Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Jun 11, 2008, at 8:58 AM, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:

> So what if Bush is an unrepentant globalist and a ramapnt  
> warmonger?  Isn't
> it better that he is incompetent and so hasn't been able to pull of  
> MORE
> globalism and MORE war?
>
> Obama is a socialist, most of the (few) concrete proposals he has  
> proffered
> have been pure Marxism.  Would I prefer a competent Marxist in the  
> White House
> or an incompetent one?

I once dreamed of my government being small but efficient, effective  
but respectful, strong but alert. Then I turned 21 and began to vote.

Before GWB my thinking had evolved to a belief that any president  
could do only minimal harm, that the economic and social strengths of  
the country would prevail. I cling to that belief but it has been  
shaken. If an incompetent president could mire us in such debt, fail  
our ravaged citizens, shame us to the world, how might a competent  
president compare? Better results? Worse results?

Observation teaches that regardless of political party or supposed  
platform, each elected president, senator, congressperson, et al,  
reacts to pressures internal and external, including now ubiquitous  
polls of the people. Polls dictate campaign strategies. Polls  
encourage or discourage programs that lead to reelection percentages.

First, get elected. "Compassionate conservatism" was one of the best  
campaign slogans yet. Who could argue? Enough fell for it to get GWB  
elected not once but twice.

After election came--and will come--the programs, early on as payback  
for supporters, later as a response to personal ambition, yet later  
heavily balanced by polls of the people.

For an incompetent president, compassionate conservatism led to the  
biggest government in our history.

I see no small government in sight.

There will always be government programs.

Government programs spend my money.

I want my money spent as effectively as possible.

Therefore, I want competent program administrators, whether the  
program under administration is the Pentagon, Social Security,  
Medicare, foreign aid, FEMA, or school lunches.

I want as much accomplishment as possible for each new dollar of debt  
that my grandchildren will pay.

I therefore want a president who makes very good appointments.