Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Pity Party Before the Parade

In 1980 an amazing, historic thing happened. The Phillies won the World Series. And here we may be about to see it happen again after 28 years of championship drought. As the minutes tick down until game time another game is playing out across the boob tube. The political game.

It's what I prefer to call the Barack Obama pity party. A half an hour of "these are your problems and this is how government will fix them." A 30 minute special about how the government should be responsible for solving all of our problems. He has certainly become more refined in his message since earlier in his political career when he talked about "redistributive change", but it is the same frightening message. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3DrrwtqPt0)

Here we sit on the precipice of Change with a capital C. It has been something that we have been gradually moving toward since FDR and now it is on the verge of coming to fruition. Through an educational system that has taught us that FDR with his New Deal and LBJ with his Great Society were the greatest things since sliced bread. Through a media that has encouraged us to be distracted from the pursuit of becoming great by allowing us to watch entertaining story archs about other people becoming great and then falling from grace.

This distraction has lead to complacency and a willingness to accept just enough to get by. We need dreams to remain great and expand upon our greatness. For many of us we need to hit bottom before we can reach for the top. We need to be allowed to fail before we can succeed. If government gives us a safety net, than our muscles will never have to stretch, and tear and as a result we will never get stronger.

I am infuriated. My G-d what happened to us. Our country was founded by ambitious, adventurous people with dreams. When they came over here from the other side of the world, they had literally next to nothing, and yet with "limited" government, they built a nation that has been arguably unrivaled throughout history.

Returning once again to the year 1980 something else amazing and historic happened. A truly great President was elected to office. A President who saw the United States for what it is. A land of liberty. A shining city on a hill. A man who saw universal healthcare for what it is; a pathway to a socialistic society that deprives Americans of their true rights and liberties. I implore you to listen to the words of President Reagan at the following link it is chilling and prescient. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0NWqvRidlk).

This nation would be nothing without liberty, and as we move more and more in the direction of government caring for our every need; trading liberty for security, we will soon find that what we thought was a loving cradle from a protective parent was actually a smothering headlock from a destructive tyrant.

As the pity party comes to a close, I take one last look at the man who, according to the poles, is a lock for next Tuesday, try to put politics out of my mind and look forward to the first pitch of the second half of the unfinished World Series game 5. Since there are no truly great candidates on the ballot this year, the most I have to hope for is a parade. Go Phillies!!

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