Even If We Win, We Still Lose
So focused have I been on bad news lately that not until today, while researching this Daily Dot story about Anonymous' alleged threat to hack the Iowa GOP caucus, did I realize Ron Paul is currently on track to win the caucus race. At first glance that looks like good news -- longtime readers of this-here blog might recall that in 2008, I stained my soul by spending six whole days as a registered Republican solely so I could vote for Paul in the GOP primary -- but then I thought: why should one man matter so much? Suppose everything works out just as I hope: Paul wins the caucus, wins the GOP nod, wins the election and restores all the constitutional rights we've lost these past ten years. Sounds great, but if the system's only as good as the guy in charge, how are we any different from an absolute monarchy? Whatever happened to checks and balances?
posted by Jennifer Abel at 1:22 PM
5 Comments:
Paul wins the caucus, wins the GOP nod, wins the election and restores all the constitutional rights we've lost these past ten years. Sounds great, but if the system's only as good as the guy in charge, how are we any different from an absolute monarchy?
He wouldn't restore all the constitutional rights we've lost - he wouldn't be able to - but it would be a begining. In fact, he might not be able to do more than to slow down the further loss of liberty, but even that is something. I'd even be happy if all he could accomplish in one term is to drasticly cut government spending and get rid of the health insurance mandate.
Smartass, the insurance mandate and even spending and the deficit bother me less than civil-liberties matters. To me, having low taxes and a balanced budget won't matter if I can't travel within my own country without some government thug feeling me up. Warrantless wiretapping bothers me more than government waste.
Smartass, the insurance mandate and even spending and the deficit bother me less than civil-liberties matters.
The insurance mandate is a civil liberty matter - unless you think paying a fee to the government or a third party corporation for permission to live in the country of your birth doesn't have anything to do with liberty or rights. Once such a principle is established we'll be little different than slaves or serfs. Slaves and serfs can get a whole lot worse done to them than to be "felt up."
As for the deficit spending - remember this: The first priority of government - any government - is to maintain its power and authority. An economic collapse with its attendant social unrest would greatly endanger that. History is replete with examples of countries whose governments ruined their economies and then instituted draconian policies to stay in power. We are living in what could easily become the largest banana republic on Earth in the next ten years or less.
He could eliminate 13,000 and change executive orders in one swell foop, by issuing an executive order of his own, and then refusing to issue any others for his term of office (hat tip: Bill St. Clair).
Well hell, it got here after all. Happy New Year, Jennifer!
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