The Militant Moderate

Everybody is making New Year’s resolutions.  Well, perhaps not everybody, just about 45% of Oklahomans say they are doing so.  The Militant Moderate is not all that much for making resolutions.  Maybe that is because he has a long history of breaking some of his better ones:  

quitting smoking  ----  done 12 years ago; result of  bronchitis not resolution
losing weight  ------   done several times, only to fall back
stop drinking   -------  never had that problem, so quitting was easy
get tougher on family  ------  that didn’t work, especially with the wife
exercise regularly  ------  successful for short, intermittent periods only
stop bossing people  ------  this is in the genes and has never been successful
be nice to wife  ------  successful; her threats worked better than any resolutions
improve diet  ------  works best when only food is what the wife puts on table

So, the Militant Moderate has had minimal success with resolutions.  Perhaps he should stay with making New Year’s wishes instead.  Let us concentrate on wishes for the nation

First, he would wish for peace in the world, beginning with peace-oriented leadership in this country.  Polls show this would be popular with 57% of the nation’s citizens.  

Second, the Militant Moderate would wish for greater civility in American politics.  While there are indeed major differences among us in political ideology and thought, there need not be such hostile rhetoric, hate speech, and rancor.  

Third, MM wishes for greater prosperity among all of America’s citizens.  While the economy appears to be doing well in growth rate and unemployment statistics, these do not reveal the differential in prosperity between the really wealthy among us and the rest of us – middle class and lower socio-economic classes.  

Fourth, the MM wishes for a balanced budget for the nation.  He wishes that the people would wise up to the so-called cost-savings efforts of this Congress, cutting school lunches, Medicaid, student loans, and Medicare while still cutting the taxes of the wealthy.  This same Congress will soon give the President an increase in the $8.2 trillion debt ceiling, while battling to extend the ill-afforded tax cuts for the rich.  

Fifth, but not finally, the Militant Moderate would like to see real effort put into reversing this nation’s continuing trade deficit, and its increasing debt to nations like China.  This may mean the revival of stiff tariffs, which cause Americans to pay higher costs for goods.  But the superior standard of living for American workers demands protection of its businesses, industries, and its workers.  We cannot become merely a service economy.  

The Militant Moderate wishes a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2006 for all.  

                     ……..   Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard