Sunday, June 11, 2006
WHAT ARE THE REAL POLITICAL ISSUES?
What are the real political issue is the fall elections to come? We cannot always see what the real issues are because of all the smoke screens that are blown. Political posturing by candidates often obscures what their real beliefs and motives are. Then there are the red herrings dragged across the poltical paths to distract the voters.
The Militant Moderate has sought to list those issues which he believes to be smoke and distractions, and the issues of political substance which voters should consider.
THE SMOKE SCREEN DISTRATIONS:
Gay marriage. Defense of traditional marriage.
Abortion. "Right to life."
Posting the Ten Commandments.
Prayer in schools.
Taking God out of the pledge.
Family values.
SERIOUS POLITICAL ISSUES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
The Iraq War. Lies and deceit. Mismanagement. Loss of life
and limb. Loss of world respect. Increased security risk.
The national debt. Annual deficits. Debt owed to foreigners.
Growing interest burden. Increased trade deficits.
Political corruption with lobbyists and special interests. Money
corrupts. Political favors for money. Campaign financing.
Illegal immigration and illegal immigrants. What a mess!
Tax cuts for the wealthy. Abolishing inheritance taxes for super-
wealthy. Tax burden shifting to middle & lower classes.
Labor's share of prosperity. Minimum wage. Poverty. Job
quality. Lack of middle class prosperity. Wealth growth.
Health care for all. The working uninsured. System wrongs.
Maintaining the security net. The future form of Social Security.
Outsourcing Amrican jobs. Companies moving out. Cheating
stockholders. Tax dodges. Off-shore offices.
Energy solutions not involving more oil. Alternatives.
Educational opportunities with less federal interference.
No child left behind -- No school left out.
Use of stem cells in scientific research on cures for disease.
Excess concern for business and too little concern for workers.
Mixing religious beliefs into law.
Trade policies protecting American industry and standard of
living.
The right to die.
Let us hope that political practice does not again promote that debasing alliance of God and mammon. It will be most unfortunate if candidates, and the special interests with campaign money to donate, succeed again in obscuring the real issues in government by appealing to emotional issues, most of which are either constitutional court issues or private, personal, religious concerns, when should not involve government at all. Too many voters are responding to false issues, often religious and not an appropriate part of governing. They are overlooking the deep, serious problems facing the nation and its people.
Those candidates touting false issues are pandering to sincerely religious voters. The create and pass along conspiracy theories designed to frighten gullible people. They should be ashamed, and perhaps God will judge them harshly for it.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate.
The Militant Moderate has sought to list those issues which he believes to be smoke and distractions, and the issues of political substance which voters should consider.
THE SMOKE SCREEN DISTRATIONS:
Gay marriage. Defense of traditional marriage.
Abortion. "Right to life."
Posting the Ten Commandments.
Prayer in schools.
Taking God out of the pledge.
Family values.
SERIOUS POLITICAL ISSUES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
The Iraq War. Lies and deceit. Mismanagement. Loss of life
and limb. Loss of world respect. Increased security risk.
The national debt. Annual deficits. Debt owed to foreigners.
Growing interest burden. Increased trade deficits.
Political corruption with lobbyists and special interests. Money
corrupts. Political favors for money. Campaign financing.
Illegal immigration and illegal immigrants. What a mess!
Tax cuts for the wealthy. Abolishing inheritance taxes for super-
wealthy. Tax burden shifting to middle & lower classes.
Labor's share of prosperity. Minimum wage. Poverty. Job
quality. Lack of middle class prosperity. Wealth growth.
Health care for all. The working uninsured. System wrongs.
Maintaining the security net. The future form of Social Security.
Outsourcing Amrican jobs. Companies moving out. Cheating
stockholders. Tax dodges. Off-shore offices.
Energy solutions not involving more oil. Alternatives.
Educational opportunities with less federal interference.
No child left behind -- No school left out.
Use of stem cells in scientific research on cures for disease.
Excess concern for business and too little concern for workers.
Mixing religious beliefs into law.
Trade policies protecting American industry and standard of
living.
The right to die.
Let us hope that political practice does not again promote that debasing alliance of God and mammon. It will be most unfortunate if candidates, and the special interests with campaign money to donate, succeed again in obscuring the real issues in government by appealing to emotional issues, most of which are either constitutional court issues or private, personal, religious concerns, when should not involve government at all. Too many voters are responding to false issues, often religious and not an appropriate part of governing. They are overlooking the deep, serious problems facing the nation and its people.
Those candidates touting false issues are pandering to sincerely religious voters. The create and pass along conspiracy theories designed to frighten gullible people. They should be ashamed, and perhaps God will judge them harshly for it.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate.
Monday, June 05, 2006
THOSE POLITICAL ADS
Coincident with the hurricane season, the season of TV political advertisments is upon us. The Militant Moderate looks forward to neither.
Maybe if we made a rule that all political ads had to be in print form it would reduce some of the nonsense we see on TV and force candidates to tell something of their qualifications for office or personal experiences relevant to government. Maybe not.
Let us take a look at the major points made in the slick, well-done ads now running in the OK.C. market, principally republican but there will be more. What are the points? What do these have to do with governing?
"Teaches a church class." Nice. Very common on both sides. Irrelevant to governing.
"Married 19 years." Is that really better than 10 years. Irrelevant to governing.
"Fight for children's right to pray." They have that right, except the public school may not sponsor the prayer and require others to listen.
"Right to say the pledge of allegiance." Children do that, and so do we all. One guy is testing in court whether "under God," put into the pledge by politicians in 1958, should stay there. This is a constitutional court issue, not a congressional or legislative one.
"Fight for right to life issues." This is basically a constitutional and not a congressional issue. It brings religion into government, and government into private, personal decisions. Will this candidate take the required oath to uphold the constitution if elected?
"Lived and worshiped on the same land." This gives an image of steadfastness, but panders to religion. Is a person living in on one piece of land better qualified than one living on several and worshiping in several churhes?
"Believes in traditional marriage." Doesn't everybody? But some think it is acceptable for persons of the same sex living in the same household to form legal domestic partnerships. Very few, other than gays, favor "gay marriage."
"Believes in traditional Oklahoma values." Don't most of us believe that way? Nobody has a monopoly on family values or on patriotism. If "Oklahoma values" is equated to "redneck values," then that leaves some of us out. Maybe that should be clarified.
"Will not compromise his/her religious values." What does that mean? Governing is not about religious values, but it often involves compromising -- although not about religion because that is constitutionally out of bounds.
"Led a movement to cut taxes." Now, we know what that means? Maybe not. Is that good or bad? Whose taxes were cut? What services were cut --mental hospitals, prison guards, medical examiner's staff, D.A. staff, or what? Or, do we just run up the debt?
The Militant Moderate sees little substance to such ads, regardless of party, but apparently they influence voters. Pity that.
Just wait until the old cliches about "preserving Social Security" come out again in political ads. In the light of those "protectors" efforts to scuttle the system, should we question their intent this time?
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
Maybe if we made a rule that all political ads had to be in print form it would reduce some of the nonsense we see on TV and force candidates to tell something of their qualifications for office or personal experiences relevant to government. Maybe not.
Let us take a look at the major points made in the slick, well-done ads now running in the OK.C. market, principally republican but there will be more. What are the points? What do these have to do with governing?
"Teaches a church class." Nice. Very common on both sides. Irrelevant to governing.
"Married 19 years." Is that really better than 10 years. Irrelevant to governing.
"Fight for children's right to pray." They have that right, except the public school may not sponsor the prayer and require others to listen.
"Right to say the pledge of allegiance." Children do that, and so do we all. One guy is testing in court whether "under God," put into the pledge by politicians in 1958, should stay there. This is a constitutional court issue, not a congressional or legislative one.
"Fight for right to life issues." This is basically a constitutional and not a congressional issue. It brings religion into government, and government into private, personal decisions. Will this candidate take the required oath to uphold the constitution if elected?
"Lived and worshiped on the same land." This gives an image of steadfastness, but panders to religion. Is a person living in on one piece of land better qualified than one living on several and worshiping in several churhes?
"Believes in traditional marriage." Doesn't everybody? But some think it is acceptable for persons of the same sex living in the same household to form legal domestic partnerships. Very few, other than gays, favor "gay marriage."
"Believes in traditional Oklahoma values." Don't most of us believe that way? Nobody has a monopoly on family values or on patriotism. If "Oklahoma values" is equated to "redneck values," then that leaves some of us out. Maybe that should be clarified.
"Will not compromise his/her religious values." What does that mean? Governing is not about religious values, but it often involves compromising -- although not about religion because that is constitutionally out of bounds.
"Led a movement to cut taxes." Now, we know what that means? Maybe not. Is that good or bad? Whose taxes were cut? What services were cut --mental hospitals, prison guards, medical examiner's staff, D.A. staff, or what? Or, do we just run up the debt?
The Militant Moderate sees little substance to such ads, regardless of party, but apparently they influence voters. Pity that.
Just wait until the old cliches about "preserving Social Security" come out again in political ads. In the light of those "protectors" efforts to scuttle the system, should we question their intent this time?
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
