Hunkering Down

Hunkering Down

Charlie Earl

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That astute observation has been attributed to one of our nation’s Founders and Framers, Benjamin Franklin, Delegate from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately too many of us fall into reactive mode rather than behaving proactively. As we scan the various polls and prognostications about the 2012 election, it appears that Governor Romney may be closing in on victory. So, if indeed, the trend continues for the next week or so, we should be looking forward to how his election would affect the state of the nation and our preparations for coping with the challenges that lie ahead.

Should he win, Romney’s first and most vital task is to “stop the bleeding.” In the first few hours (or days if he lingers) the new President can issue a bevy of Executive Orders to stop or prevent thousands of bureaucratic over reaches in all departments of government. He can also repeal hundreds of Obama EO’s such as those that created the unconstitutional czar positions and those which restrict sensible domestic energy development. Clearly he should follow through on his PROMISE to REPEAL Obamacare, and the Congress should follow suit.

Governor Romney statements during the three debates and various stump speeches indicate that other than some tax rate/deductions changes, he doesn’t anticipate proposing massive reformation of our monstrous tax code. He has also suggested that aside from some regulatory reorientation, he has no desire to drastically reduce the various agencies and bureaus. In fact….he has stated that he seeks to increase the impact of the Department of Education. These are not the policies of a government reductionist. These are not the words of a constitutionalist. These are not the plans for downsizing big government and spending control. These statements suggest a “statist-lite” approach to government power, big spending and ever-growing tyranny.

Don’t get me wrong. Although I prefer another candidate for President, I would much rather have Romney in the White House for the next four years than the Marxist incompetent who dwells there now. With Obama at the helm my preparations for the dismal failure of our nation would have to be accelerated. If Romney guides the ship of state, I can arrange my affairs and my bunker in a more orderly manner because … none of the plans proposed by the GOP nominee or his sidekick, Congressman Ryan, will prevent the inevitable fiscal chaos facing our nation. None. Nada. Not any. Their most drastic proposal achieves a balanced budget in 28 years. TWENTY EIGHT MORE YEARS OF DEFICIT SPENDING is not a prescription for what ails us. It is a suicide pill. Again…to give them their due, Obama’s “solutions” are more devastating and less gentle than taking a never-wake-up tablet.

Some of the Governor’s supporters tout his history as a turn-around artist in the business world. I respect his history in that regard and have a tiny glimmer of hope that he might succeed with our nation, but those same supporters fail to mention that sometimes the enterprises Romney sought to save had to be dismantled and sold piecemeal or go through bankruptcy. Even he and his Bain cohorts could not save them all, and I believe that I can forcefully argue that the situation in the United States of America is much direr than at “Bubba’s Widgets.”

Obviously I have not factored in the role of Congress following the election. The Republicans have a fighting chance to win the Senate, but it does not appear likely that they will have a filibuster-proof 60 members. Even if they reach that lofty goal, the Senate GOP is over-populated with moderate RINO’s who will ferociously resist any attempts to seriously downsize the cost and size of government. The Republican House may add a few more members, but Boehner et.al have not shown that they are willing to do the heavy lifting. In fact a resolute minority of the GOP caucus has attempted to initiate some fiscal sanity only to be thwarted and condemned by their own leadership. Whatever changes come about following the election next week will be cosmetic and ineffective. It’s time to hunker down.

Charlie Earl

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

cearlliberty@gmail.com

http://thelibertylegation.blogspot.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Ohio Republicans Should Vote for Gary Johnson

Ohio Republicans Should Vote for Johnson

Charlie Earl

The following headline introduced a story on Newsmax.com on Friday October 5^th.

GOP Sees Path to Romney Victory Without Ohio

Thursday, 04 Oct 2012 02:52 PM

By Dan Weil

If the headline is true, and the GOP and the Romney campaign team are calculating a victory sans Ohio, then the implication is that they cede the state to Obama. Dedicated Republicans, liberty lovers and GOP Kool-Aid drinkers should take note and pursue a strategy that moves the cause of liberty forward while simultaneously sticking the shiv into the Obama campaign. Vote for liberty while confounding the leftists and statists.

Another benefit for Republican support of Gary Johnson is that it will discredit the establishment GOP power structure in Ohio. These are the RINO’s who have systematically and consistently thwarted Tea Party and liberty efforts to promote and elect constitutional candidates. Those of us who value liberty and constitutional governance more than simple political expediency have tolerated the “lesser of two evils” theme for decades. Now…we should turn the tables on those who claim to cherish the Constitution and freedom. If Romney and the GOP Establishment have indeed given up on Ohio, wouldn’t a migration to a constitutional third-party candidate make sense? You could join those disaffected Democrats who seek an alternative to their Marxist wonder boy, but cannot completely cross the line to vote for an apparent losing (in the state) Republican. It’s a win-win-win…. For constitutional republicans, discouraged democrats and liberty-loving libertarians….oh yes, another win for our state and our nation as the demand for smaller responsible government echoes across the land.

Some newer polls that were released on Sunday suggest that Romney may have a slight lead in Ohio. If true and verifiable, the Romney campaign crew will probably dump huge resources into the Buckeye state to solidify the “lean.” If this scenario should develop, then you should vote for the liberty candidate because the GOP won’t need you. Either way….your most reasonable option, and the best alternative for defeating leftists and RINO’s is to vote for liberty. On the other hand, if you truly enjoy the taste of Kool-Aid, then continue to support the same inexorable slide into socialism that has served us so poorly for the past century. Socialism is not a matter of degree. It is an absolute as government controls the people and the means of production. Whether one reaches socialist nirvana via the fast track or the incremental one is meaningless. The end result….the bottom line….the final outcome is the same. To prefer the slower route is an amazingly selfish point-of-view because you are enjoy a little bit of our remaining liberty so that your children and grandchildren can be enslaved. Delaying the inevitable always leads to the inevitable. The only variable is the length of the delay.

Charlie Earl

cearlliberty@gmail.com

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

http://thelibertylegation.blogspot.com

Debate Daze

Debate Daze

Charlie Earl

After sipping the Dom Perignon and enjoying a fine Havana, many patriots and their Republican acquaintances are basking in the afterglow of a total beat down during Wednesday’s Denver debate. Governor Romney treated the President like a rented mule as he pounded him all over the arena. The Governor was on message and politely aggressive while the President seemed confused and dispirited. More than 70 million viewers tuned in for the Romney romp, but were they informed….or merely impressed?

Concurrent with the debate, Libertarian Gary Johnson had an on-line event wherein he responded to the questions and the answers of the two old party candidates. The bad news is that the system was overloaded, thus denying access to some citizens. The good news which is not so good is that Gary Johnson 2012 picked up 7 thousand new Twitter followers. Seven thousand is like spittle in the ocean when compared to 70 million. It was an innovative effort by Governor Johnson but was a pale imitation of the big show….unfortunately.

Romney’s performance was targeted, informative and relentless. Obama’s was reminiscent of an empty-minded zombie. As one who detests Obama’s big-government socialist agenda, I was pleased with the outcome. However, I suspect that a Romney victory on November 6^th may be initially beneficial in the short term for our nation and our liberty, but marginally so for the long term. I watched the debate, and I carefully read the transcript. Here’s why I’m somewhat sanguine and cautious about our Nation’s future. Romney said, “I’m not looking to cut massive taxes and to reduce the revenues going to the government.” Why not?

Yes, we have a spending problem. It is a direct result of a government that is too large and operates outside the confines of its constitutional limitations. Why continue feeding the beast? By not reducing revenues, Romney is guaranteeing that agencies, departments, bureaus and fiefdoms will battle for each and every crumb of taxpayer funds. Weak-willed Members of Congress will struggle mightily to raise additional monies (new taxes) for their favorite projects. By taking gross tax revenues off the table, Governor Romney has limited his options and defined the battlefield for his opponents. Additionally, the apparent guilt of the Governor led him to assert that he would continue to tax the wealthy at a higher rate. This is class warfare…the GOP version.

Romney’s statement that he would measure the value of a subsidy or program by determining whether or not it justified borrowing funds from China has an authentic ring, but is specious. Why not use a constitutional standard rather than a fiscal one? In addition he promised to “toss” many programs back to the states for them to administer in ways that are best for them. He justified that by claiming to want the Tenth Amendment to work, however if those programs are mandated or required, the only benefit for the respective states will be in the implementation. If mandated, the new required federal programs will place additional burdens on the “sovereign” state governments. It appears at first blush that an aggressive nullification effort may be just as important under a Romney administration as it is under Obama.

Romney also stated that he wishes to “means test” Medicare benefits….probably by manipulating premiums and co-pays. Obama may have professed a desire to spread the wealth around, but Romney, too, has accepted the flawed premise. The Governor also flatly stated that he is “not going to cut education funding.” He forgot to identify the enumerated power in the Constitution that underlies his pledge.

Finally….Romney did state that he saw the role of government “to promote and protect principles of (the Constitution and Declaration of Independence).” He also stated that government should protect life and liberty. These statements are good. They are sound. They are laudable, but they conflict with his early words and his governance in Massachusetts.

If a true principled constitutionalist cannot be elected, and the contest is between just Governor Romney and President Obama, I hope Romney wins. I will, however, cross my fingers, hold my breath and battle every big-government overreach he supports or proposes. I must go now and don my armor. I strongly suspect that I will need it.

Charlie Earl

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

cearlliberty@gmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

http://thelibertylegacy.blogspot.com

  

The Big Johnson Effect

The Big Johnson Effect

Charlie Earl

Contrary to your first impression, this is not a summary of my autobiography. This column is totally based on my opinion and my perception. Whatever research or data I’ve used to form my point of view comes from nothing more than anecdotal evidence and my “gut.” Here is my premise: Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson will “steal” as many votes from Barrack Obama in Ohio as he does from Mitt Romney. For those of you whose partisanship outweighs your reason, what I’m saying is that Gary Johnson is an equal-opportunity thief.

The weekend poll results published by the Columbus Dispatch indicate that Obama has a 9-point head-to-head lead in Ohio (51-42).

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/09/30/1-dispatch-poll-shows-obama-in-lead.html ^

My sensitive abdominal area informs me that the margin will be much closer in the Buckeye state, and Gary Johnson’s ballot presence will be a significant contributor to the narrower gap. Why? Because not all democrats are stupid. Not all democrats are blood-sucking looters who expect the state (government) to provide their needs and wants. Not all Democrats see that providing cell phones at taxpayer expense for certain classes of voters is a sound fiscal idea. Not all democrats, particularly union members, belong to public employee unions or the UAW. Some traditional democrat voters belong to other unions that reaped no benefits from the massive stimulus spending by the Obama administration. They believe that they were used and abused. They recognize that the growing numbers and power of public employee unions radically undermines our social and fiscal fabric. They cannot vote for a republican without suffering from cognitive dissonance and internal angst. They may choose to not vote at all…… or pull the lever for a third-party candidate.

The hand-wringing hyper-partisan element of the GOP loves to preach that a libertarian candidate ALWAYS hurts the Republicans. Why would they assume that? Is it because Libertarians promote small constitutional government and fiscal sanity? Perhaps. The GOP leaders do so as well, but “everyone” knows they don’t really mean it. It must, therefore, be the firm conviction and dedication to the PRINCIPLES of smaller constitutional government exhibited by Libertarians that gives GOP’ers the willies. Oh yes, there’s that “foreign policy” thing. Why would some voters prefer a non-aggression policy over the macho interventionism of the GOP (and the Democrats as well)? Perhaps because of the numbers of senseless wars and costly interventions, people have surmised that a muscular interventionism doesn’t work whereas a strong and determined defense makes sense. So….do the hyper-partisan GOP apologists prefer constant warfare, or are they fearful that their failing foreign policies will be exposed?

The anecdotal evidence that supports my sense that third-party candidates will hurt Obama as much, or nearly as much, as they do Romney springs from individual who know the political system is broken. They also seem to suspect that both old fossilized political parties (the oligarchy) share the fault. The Republicans and Democrats have shared power for more than 150 years….a century and a half. The burning question of this era is “are you better off than you were 150 years ago?” Certainly we have progressed…technologically, industrially, medically (though we do question some long-term negatives in the pharma front), but are we better off socially? Are we freer or do we have more liberty? Has the massive growth of government at all levels under both parties proven to be a good thing? Or is it an obstacle, an impediment and a foe of our individual sovereignty?

There are life-long democrats who are asking themselves the questions listed above. Maybe not in a literal sense, but they have some visceral unease about the state of our nation, many of our states and most of our cities. They are unhappy with the direction of their own party, and see no viable remedy from the other political monolith. Chicken-Little Republicans should have enough vision to recognize the phenomenon and encourage it instead of attempting to undermine the liberty movement at every turn. Those who consistently fight against liberty are condemned to failure. Either liberty shall prevail, or we shall all become slaves.

Charlie Earl

cearlliberty@gmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

http://thelibertylegation.blogspot.com