This is a message primarily for my fellow conservatives but really is a message to all Americans. No matter your political leanings all citizens should consider the thoughts I am about to express.
And because I feel it adds weight to this message, I'd like to give you my perspective by telling you a little about myself. I am a middle aged family man whose annual household income has never exceeded $60,000. My children qualify for state covered healthcare and my wife and I, as I write this, have no health insurance. I am not looking for the federal government to cover me. I take responsibility for my current financial situation. I will be purchasing some high deductible "disaster" coverage insurance soon which is all I can currently afford.
I, along with a host of Americans, am outraged about the debilitating burden we have placed on subsequent generations, which includes our children and the future of this country. It has even occurred to me that if an entity wanted to destroy our country what has happened is how they might do it, that is spend us into oblivion. I think one can argue the case that what is happening is nothing less than deliberate sabotage. I am not qualified to make that argument but America certainly has enemies like the ones that executed the September 11th attacks, and it is consistent with their practice and methods, that is, to use the fruit of our prosperity and our most prized treasure, liberty, against us.
I read a lot of news letters and emails and see a lot of talking heads that condemn the actions of the president of the greatest country on the planet, the United States of America. What particularly annoys me is anyone who complains and is quick to point out errors but never offers an alternate solution. These are those that would complain if you hung them with a new rope. Seriously though, we should all be concerned about solutions.
Universal health care sounds like a wonderful, utopian ideal. I would love to receive the same care that the president of the united states enjoys. The argument though is not settled by demonizing conservatives for their lack of compassion but should focus on the role of government's participation in the matter. A vast majority of Americans agree whether conservative or liberal that we, as the most advanced civilized nation to ever walk the earth, have at least some moral responsibility to take care of those who CAN'T help themselves. But that role is one of the fundamental directives of the local church, after the church municipalities, then state, and last, as well as least effective, the federal government. Local clergy is best suited to judge who is the most needy. They are on the front lines. The federal government and its monstrous bureaucracy is so inefficient that seriously you wouldn't want them to make decisions that affect you or your loved ones on such an individual basis.
I am, as you can see then, very conservative politically speaking. However, President Barack Hussein Obama is the president. I did not vote for him. No matter how much I disagree with his policies I should not want to see him fail. In a time of genuine national crisis we do not want, nor can we afford, our leaders to fail. To have him fail would be to have America fail. But consider the uniqueness of this situation. What has been the greatest excuse for the termination of affirmative action, could potentially set race relations back years. You see for him, Obama, to fail would also mean the first African American president fails. Given the scenario of a failed presidency, characterized by economic disaster, and everyone willing to find a scapegoat, race relations could deteriorate and possibly ignite already highly volatile racial tensions or worse spark a war.
I am not a political scientist, economist or sociologist, just an observer. Perhaps it is obvious to the educated elite but I don't hear any dialog on the subject. Therefore, I feel pressed to bring these concerns to the table and share with you where I am coming from. An example of this potentially explosive situation can be demonstrated with the following illustration.
Just like acoustic wave properties can be modeled and demonstrated in a wave tank filled with water, a typical price chart of financial markets provide an excellent model for presenting the "herd behavior" undulations of the political respiration. After several years experience observing and participating in active financial markets I have learned that only one thing can consistently be predicted. Specifically, when a market begins to turn it is seldom, IF EVER, a gentle and moderate "easy landing" reversal. On the contrary it is almost certainly characterized by highly emotionally charged capitulations. They are quick, violent and swift.
Quick - meaning if you are not prepared ahead of time you will get caught unawares.
Violent - meaning there are a majority are victims.
Swift - meaning the ones in power get away quick and bury their tracks.
The grander the cycle the more violent the reversal. Like an adolescent teen testing his boundaries, it is the function of any FREE market to test price extremes and political ideologies show similar cyclic characteristics. It has been said "nature abhors a vacuum" - likewise markets abhor a misvalue.
Historians refer to these political capitulations as "revolutions" and even with our governments' checks and balances the United States is NOT immune. The founding fathers were emerging from a rigid ruling system and recognized the ebb and flow of political and economic forces. Like engineers designing flexibility in a bridge our government was designed to withstand these cyclic forces. But if the forces exceed the tolerances of the design a violent rupture results.
What can we do? Write to congress. Tell your neighbors. Share this message. Support a local charity or church. If you are a Christian you have even more obligations. If you are a believer then you believe in the inspiration of scripture, and the power of prayer. We are commanded to pray for our leaders. Scripture tells us, therefore God tells us, leaders are ordained by God. He allows men to rise to power. God is who we are to appeal to for change if we don't like our leaders. God CAN change their heart or replace them. He has done both in the past and can certainly do it again. So Christian brothers and sisters, what have you prayed for today?
Cary Tate
July 25, 2009.