Volume 3, Issue 33
The stability of our country in the present, and the hope of our children in the future, depends upon navigating a course that steers away from the status quo to a new destination. It is either European socialism or free enterprise – one or the other.
What is it that we are being offered by the leading candidates?
Hillary Clinton is attempting to position herself to the right of Bernie Sanders, but left of center. She believes in more regulation, support of labor unions, and further curtailment of Wall Street. She is supportive of Dodd-Frank and a one nation big bank system. Secretary Clinton is for the post-World War II big business, big government, big labor components of a managed economic system.
Both Hillary and Bernie believe in expanding health care and raising taxes. They want to supply more government paid programs like free college tuition. Believing in an economic model that if you manage the distribution of wealth properly, the economy will grow and society is better served.
Jeb Bush, whether he intended to or not, has positioned himself just right of center as the establishment candidate. Governor Bush does not believe in higher taxes. He does believe in free enterprise. However, he represents a political philosophy that the status quo, managed properly, can solve our problems. He is for common core in education. He has made little mention of the ongoing deficits and a curative need for our budget problems. Jeb Bush is the Republican counterpart to Hillary Clinton in reference to the post-World War II structure of big business, big government, and big labor, if managed properly, can address the problems of our nation.
Ted Cruz’s strategy is to be the anti-establishment candidate to the right of Jeb Bush. He is for cutting the deficit, restructuring government programs, and dealing with immigration boldly. His current problem appears to be that he is in fact a member of the United States Senate and can claim to be only an establishment rebel. Donald Trump and Ben Carson, the current Republican leaders, are true outsiders. Their lack of experience does not seem to be a concern to primary voters at this point. They are in fact pure outsiders who by this status cannot be part of the problem.
How then does national politics look on a political chart:
There is one other situation that affects the political psyche of America and overrides all of the above stated political equations. That situation is economic security. If the public feels in economic peril in reference to the support of their everyday way of life, they will vote for more government control as the answer, in the absence of a clear vision, to how government restraint will result in economic security. Designing that strategy, articulating that vision, and gaining the confidence of the American public in times of world economic turmoil, is the key challenge of a Republican nominee for President.
The decision we make will be turning a point in history.
In these times of complicated, conflicting, and convoluted world events impacting our nation our states and our cities, we as American citizens have a moral obligation to ventilate the issues until we understand on what principles we are willing to stand. The stability of our country in the present, and the hope of our children in the future, depends upon navigating a course that steers away from the status quo to a new destination. It is either European socialism or free enterprise – one or the other.
Further, in times such as these, the inclination is to rely upon government and sacrifice freedom. Mel Gibson’s version in Braveheart of William Wallace’s speech to the insurgent Scots at the battle of Stirling is emblematic of our fight for answers today. In the face of overwhelming odds of the king’s forces, the Scottish clans began to disband. Much like the sentiment then, we can only see overwhelming odds of government forces. Paraphrasing Wallace’s purported speech to apply to these times:
“We can do nothing and we will live. Or we can fight for change and we may meet sacrifice. But if we surrender and live under government control, will we look back later in life and wonder, would we trade all the days from then to now for a chance to stand for freedom."
My name is Marc Nuttle and this is what I believe.
What do you believe?