Some Feel They Lost Their Country in the Election: I Wonder Where Has It Been

2009-02-08T17:53:00.000-08:00

I was recently forwarded an article from a writer that posited he felt that he lost his country because of the recent election. I wonder though, what country has he lost. If his country is the one created in the constitution; that country was lost around 1916- 1918 when we changed the constitution to allow the federal taxation of income and the direct election of senators. In just a few short years Federalism was completely destroyed as Senators no longer represented their respective states but rather the so called interests of their electorates and the income tax was quickly ratcheted up to about 75% at the top rate (note: it's been as high as 90% +). Is he instead referring to the country that we had during the massive command and control economy of FDR? A man who thought himself better and more important than even George Washington. A man who believed himself above tradition and stayed in office until his death (all four terms). FDR's government had just a shadow of constitutional originalism, most of what FDR tried to change (remember his Court Packing Scheme?). True democracy dies the day that any one ruler believes himself to be so necessary to his country's survival that if he were to leave office and another were to take his place, the country would quickly be destroyed. A note to Michael Bloomberg and New Yorkers; doesn't anyone remember that it was just after Septemeber 11th , 2001 that New Yorkers were proposing to change the term limits law so that New York could be stable under Rudy. Rudy stopped this action knowing that the office was bigger than the man, that a stable democracy survives from it's systems not a single person. As a second note, could Bloomberg have even bought that first election without Rudy's support? I sincerely doubt it. What was Mikey's reasoning for a third term again: oh yeah, the people needed him in this economic crisis. Was the writer's country perhaps the ridiculously pathetic weakness of Jimmy Carter, who is not fit to sell the peanuts he once farmed? I'm not sure what Herb's country really is, but he needs to rethink things if this is the election in which he lost his country.

In regards to those who are in love with and support Barack Obama. It must be nice living in never never land, remind me to come visit when I want to take a break from reality. If he passes half of what he has promised to do on the campaign trail we could quickly go from economic travesty to economic disaster. But he hasn't done anything yet, and his career in politics so far speak to nothing more than rhetoric. Actually, achieving nothing would be great. At this point, I believe I might be glad to get nothing over the somethings that Bush has offered over 8 years. That being said, his election is a reflection of the current mood of the country. The Democratic party has traditionally been very good and highly accurate in finding all of the problems that exist in society while Republicans have traditionally had a problem with taking a bit of an ostrich with it's head in the sand approach. While the Democrats are excellent at finding problems, their solutions involve taking a leap away from human nature. They offer nothing more than good intentions that muck things up. Their solutions are the equivalent of the well intentioned gift of a mean pit bull from a rescue shelter to someone who said they wanted a pet house dog - not really the pet they had in mind. I guess it's the thought that counts? Oh wait - the pit bull just ate my right arm. I already know that Barack Obama will be lucky to not be a failure, because he is not trying to lead the people into a positive mindset, His rhetoric is fluid and smoothe, but only reinforces every ill we already know is in society. He is reinforcing the negativity that we all see around us. I'm tired of seeing quotes from him and Biden about how bad it is out there and how it's going to get worse. I already know how bad it is, I live it. What are you doing about it Barack? The same goes for you too W.. All I have seen out of either of you is the stoking of public negative sentiment. Leading the charge of Lemings off of a cliff is not being a leader, it's just another way of following the crowd and taking the easy way out.

The reality is that our country is constantly being lost and gained, driven by the majority of the electorate who typically do not follow policy, but are apt to follow whichever politician most effectively hits their emotional hot buttons at that particular moment. We all want a greener country, a fairer playing field, everyone to have health care and to not fill out 8 trillion forms for every doctor's visit. As a country, there are actually very few goals and dreams that we disagree with each other on. It seems to me that the person who most often wins an election is the one who best articulates our shared goals and dreams, not the one who best articulates their solutions to the multitude of problems anyone can find at any minute of life. Problems are a sign of life. They will never go away. I don't know about you, but I'm just searching to have a higher grade and better quality problem than those I have been dealing with. The change we want lies deep inside each and every one of us by fighting for and creating in our own lives as best as possible the world that we want to live in. We are always in a creative/destructive cycle, just like in Kung Fu. The lingering question is always, how powerful is the creative cycle, how negative is the destructive cycle? Which destructive cycle will finally destroy us. The answer is usually found in the one we do not prepare for and cannot compete against. So, do not take destruction lying down. Don't give up on our dreams and vision. Fight harder, stronger, and longer. We must reawaken the warrior spirit within all of us.

My country was lost a long time ago, before I was even born. I don't want to live in a country with unimpeded federal control over our lives. So here is my thought, I don't care about Barack Obama. I don't care what he represents in a positive light or a negative light to you or anyone else. All that I want to focus on is creating the vision in my mind of what I want my country to be, and to fight for that vision. I don't want anyone else to care about Barack Obama. I want to see as many people as possible get excited and find a way to thumb their nose at those who try to control their lives and tell them how to live. I want to see a revival of American individualism, from which stems a true sense of family and community. I don't want the government to be involved in my life anymore than it already has been. Not to borrow too much from Braveheart but: What would you do without freedom? Run and you'll live, at least for now. Stay and you may die. But one day, lying in your beds will you give all the days, from this day to that. For one chance, just one chance, to tell your enemies that you may take our lives; but you may never take my freedom.

Lyburn Ferguson

Some Feel They Lost Their Country in the Election: I Wonder Where Has It Been