“If good men were to administer the government for a hundred years, violence could be overcome and capital punishment dispensed with” ... Confucius, 551-479 B.C.
As the Presidential sweepstakes moves closer to determining who will be the nominees of each Party primary voters are turning out in record numbers hoping politicians will be swayed by their desire for change. Despite this sentiment it appears the divisive banner politics of the past is still evident crafting a delusive message which will predominate throughout the ensuing general campaign over the summer.
Recently, Newsweek a stalwart magazine icon of the mainstream media reaffirmed its credentials as an establisment apologist for what's become nefarious government by allowing former White House crony Karl Rove to essentially rehash the same treasonous rhetoric that has predominated federal government since the Reagan era. Without any contrasting input either by their editorial staff or an independent analyst, Rove was allowed to ramble on about the merits of supply side tax cuts, the purpose of government, sanctity of life and empowering individuals. From the title "Crackup? Not So Fast" to sub-title "Calm Down .... The GOP's Demise Isn't As Imminent As Some Would Have It" Rove obviously intended to turn his allotted space into a public relations piece reciting a litany of policies and talking points which have been the essence of neocon thinking for nearly three decades.
High up in the column's body text published on February 2, the former White House advisor attempted to derail the "change" theme momentum adopted by the current opposition reminding readers Reagan's legacy was built on altering public perception about government and implying the former President's oratory skills enabled him to effectively build support for his revolution. This was a subliminal effort to marginalize the impact of Barrack Obama's ability to captivate audiences through an adept portrayal of a new agenda for America. Several sentences later, Rove reiterated his belief in right-wing principles imploring like minded citizens not to deviate from such standards as fiscal, defense and values objectives.
Unable to resist an opportunity at tarnishing Democrats, Rove gloatingly recounted attempts to duplicate Republican's materialistic conventions through Clinton initiatives designed to placate the corporate wing of his Party. He implied this was a feeble effort at transforming Democratic goals from defenders of the needy to enablers of business empires. According to his rationale "the Third Way tactics of the Clinton years for a substantive approach to governing" didn't provide "coherent answers to modern issues." To reinforce his views, Rove falsely asserted citizens desire for unfettered rampant capitalism over a government regulated economy which curbs the excesses of the free market.
Although Rove was partially correct in alluding to Clinton's alternate, inept business style of administering federal government he failed to critically evaluate the tactless judgment exhibited by the ensuing Bush regime, a team he hastily withdrew from once his pivotal, allegedly lawless role became discernible. Writing in an unapologetic style, Rove sought to subdue conservative subscribers apprehensions over retaining the White House with the type of diversionary couterattack he's known for. Rather than offer a blueprint for solving the domestic and foreign problems which lay ahead in our country's immediate future, his remaining pretensions deviously shifted blame to the media for prognosticating about the GOP's undeniable indifference towards the mounting economic concerns of voters. Like a true feckless economic conservative, Rove predicted money would determine the winner of the Presidency and bragged the Republicans had significantly more of it at their disposal than Democrats. However, if the spin of Karl Rove is considered credible then we may be in for long summer of gotchas from the center and right locked in mortal combat over who's policy positions justify staying in Iraq longest.
Consider the President's budget proposal last month. In it, Bush was trying to set the tone for succeedingly months by placing at its center an appeal to stay the course on Defense spending to the determinant of domestic programs. Pentagon expenditures received a 12% boost over last year funding while such vital programs as Medicare, Medicaid, EPA, Housing, low income Energy, child care assistance, Education and Section 8 housing were frozen or suffered significant reductions. If Bush's budget is approved for 2008 that will leave little maneuvering room for the incoming President in 2009 to address the growing social crisis with. All of the mounting red ink gives us only two alternatives ... continue to print money or borrow from our oversees creditors none of which was the fiscally sound vision we were promised seven years ago at the start of the Bush reign.
Today our nation finds itself trapped in an endless cycle of debt, cutting and pasting just to keep up with the mortgage payments or even worse the ballooning loans to fiancee our country's insatiable appetite for war. The fraud, waste and abuse associated with much of the latter could be a start to putting our fiscal house in order but probably won't unless the war hawks and centrist mentality which has predominated our thinking recently is banished from whomever we elect in November, 2008. The choice is yours ... we can continue to destroy our planet in a greedy pursuit of unregulated capitalism or we can begin to make this country work again by resolving to restore our democracy forever.