Somebody has to ask and discuss these tough questions. At the risk of being forever branded a skeptic and cynic, I volunteer.
I observe the following pitched battles taking place:
- The Bureaucrat is seeking to replace the Deity.
- A Sovereign Collective is is displacing the Sovereign Individual.
- Utilitarianism seeking to replace Ratio et Fides.
- Atheism and Gnosticism is seeking to replace Faith.
- Political mantras and slogans are seeking to replace Prayers.
- The Common Defense is becoming an Undefined Battlefield.
- Libertines are seeking to undermine the Family Foundation.
- The Secular Charters are seeking to replace Sacred Covenants.
- Confusion is reigning because Ignorance prevails.
- Ignorance is prevailing because Education fails.
- Education is failing because Materialism and Ideology prevail.
Again I ask: Have we lost our way? Are we forsaking and squandering our Founding Fathers' Legacy?
I propose that we take a long hard look at ourselves. We are fighting against ill-defined forces that would lead our nation into some hybrid form of fascism, a soft totalitarianism that is outrageous to a few, but welcome to most.
A change in course must happen soon, time is not on our side. Republicans can and should be the needle in this compass. Are we up to the task? Do we have the stomach for the fight; the fire in our belly? Time will tell.
TEN THESES: For the Restoration of our American Constitutional Republic.
Thesis 1: The Individual, the single citizen, is to be sovereign in America. Americans, perhaps through ignorance, indifference, or by foreign ideological corruptions have largely chosen to ignore this basic principle. The very foundations of American Freedom, as found in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution, are largely unappreciated in Modern American civic life. The lofty ideals of being blessed by our Creator with those certain inalienable rights: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, have been traded for misbegotten pursuits for materialist gain, utilitarianism, and egalitarian collectivism. The focus must be on Life not Materialism. Americans have traditionally embraced the value and dignity of each life from the point of conception to the end of life. Each American is a Special Person created by God, with a God-given Purpose in Life.
Thesis 2: "We the People" must eliminate Corrupted Plebiscites that replace Constitutional Government with bureaucracy and partisan political opportunism. The principles of Federalism articulated in the US Constitution and those of Anti-Federalism [specified in the Bill of Rights] are no longer pre-eminent guiding forces in American Government except as empty rhetoric. Modern Politicians and Parties often ignore Constitutional deliberations and requirements and use certain "emergency" situations, or exigencies of the moment in order to accomplish partisan political goals and objectives. On the other hand, certain politicians attempt to suspend certain political principles, freedoms and guarantees under our Bill of Rights to serve, because, they claim, they are outmoded or out of date.
Thesis 3: Reform Modern Political Parties that blithely present un-Constitutional ideologies and economic theories that did not exist when our country was constituted. The false construction of Economy based on Capitalism versus Socialism is the most egregious example of such perversions. Socialism and Capitalism are defined constructs within Marxist theory of Dialectical Materialism. We Republicans may correctly view Socialism as a path to poverty and slavery. But, we fail to see that Capitalism is not entirely interchangeable with Free Enterprise, Reciprocal Trade, and true Supply & Demand Economics. Mass Party Politics is a second egregious perversion of the Constitution. Political Parties’ unending quests for total political power and domination, have replaced sound statesmanship. Two, four, and six-year election cycles and campaigns, fund-raising, and propaganda and shameless pandering to interest group constituencies have replaced sound political discussion, policy formulation and law making. A President, for example, is no sooner elected to office before the next election cycle begins. That is European-style parliamentary politics, not American Politics.
Thesis 4: Ensure that a Political Party Platform is a transparent and viable blueprint for a Party to follow when elected. Today, Platforms have become largely pretentious documents, filled with vague policy positions and empty promises made to constituencies. These often lofty promises commonly give way to factious trench warfare and petty interest group politics-as-usual after a Candidate or Party is elected. In this scenario, Party Platforms have become less a political blueprint and more an exercise in empty political rhetoric and postulation. Allegiance to political Parties has replaced our allegiance to the Nation for very many politicians. Special and moneyed interests have corrupted the one-time legitimate functions of lobbies and lobbyists. Propaganda, political rhetoric, partisan "media talking points" and "sound-bites" have replaced logic and reason. Politicians no longer vie for votes over ideas, but rather for "pork barrel" projects and "ear marks " in legislation. This must cease.
Thesis 5: Narrowly define National Security Interests and eliminate those that too often project too broad American political, economic, cultural and social issues. America’s vast resources and powers were never intended for non-critical military interventions, nation-building, or humanitarian missions. United Nations Forces, NGOs and Church Organizations should sustain the burdens of such missions. It is time to re-evaluate priorities, and re-articulate policies as to how we mete out our National Treasure on the world stage. There are simply too many wealthy nations who should be encouraged to give more non-military help and resources in their respective regions of the world. Immigration has become a serious National Security issue. We must make it a priority to formulate a fair immigration policy, secure our borders, and enforce existing immigration laws.
Thesis 6: Responsibly man, equip, compensate, and deploy the American Military to defend and project narrowly defined American interests. Wealthier families, over the last thirty-five years since the end of the military draft, have eschewed and disdained military service as below their status. The military draft is no longer in place as a great societal leveling force of common service to our country. The broad middle class largely performs the task of defending America. It may be argued that this has resulted in greater willingness to deploy Military Forces as an extension of broader Foreign Policy Objectives by both Political Parties. A direct consequence of this is that our greatest Treasure, our Military Guardians of Freedom, are over-tasked, under-supported, underpaid, and under-appreciated. A corollary to this is the inattention and often-disgraceful services afforded our Veterans, Military Retirees and their families following their years of faithful service to country. American Forces should no longer be the sole World Policeman, providing for the security of wealthy European and Asian "allies" who bear no proportional burdens of their own defenses. Modern technology affords the United States the ability to deploy highly mobile and lethal Systems and Forces worldwide. It is time to seriously debate and reconsider what are the best and most appropriate missions for our Forward Deployed Forces. We must engage our Allies to contribute more to the common defense of freedom and to humanitarian causes throughout the world.
Thesis 7: Make American Education once again an enviable model of free and competitive public education throughout the world. Public schools no longer teach children "how to think" but rather "what to think." The Unionization of the Teaching Profession has failed to increase teacher quality or student performances. But it has, without doubt, largely politicized that profession. Schools routinely buy the latest technologies, but often fail to integrate them into the curriculum in such a way that clearly shows or measures student performance improvements. Many schools sacrifice rigorous, active learning in basic reading, writing, math and science, and replace them with weaker peripheral subjects. They often replace them, for example, with classes on computer operations and audiovisual programs that do not contribute measurably to enhanced student performance. School classrooms have often become laboratories for social engineering or political indoctrination by ideologically motivated teachers and administrators. Public Schools have all but dropped, or scaled back dramatically, classes in Western Civilization, History, Civics and American Government. School Boards must work to reform, correct funding mistakes, re-evaluate what is to be taught, and develop performance standards for Staff, Teachers and Students alike. Private, Parochial, and Charter Schools have a constructive role to play in providing competitive alternatives to Public Schools. Parents should have more, not fewer options regarding the education of their children.
Thesis 8: America has an economic budgeting problem. The budgeting process is out of control. Spending levels and program budgets, "pork-barrel" programs, "ear marks" are abused by all politicians for the sake of voter constituencies and special interests. Politicians simply act immorally; they do the wrong thing when they play politics with the economy. Congress cannot mandate good economic times. Endless spiraling cycles of "tax and spend," of refinancing on debt by taking on an even larger debt is destroying wealth, destroying the economy, destroying jobs and lowering our standard of living. Spreading the wealth does not make everyone rich. Quite the contrary, it makes everyone poor. Future generations will have to pay off the debt caused by this generation's profligate spending appetite Economics of the American Markets are being strangulated by some of the highest corporate tax levels in the world. Businesses leave the United States for other countries due to market factors of labor, management, tax advantages, supply, and demand. Prudent economic policies are not rocket science. What Americans do in their home to make ends meet are the same guidelines that should apply to Congress.
Thesis 9: Stark and Fundamental Differences between Progressive Democracy and Republicanism demand a return to the Founding Federalists’ Republican Principles.
Republicanism:
- Broadcasts the notion of our Exceptional American Political Philosophy Worldwide
- Maintains Sound, Conservative Monetary Policy & Principles
- Holds to Traditional American Values on Great Issues
- Provides Higher Standard of Living based on Increasing Opportunity & Productivity
- Bases Trade on Reciprocity and Fairness
- Instills Confidence in Traditional American Free Enterprise
- Provides Conditions Conducive to Success
- Enforces Strict Market Regulations that demand High Ethics and eschew Politics
- Creates Jobs through Industry and Entrepreneurship
- Lowers Taxes & Simplifies Tax Codes
- Modernizes Infrastructure through Modern Industry
- Provides a Robust National Defense based on realistic Threat Assessment
- Articulates clearly a Foreign Policy based on Realistic Assessments not Ideology
- Develops National Resources and Energy Independence
- Rewards Prosperity via Individual Achievement and Innovation
- Maintains Dignity of Life as a Sacred Obligation
Progressive Democracy:
- Shrinks American Influence; Conforms to the Collective World Opinion
- Bases Monetary Policy on Special Interest Politics and Marxist Theory
- Vacillates Subjectively on the Great Issues
- Lowers Standard of Living due to Forced Economic Plans and Policies
- Bases Trade Agreements on Socialist Ideology and Special Interest Protectionism
- Is Pessimistic about the Free Enterprise System
- Mandates Government Dynamics instead of Market Dynamics
- Regulates Markets through Partisan Politics and Socialist Principles
- Believes it can Create Jobs by Government Fiat
- Promulgates Highly Progressive, and pervasive Tax Codes
- Modernizes Infrastructure primarily through Government Programs
- Believes that National Defense Spending must compete with Domestic Spending Priorities
- Promotes Pessimism, while vacillating Foreign Policy diminishes the US standing in the World.
- Holds Resource Development hostage to Ideological Special Interests and Ideology
- Proposes Prosperity via Collectivist Redistribution of Wealth
- Postulates that Dignity of Life is a Secular and Subjective Choice
Thesis 10: Broad recruitment of "traditionally minded" Americans is required to restore Republicanism and save our Constitution for future generations. The United States of America, our great Republican Experiment, and our Constitution, hang in the balance. The True American Debate is the one between Jefferson and Hamilton over 200 years ago. That debate balanced the merits Federalism versus States & Individual Rights, balanced Agrarianism and Industrialism, and balanced demands between the North, South, East and West, and the development of ever newer Frontiers. There was never, ever a disagreement between these men about the fact of "American Exceptionalism." Nor, did these men blame or criticize America before, during or after the Revolution. Therefore, recruitment should reach out boldly and relentlessly and call on all true patriots to join in re-embracing Constitutional Republicanism. Failure to restore Constitutional Republicanism is not an option if we are to survive as a free and prosperous Nation.
Copyright 2009
Lt. Colonel William R. Mann, USA Retired
