The inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States will mark the death of the ideal that was America. The land that once prided itself in its citizens’ ability to prosper against the most difficult odds and for over 200 years enjoyed the rule of law governed by the most enlightened constitution in the history of mankind, has chosen instead to trust its future to a man they know nothing about.
Like Chance, the protagonist of Jerzy Kosinski’s 1971 book
Being There, Barack Obama’s pronunciations over the past year could be taken as a deeply profound insight into the nature of the human conditions, or the musings of a guileless innocent who really doesn’t know what he is saying.
What’s more interesting about this particular inauguration is the means through which it was made possible. Every single item that could be seen as a negative for Barack Obama was quickly and efficiently swept under the rug by a collusive media who felt it their duty to ensure that nothing gets in the way of this coronation.
Whether it was the candidate’s 20-year apprenticeship under a minister who spewed hateful invective against white America, or his association with an unrepentant terrorist who regrets he did not do enough violence to the United States, to even the questions regarding Mr. Obama’s legal status as a natural born American citizen, the country’s so-called mainstream media did everything in its power to minimize these issues. (In a case of life imitating art, Jerzy Kosinski’s protagonist, Chance, also couldn’t produce a legal birth certificate.)
And now this man is assuming the mantle of the Presidency of the United States and is appropriating “hope” and “change” as registered trademarks of his campaign. Yet when his choices for cabinet are announced, there is precious little change, as most of his choices are retreads of the Clinton Presidency and even less hope, as the records of many of these secretaries-designate hold little promise that the Constitution will survive their ministrations intact.
In point of fact, political corruption in one form or another seems to be rampant and ever more apparent, since the Democratic Party is totally front and center these days. The corruption even goes back to the very machine that has spawned Barack Obama’s career, with accusations that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich attempted to sell the same senate seat that the election of Barack Obama made vacant. Yet somehow, none of this seems to stick to the new Teflon president, as he is set to take office. Even some of Obama’s nominees for cabinet are sullied by corruption, as is evidenced by Bill Richardson’s withdrawal from consideration as Commerce Secretary due to an investigation that could result in charges being laid against the New Mexico Governor. And like the Illinois Governor, Richardson claims he is totally innocent. Timothy Geithner, Obama’s nominee for Treasury Secretary has consistently and shamelessly cheated on his taxes, yet for some reason his name is still under consideration. Back in 2001 when George W. Bush attempted to nominate Linda Chavez as Secretary of Labor, the liberal media essentially lynched her because she had once “sheltered” an illegal alien and her name was withdrawn. Just a small example of the legal double standard that exists in today’s USA.
And while on the subject of corruption, whatever happened to those allegations of voter fraud for which ACORN was being investigated, which involved voter registration irregularities in up to 18 states involving 1.3 million new voters? It turns out the Obama campaign wound up giving $800,000 to ACORN, yet no one in any of the major media was ever curious about why.
Hereditary political positions in the United States
The Ideal that was America is dying and dying quickly with the attitude of entitlement that permeates America’s political elite. The seat vacated by Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be safely kept warm for Biden’s son by Ted Kaufman, a longtime aide to Senator Biden. Hillary Clinton’s seat will likely be awarded to Caroline Kennedy by NY Governor David Paterson, who, while legally blind, is obviously still dazzled by the Kennedy name, even though Caroline has demonstrated a less than brilliant understanding of the role of a US senator. While Paterson may be forgiven for being blind, he certainly isn’t deaf and some of the things emanating from poor Caroline Schlossberg-Kennedy’s mouth have been you know, stupid. There are no hereditary political positions in the United States, at least not according to the Constitution. But it would appear that many of America’s elected representatives seem to have forgotten that fact.
Finally, the fact that Americans are being seduced by their politicians’ promises of other people’s money is possibly the most disturbing. In a recent poll in New York State over two-thirds of New Yorkers are opposed to a “sugar tax” of 18% on soft drinks proposed by Governor Paterson, yet 80% agree that taxes on those earning in excess of $1million per year should be raised. America is now headed squarely into parity with Europe with its government assuming the mantle of mother, father and caretaker of the American people. Who needs family, when you have the government looking after you? But we forget that whatever the government can give to us it can also take away.
America has essentially been split into two irreconcilable solitudes, blue/red, liberal/conservative, and the split is such that neither side is particularly interested in reconciliation or co-existence. So the question is at what point will people start reaching for those Second Amendment-protected arms to initiate change? The Second Amendment is pretty unambiguous in stating that, "a well regulated Militia,
being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." It’s entirely possible that the reason so many liberal Democrats, including the new President, are calling the Constitution a “living, breathing document” in their wish to change it to suit their vision of America and avoid a confrontation with the people.
