Monday, October 7, 2013

Washington, Jefferson and Einstein: Messages to Americans


October 7, 2013


To:  The Editor

     "Be what you is, cause if you be what you ain't, then you ain't what you is."  One of my college education professors gave that quote in class one day--I forget specifically what he reference it to. 
But it made some sense.  I believe Allan Ritter was a Democrat because of who he was.  He later switched to become a Republican, quite likely because of where he lived: He tried to become what he ain't.  Now, he is says that he is retiring from politics because he is about to become a grandfather for the fourth time.  But here was a time in American politics--and hence in the character of the American people--when those four grandchildren would have been four good reasons for good men like Allan Ritter NOT to quit.  
     Allan Ritter is an example of the kind of Democrat and Republican that voters might want to vote for, as alternatives to tea-party candidates who are inflexible and uncompromising in their approach to government and governing.  He is the kind of politician I recently suggested might give voters  choices other than tea-party candidates.  But for whatever reasons, the kinds of Democrats and Republicans straight thinking Americans might take the time to go to the polls to elect, especially in times like these, may not be either willing or allowed to run.
     Recently, I either heard or read that the Democrats and Republican stalemate that has shut down the government is an example of why the nation's first president, General George Washington, thought a two-party system would be a threat to the union, that eventually one of the parties would seek to bring the other down and risk bringing the nation down.  Political despots would emerge to  divide and conquer, in the "name of individual liberty."  (Reader might want to check out Google or Yahoo to review Washington's views about political parties)
     During the same time-frame, Thomas Jefferson was warning that a nation cannot poorly educate it people and remain free:  Poorly educated people cannot elect good governments because they are most likely to be either poorly informed or poorly equipped to evaluation information.   Poor education, job shortages and low pay provide access to an army of young people which few other choices for their economic futures than the military.  And we have members of this Congress who appear to be prime candidates to become the first Ruler (and commander in chief) of the United States.  (Remember how Castro criticized and overthrew Cuban dictator Batista before becoming Cuba's dictator himself.) 
     However, one also might want to read Albert Einstein's "Essay on Socialism."  He talks about what capitalism will eventually permit those who have access to great wealth to become and where that will lead the nation.  George Washington and Albert Einstein two of the wisest and smartest giants of the nations history has predicted what is on the threshold of happening within the United States.  Great wealth can buy a nation of voters which believes it is not happening and cannot happen.
     What kind of people are we becoming?  What kind of children are we teaching and role-modeling for our children to become?  What kind of country, what kind of government, will they inherit?  What will their roles be within that society?  What kinds of relationships with other people are we preparing them to have?  What about people of other races or religions?  Are the religious teachings to have no relevance to political behavior?  Are the only functions of religious institutions to give members respectability, conduct wedding ceremonies and funeralize the dead?  Will this provide a better world for our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren than we have?  And can having more money, with less integrity and no compassion be sufficient for happiness?  Will they even be able to live with each other ?
     "Be what you us."  What are you?  Unfortunately, "Be what you is" is also a message to those who may choose to be the villains of society if they take that advice.  Should not religion be the instrument that changes hearts and minds, that gives people who are less inclined to love their neighbors reason to do so?  Is Heaven the only reward for practicing the teachings of Jesus?  Are there no earthly benefits, no benefits within family relationships.  Is there no inner peace, no outer sense of purpose that faith accrues?
      "Be what you is" seems to be the prevailing or driving force of human behavior.  There is increased social, political and peer pressure to resist trying to "be what (we) ain't"  If it corresponds with the old moral codes, with the old ways of thinking.  There is also a feeling among many that what use to be wrong is not right and what use to be right is not wrong.  
     I talked in a previous opinion about Democrats and Republicans being on the opposite sides of what is right and wrong: Republicans are for children before they are born but act as if they don't care about them after they are born.  Democrats seem to care more about children after they are born but less about them before they are born.  It seems to be that being on the opposite of most important issue is the only reason to have more than one political party. Voter, they seem to believe, must be given a choice.   That means that each party must claim that what the other party wants to do--or has done--is wrong.  And recently they have resorted to lying about the others intent as many time as is needed for lies begin to sound like the truth.  These are among the reason why George Washington did not want more than one politics party.
      What does it say when good men cannot remain in government because governing is hard on the conscience.  I don't know if this is the reason for an area Republican state representative, Allan Ritter, retiring, but I know that there are many Republicans who are increasingly having to fight unwanted battles with their consciences in order to stay in public office.  It is a battle that good men can't continue to win, and it's a battle that conscience can't continue to lose.
     The decision of Speaker Boehner to not have a vote of the House of Representatives to determine whether to continue the funding of the government because he claims there are not enough votes to approve it makes no sense.  If the votes are not there, permitting the vote would, at worst, leave the shutdown in place as it is.  But if the vote are actually there, the shutdown will end and government will have resumed working at intended.  After all, the Speaker is speaker of the entire House, not Speaker of the Republicans.
     The Speaker says further that there must be conversations between Democrats and Republicans that result in reduced spending--primarily on entitlements--but does not raise more revenues through tax increases.  But he says further that revenues will not be raised.  What, then, is there to talk about?  This is another kind of internal contradictions that are rotting the party.  Remember, too, the sequester which was supposed to be so sever that Congress would not be stupid enough to allow it to actually happen has happened.  And this is the same Congress that is now making important decisions about whether keep the government open and raise the debt limit.  The hope that Congress would somehow become smarter by decision-making time has proven to be just that: "hope."  "Be who you is"?  Congressional members, especially most tea-party Republicans and their Speaker, are still simply being who they were.
     If Washington, Jefferson, and Einstein are right, they may be bells tolled for the United States that are incapable of being unrung.

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Ronald

Email:  rcspoon@earthlink.net
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