George W. Bush has secured his place in History. He will leave office in one year, unless forced out sooner, but the corporations and organizations that controlled GWB will continue to pillage our country. We need to encourage our candidates to stop running against the lame duck, and confront the Republican Party and the advocates of the policies that have been so destructive.
NH and Iowa have shown us that competitive races stimulate turnout, create media buzz and draw more people into the process, but they also can hurt the competitors. Our candidates need to show that they can honestly disagree while respecting the opponent’s position. Dirty tricks, deception, half-truths and lies are destructive, un-democratic and frequently counter-productive. Honest and frank discussion can result in real solutions. When more people are involved in the discussion, more people will work toward the solution.
The Republicans have no faith in the democratic process. They deliberate in secret, carefully controlling the process to protect their power; the goal being a one party system, aka "Permanent Republican Majority" which is impossible in a democracy. They have a classic top-down structure which demands conformity and party loyalty. Information is carefully controlled, honesty is punished and dissent is treasonous. Opinions and ideas must conform to the "Party Line," and reduced to simple phrases like "No New Taxes," "War on (whatever)" "Four legs good, two legs Bad."
The problems that we face cannot be solved by the government. They will be solved by the ingenuity, creativity, sacrifice and hard work of the People. America wins.
The best thing for the country would be to continue the debate between all the candidates as long as possible leading up to the Conventions. We should publicly discuss the serious issues that we face, for example:
• How do we deal with the deficit and growing national debt?
• Raise taxes?
• Cut programs?
• Print more money?
• Cut interest rates?
• Should we build more refineries or use less gas and oil?
• Stop building sub-divisions?
• Build roads or rail?
• Does Talk Radio contribute to the democratic process or corrupt it?
• Is the President above the law?
• What is the role of the V. P.?
• If a candidate is convinced by a logical argument to change his position, is he a flip-flopper?
Droning the same stump speech over & over contributes little. Let’s have a public debate every week between whatever candidates want to show up. REAL REALITY TV. Sell commercials, Run political spots, then debate the commercials. Keep it interesting, keep new ideas flowing. Invite the Writers Guild, they can script it, like wrestling, Well, maybe I’ve gone too far, but you know what I mean.
The Democratic Party must confront the Republicans on very basic issues. The impending social and economic catastrophe is the foreseeable result of the reactionary ideologies and policies collectively known as "Conservatism."
The candidates should not be tearing each other down. They should be competing to expose the massive fraud and deception perpetrated by the Republican leadership as they exploited our dear America into economic and moral bankruptcy. We are not just against Bush. We are opposing a failed ideology, and America is running for her life.
The candidates must prepare themselves to lead America through difficult times and begin rebuilding the spirit of Liberty and Justice in America.
Think Outside The Box
Hard times are coming, let’s get to work!