Friday, July 27, 2007

Cure Congress, Part I: Democrats

I have believed for a long time, and still do, that the two-party system in the United States is the best system. Consider: Many European democracies have multi-party systems (Italy is a good example) in which so many parties are represented in the national legislatures that it is difficult to build coalitions in order to pass legislation. That type of system makes life difficult for European citizens.

In the U.S., with two major political parties, choices are pretty clear-cut. If one thinks that the Democratic Party's policies are more in tune with one's political beliefs, one votes Democratic; or if the Republican Party's policies are more in line with one's political philosophy, one votes Republican. But what if neither represents an individual's views?

Well, that's happened for me. Let's look first at the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party and its leaders and candidates for national office typically pander to racial, cultural and ethnic minorities and other special interests. Democratic Party leaders exhibits attitudes of smug superiority and arrogant paternalism. They think that they alone know what's best for people, and they want to impose their beliefs on people.

It is the party not just of big government, but of government, period. It wants to increase taxes to grow the government bureaucracy (those bureaucrats will, of course, vote Democratic) so that all sorts of useless government programs can throw government largesse at party cronies and officials. And it wants to penalize people for making money (e.g., inheritance tax), for God's sake. And that's another thing: God forbid that we should exercise our religion freely, as the founding fathers intended; if Christians in particular exercise their religion, they may offend someone of a different faith, or of no faith, so in the holy name of political correctness, we should practice our religion only in the confines of our homes and religious buildings (can't say "churches" without also saying "synagogues," "mosques," and references to other types of religious buildings).

If we look through the rose-colored glasses that Democrats want us to wear, we see coming a government-run health system that they insist will afford equal access to health care to all citizens, but really will make the rich poor and the poor more dependent on the Democratic Party. Democrats hold up the Canadian and British health systems as models, but they don't mention the long waits for medical procedures, and the low quality of care in comparison to the American health system.

Democrats want to protect the rights of those in this country illegally. As an illegal alien (pardon me: undocumented worker), one has a right to free healthcare and social benefits at the expense of American citizens, but--and this is the important thing--one is obligated to vote for Democrats (yes, vote: Democrats see no reason why illegal aliens should be prevented from having all the privileges of citizenship). A citizen doesn't have the same scope of rights as non-citizens, particularly ones who are here illegally, because they have the right to steal from us by using tax revenue, and we can't deport them. Democrats even make some of our major cities sanctuaries for illegal aliens in order to protect them from the agencies that are trying to enforce the law by deporting them.

If Democrats gain a solid majority in both houses of Congress and a Democrat is elected president, there will be no more problems with terrorists. Fundamental Muslim terrorists (can I say that, or does it violate Big Brother Political Correctness) will no longer want to attack the U.S. because George Bush will no longer be president (although he never was anyway, because Al Gore really won the 2000 election, in case you didn't know). In January, 2009, the world will become hunky-dory again: A Democratic president and a Democratic Congress will "talk" to world leaders again and "work" with them again, and promise them that we'll be good, we really will.

I could go on . To summarize, the Democratic Party philosophy seems to be that government is good, individual freedom is bad, religion is worse, that sexual, cultural and ethnic diversity must be promoted above all, and that only the Democratic Party can execute constructive foreign policy.

So, thank God (oops, I said it again), in the next four years we won't have to worry about a Middle East meltdown, terrorist attacks in U.S. territory, Iran getting the bomb, or those nasty Europeans not liking us. We'll be able to go to the doctor and not be treated, and we won't have to worry about saying something politically incorrect because confiscatory taxes and high fuel prices will keep us at home all the time anyway.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Living at the River

There is very little better than walking out my front door on a cool morning with a cup of coffee in my hand and traveling the 50 feet to the edge of the Neuse River. Often I'll see dolphins traveling up or down the river, but always there are the lonely cries of the gulls, the splash of mullet jumping, and the silent flight of pelicans skimming inches above the water. We have a blue heron who lives in the cypress swamp to the east--my family named it "Paul"--and who likes to sit on one of the posts just offshore, if they are not occupied by pelicans.

In warm weather (and in eastern North Carolina it's almost always warm) my walk out to the river usually is preceded by watching one of the chameleons--collectively named "Andrew"--sunning on the front porch. These lizards occasionally get into the house, requiring us to chase and catch them in a coffee can for delivery back outside.

It's unusual to get all the way to the river without our dogs--Smut, Mischief, Black Dog and Abbey (although, strictly speaking, Abbey is my daughter's dog), all black labs, and our orange dog, Luce (Latin for "in the light," although as a Southerner I think of her as Lou Kay)--spotting me and joining in a loud, cacophanous canine chorus.

As nice as all that is, there is one thing better: Sitting on the deck by the river on a hot afternoon with a cooler of cold beer by my side, and an open one in my hand. It's enough to make me forget about the terrible trio, Iraq, Iran and North Korea, the presidential campaign, Paris Hilton, and the like. At least until I go inside to watch the news.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Is America a Nation of Laws?

The ongoing debate over what to do about illegal aliens in the United States got me thinking about what it means to be a "nation of law, not of man."

I've heard and read the opinions of many who think that border laws should not be enforced and that those who illegally enter the United States in violation of its laws should suffer no consequenses for that illegal act.

Setting aside the question of what is compassionate, if we choose to ignore certain laws because they are uncompassionate, does that not send a message that other laws as well can be ignored if enough people think they are not acceptable for whatever reason? I don't think we can pick and choose what laws must be obeyed and enforced; rather, all laws must be enforced if we are to remain a nation of law.

If a law is onerous, the majority can force a change or repeal through the appropriate legislative bodies. Meanwhile, it must be enforced. To do otherwise is to invite people to violate other laws. Those who advocate ignoring or violating laws, or not punishing those who break laws, should consider this: The result ultimately will be a legal system in which lawbreakers can rightfully argue that if some laws can be ignored, then all could be ignored.

Certainly it is true that many who enter this country illegally want only to find a better life, and it is unfortunate that they must be deported. But there are those, citizens or not, who rob and steal only because they want a better life. What if they are allowed to break laws with impunity?

When that happens, I want to be among those who decide which laws will be enforced and on what grounds, because then the United States will be ruled not by law, but by man.

FOGGY DAY

FOGGY DAY
On the Neuse