Tom in Iraq as a Military Observer

Tom in Iraq as a Military Observer
They sent me here just to watch...

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Farewell to the Party of the People

We have greatly benefited that in our republic, we have maintained two viable parties for many decades.  We have lived through temporary gridlock, presidential scandals, congressional scandals galore, financial abundance and drought, war, periods between wars, civil rest and unrest, and opportunities beyond the comprehension of most of the world.

Today, however, we see the unraveling of society within the republic, and one party—the Democratic party—not only celebrating but participating and driving so much of this.  My concern is that the Democratic party as we know it is done. 

I have always been conservative, leaning to the point of being libertarian; but I know that a counter-balance is essential in a free society.  That left-leaning counter is about to implode.


How can I say that when the Tea Party obstructed many centrist movements for half a dozen years?  Because the libertarian efforts did not advocate lawlessness.  For the first time in modern U.S. History, a major political party is advocating lawlessness.  It is the Democratic party.

The mainstream members of the party may not subscribe to what the extremes of the party are advocating, but neither are they objecting.  Choose your gender and nationality, no penalties for threatening behavior in school, give safe harbor to those who have broken the law (the fact that you don’t like the law does not void the law).  Every day I see something that goes beyond disagreement, it is sickening and endorsed by what my parents knew as the party of the people, not to mention that the democratic process of the Democratic party was highjacked from within in the last presidential election.

I believe that most people who have registered Democrat don’t support the fringes that have commandeered the party, but neither can they reign in the radical elements.  Given a choice between supporting a party that suborns lawlessness or seeking political representation elsewhere, I think most Americans will choose the latter.  It likely will not be a conservative-leaning but perhaps a new party with a left-leaning center.  This was once the democratic party.  Now those who long for such a party may have to start anew.

You might think that would be a conservative’s dream.  It is not.  I think that the conservatives of this nation will do very well in the November elections.  A lot of people don’t seem to like President Trump very much, but I think they dislike the thoughts of lawlessness, disrespect for all authority, and setting aside the family as the primary governing force in raising children even more.  At least I pray that the mainstream left (not an oxymoron) still loves America and wants good things for their children and grandchildren.

The problem is that conservatives will likely have a very large majority in legislatures in Washington and state capitals by year’s end.  They will not even need to consult those leaning anywhere left of center to enact legislation, support far-reaching executive orders, and squash initiatives that are not very much right of center.

The Democratic party has a dilemma.  Support the destroy Trump agenda at the cost of supporting lawlessness or work with the man they love to hate and the Republican party.  Let’s take immigration. 

What President Trump proposed at the State of the Union Address was the most balanced approach to fixing the immigration problem in this nation that I have seen in my lifetime.  It was very centrist, perhaps too left-leaning for many conservatives, but the only real proposal for a long-term solution that incorporated a humanitarian fix for the decades of refusing to address the issue. 

The left won’t adopt this because of their anti-Trump and anti-America positions (Yes, I know their stated reasons, but it’s all driven by the destroy Trump agenda).  And, it will kill the party that was once known as the party of the people.

If the Democratic party continues on its extremist and anti-American course, the remnant will watch massive deportations of immigrants because they are here illegally.  No new laws are required.  They already exist.  The path to citizenship for an illegal immigrant as our current president has proposed will be off the table.  No such bill will even make it to his desk.

What is to be done?  Work with the president and Republican party and work for America and do it now.  Hatred of one man cannot prevail when America needs statesmen not anarchy. 

Yes, President Trump has many chinks in his armor.  Quit reading the redacted versions of history.  So did all.  Yes, I did say all.  If you liked the president, then his transgressions seemed minor.  If you didn’t, then they were signs of that the second coming of Christ was only days away.  All presidents fell short of the glory of God, and even of their party, and even of the perceived honor of the office.  None were perfect.  All had significant flaws.

But, through such flawed men, this nation has accomplished much.  We have done it with a two-party system that found creative balance not banality, negotiated options not obstinance, and did so with valor not vitriol. 

There is a near balance among our lawmakers now but there is little progress.  A destroy the president and America while you are at it philosophy helps no one and attracts only those desiring the destruction of liberty and the dominance of darkness in the world.

If Americans don’t stop listening to the fringes and those advocating lawlessness, we will see a swing to the far right before we have a chance at balance again.  I support a conservative approach to government, but I know that a counter-balance is needed. 


That counter-balance has surrendered to absurdity.  I don’t want to say my farewells to the party once called the party of the people, but unless they immediately embrace the law of the land and start working for American instead of the destruction of one man, then goodbye to you.  I would say it was nice knowing you, but I haven’t known you for a long time.