Democracy at Its Weakest

Major Mike

Democracies are at their best when all branches of government are bold and confident. When the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 it was demonstrative of how bold leaders, with a belief in democracy, could propel a nation onto the highest road yet traveled by civilization.

Democracies, particularly this one, are weakened when professional politicians (those Al Gores, KKK Byrds, Arlen Specters, etc., etc.) decide that re-election is more important than the defense of this country, and the welfare of the very constituency they seek to be elected by. They have been elected to lead this nation, not to re-tool for their next campaign.

The treasonous Republicans who endorsed the Warren Amendment are selling their souls, the souls of those killed and wounded in Iraq, the safety of all Americans, and the strength of our country for some maneuver room in their next campaigns. We have come to expect that kind of selfish and egocentric behavior from Democrats who have based their last 40 years of political strategy on denigrating this country and its accomplishments, but I am astonished by the same weak-kneed behavior shown by Republicans over the past few weeks…behavior that can only be viewed as those pols placing “Self Before Country.”

Republicans have come to power over the last 25 years because of their firm belief in the righteousness of Reaganesque thinking, not by political maneuvering around the issues, as their ever-weakening Democrat opponents have. I am not a hard-core rightie, but I am coming to believe that the extreme right may be the only thing that keeps the Republican Party from mirroring the Democrats. More and more, Republicans are “designing” their “positions” so that they can play well at home at re-election time, instead of championing the righteousness of their beliefs…at that point in time they might as well re-label themselves Democrats.

The best leaders throughout the history of democracy have endeavored to do the right thing regardless of their potential for re-election. Lincoln endured an unending scorn, although his firm belief in the righteousness of his thinking saved this nation, and earned him the highest respect among knowledgeable historians. Andrew Jackson, Churchill, Reagan, Washington, all giants in democratic history, all pursued righteous policies, not political policies. Their legacies are cemented. Who will remember Clinton, Murtha, and Warren fifty years from now?

Unless of course, they are able to subvert the righteous efforts of this country enough to ensure defeat in Iraq, then they will be remembered by me as the Jane Fondas, Pat Haydens, and John Kerrys of our times…defeatists and losers all.