignment, Clues to Critical thinking says, "critical awareness of what our leaders are doing and the ability to understand and evaluate what they tell us is the lifeblood of democratic government.” 
     
      In his article from the Patriot Post, Feb 2, 2016, “When anger trumps all,”  Daren Jaonescu explains, “The reason no one can figure out whether Trump is a conservative or a liberal, a Democrat Trojan horse or a patriot, is precisely because the one thing we know about him, from his record and his own self-descriptions, is that his political speech and action are for sale whenever he sees personal gain in the deal. No one who loves America would spend thousands of dollars supporting politicians hell-bent on destroying her and then defend himself by saying it was good for business.”
       
     Daren Jaonescu, takes a deeper look at "who" Donald Trump really is, what his real motives are and cautions the voter to be aware of the danger of letting anger rule our reasoning and conscience, which he states "is the enemy of sober judgement."  Jaonescu points out that Trump supporters, ironically, have “chosen to vent all their anti-establishment anger against Cruz,"  when in reality it is Trump who boasts of making deals with the establishment, donating large sums of money to the left party and avoids criticizing key players in the establishment but, openly criticises and refuses to support any nominee from the his own party.   

     Daren Jaonescu, has a PhD in philosophy and teaches English language and philosophy at a University in South Korea. He is a strong advocate of home-schooling your children, and author of many political articles including, “100 reasons to abandon public education now.” We get the idea he is an anti-establishment guy.

    Trumps past and present behavior demonstrate that he is "politically unprincipled, delusionally self aggrandizing, habitually duplicitous, and profoundly unserious."  I am more convinced than ever that, as Jaonescu says best, “Unbridled anger in politics threatens both those succumbing to it and those victimized by it.”  

“The good it does, is done poorly; the harm it causes, is done very well.”

     Successful gardening takes knowledge of the crops, the soil, weather, humidity, planting seasons etc. Gardening in Texas, as I learned, is much different than gardening in Colorado. The first year I planted a garden here in Austin, I tilled the ground, fertilized well, selected the best seeds, and watered and weeded faithfully, but my garden grew slowly and lacked the hardiness I usually saw, so I worked harder, watering more often, tilling and fertilizing, everything I tried failed and my garden died.

I eventually took the time to learn about planting crops in Texas, what plants grow well here, what pests lurk about, and when to plant what. Having an understanding of the environment was the ingredient for success.

     

     Not understanding the role of Government, its purpose, the reason for which it was created, is like trying to grow the wrong crops the wrong time of year, under the wrong conditions.

     In John Horvat II's article, "When government does good things poorly,”  he explains that we have let the government “assume powers and absorb functions that are contrary to its nature,” or the purpose for which it was created. Horvat further states that when the Government “stays within its limits, less force and money are needed to maintain it. People are willing to sacrifice and even die to defend the nation.” But when it “abuses its power, it becomes a great straitjacket to force strict compliance to the law, it no longer facilitates virtuous life in common.”

     I feel like Horvat explains the role of government well in his article found in the American Thinker, whether your liberal or conservative, take a moment and read it and let me know what you think. 

Aloha!!