Is This a Revolution?
On this weekend’s show, I interview Herbert Meyer, who was special assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence and Vice Chairman of the CIA’s National Intelligence Council during the Reagan Administration. Herb recently wrote an article on "Revolutions," which he defines as a process where a country changes not only its leaders and some laws, but its fundamental operating systems.
Herb argues that in general, countries have both economic and political operating systems and if enough of the fundamental operating system laws are changed, a country ends up with a different overall system. From this perspective, it is easy to see how the left-wing Democrats who are currently in control of our government are attempting to "revolutionize" our free market economy by introducing features of a "command" or government led economy. Think about the government being in control of the kind of health insurance policy you can buy, or the sorts of medical procedures you are allowed to undergo at various ages. Also, think about the government controlling what energy resources can and cannot be utilized and the kind of car you can drive, or the sorts of insulation you must install before attempting to sell your house. If all of these current proposals are enacted – even over time – many more parts of our economy will be controlled by government and fewer decisions will be made freely by individuals and entrepreneurs. We will become more of a command economy.
The left-wing "liberals" or "progressives" are also trying to reprogram the way our politics work. Just think about how big a change it would be for Americans to lose their right to a secret ballot in union organizing elections! This would create a less free, more authoritarian America. The left-wing is not trying to incrementally improve an America they love. No, they are trying to use our constitutional system to change our country into something that is like a European Socialist State. If they succeed, America will be much poorer, much less fair (success will not be determined by achievement in a meritocracy, but by obtaining influence with the government), and much less free.
The fact that liberals seem very willing to abrogate the rule of law in order to empower their leftist agenda-a point I also made last week-is further evidence that they are engaging in revolutionary tactics. We should all ask ourselves the following questions.
Is it right for Democrats in the U.S. Senate to use Reconciliation in order to force ObamaCare onto the American People? No! Doing so violates the tradition and rules of the Senate simply to pass an unpopular piece of legislation.
Is it right to mandate that every American purchase a government approved healthcare plan or pay a penalty (a tax) to the government? No! This takes away every Americans individual liberty.
Is it right for Attorney General Eric Holder to drop the charges filed against members of the New Black Panther Party after they were convicted of voter intimidation at a Philadelphia polling station? No! Doing so encourages more illegal and violent intimidation during future elections across the country.
Doing so also makes all Americans less free and less safe. Even the Civil Rights Commission sent a letter to Attorney General Holder, issuing a stinging rebuke against the Department of Justice over its handling of this case.
s it right for President Obama to reduce the contract rights of bond holders and give ownership of General Motors to the U.S. Government and the United Auto Workers union? No! Doing so violates property rights. And yet, this is exactly what happened when the Federal government used the bankruptcy courts to "take over" two U.S. auto manufacturers earlier this year.
Is it right for the government to enact "card check" legislation that strips Americans of their right to a private and secret ballot in union organizing elections? No! And yet this is exactly what the Orwellian named "Employee Free Choice Act" does.
Whether it is "Card Check," Healthcare Reform, or "Cap and Trade," the left’s agenda is designed to grow and empower government while limiting individual freedoms. The left is attempting to make fundamental changes to our constitutional democracy which will make us less politically and economically free and less successful.
I also interview Jake Haulk, President of the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. Jake and I discuss the fact that over half of all teacher strikes nation wide, occur in Pennsylvania. Only 13 states still allow teachers to strike. To protect the students, the majority of these states restrict how often and when these strikes are allowed to take place. These states also issue fines and penalties if teachers violate these laws. However, in Pennsylvania, teachers are allowed to strike for two weeks every year with no penalty, and teachers are paid for the entire school year regardless of the length of a strike. Such policies empower teachers and their unions while they hurt students, families, and communities. This reality is precisely why 37 other states have made teacher strikes illegal.
Jake and I also discuss the budget battle that is continuing in Harrisburg. In spite of high unemployment, a lagging economy, reduced tax revenue, and stiff opposition from Republicans, Democratic Governor Ed Rendell is still demanding an irresponsible and unsustainable increase in government spending. The good news is that for the first time in 7 years, many Republicans are standing up to Governor Rendell and are refusing to raise taxes to accommodate the growing budget. The bad news is that Governor Rendell simply refuses to cut spending, and continues to try to sneak tax increases through the legislature in order to accommodate his agenda. The stalemate in Harrisburg continues.
Later, I comment on the current situation regarding Iran’s drive to acquire nuclear weapons. The bottom line is that the Islamic dictatorship currently in power in Iran cannot be trusted with a nuclear arsenal. Unfortunately, at this point, military action is necessary if we are determined to keep the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and their cronies from developing nuclear weapons and the missile systems needed to deliver them. For more information, please see my column in this Sunday’s Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
I also comment on General Stanley McChrystal’s request that 40,000 more U.S. troops be sent to Afghanistan. According to McChrystal, the U.S. will not be able to complete its mission without these additional troops. General David Petraeus (who now commands the entire Middle East Theater) agrees with McChrystal’s assessment. We still do not know if President Obama will listen to his commanders on the ground and order these 40,000 troops to Afghanistan. In an interview last weekend on "60 minutes," (watch video) General McChrystal stated that the President had spoken with him by phone only once during the 70 days since he had taken command. And Barack Obama criticized George Bush for neglecting Afghanistan! Give me a break, President Obama’s multiple missteps and misstatements are growing very, very tiresome. The fact is that we cannot afford to lose in Afghanistan and General Stanley McChrystal sure seems like he knows what he is talking about. President Obama should give the General the troops he needs regardless of the politics. It is time for President Obama to think about what is best for our country and not what his left-wing advisers tell him to do. The future security and safety of the United States and Afghanistan depends on President Obama making the right decision. America cannot risk a defeat that will allow the Taliban to re-take power in Afghanistan. President Obama must listen to his commanders. He must keep us safe. This is his job and if he fails to do it, then he will be out of the White House in just a little over three years – 2012 is starting to sound pretty darn good!
Finally, I discuss the decision of the International Olympic Committee to award the 2016 Olympic Games to Rio over Chicago. While it would have been nice to have the games back in the USA, I hope that President Obama learns a key lesson from the defeat he and his wife suffered in Copenhagen. For the sake of our country and the world, let us hope and pray that President Obama learned that other leaders and other nations will not give him his way just because he smiles, acts nice, apologizes for America, and makes emotional speeches appealing to the goodness of other people. The IOC did not listen to him and neither will Iran, North Korea or others. Successful leadership requires more than words; it requires action.
Have a great week.
Sincerely,
Glen
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