Broadcast on D-Day [June 6, 1944] from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Dwight David Eisenhower - D-Day Broadcast
People of Western Europe: A landing was made this morning on the cost of France by troops of the Allied Expeditionary Force. This landing is part of the concerted United Nations plan for the liberations of Europe, made in conjunction with our great Russian allies... I call upon all who love freedom to stand with us now. Together we shall achieve victory. - Dwight David Eisenhower --
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Was President Bush Really a Big Government Republican? Critics Say So
Why are most Americans against big government? Perhaps, the answer goes only back to our founding fathers and our Constitution. In this document it calls for a strong national defense and a weak federal government with strong state governments. A big federal government was not what the founding fathers had intended, and therefore, many Americans have a problem when it comes to the expansion, and interference into our daily lives, as we are told what to say, how to do things, and what is acceptable.
Many folks in the media and all the critics on the left side of the political spectrum, along with some of those Republicans or conservatives, and even libertarians, which moved away from the GOP, and moved over to Obama & Co. say things such as; "That Bush is a Big Government Republican is undeniable." In fact, recently a political pundit brought up this conversation with me, and believed it was an unarguable point of contention.
Was President Bush really a big government Republican? If you look at what he did in office you do see increases in the size of government in some of the sectors. But overall, one has to ask if that is actually a fair assessment. Okay but the government's number one job is to protect the American people and President Bush's largest increases in government were for The Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, FEMA, which are all part of protecting the American people. Expanding the military to fight away is not a "big government" move in and of itself. Please consider this.
Lance Winslow is a retired franchisor - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is formerly the CEO of WashGuys family of franchises for instance one of Lance Winslow's favorite companies on the team;http://www.windowwashguys.com/links.shtml. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow |  |
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Ronald Reagan in Private - A Memoir of My Years in the White House
By Jim Kuhn, Executive Assistant to the President
Publisher: Sentinel 2004
What is it like to be the personal assistant to one of the United States', arguably the world's, most popular presidents? This book opens your eyes to the logistics involved in a presidential campaign as well as daily life at the White House. Written from the perspective of the Executive Assistant to the President, who in this case also worked on two Reagan presidential campaigns as an advance man, is really quite amazing revealing all that goes into "an appointment" or an "appearance" by the President.
There are certainly insights into the personality and demeanor of President Reagan and Mrs. Reagan in the book as well as personal anecdotes, but this is by no means a "tell-all" or biography of the man. Jim Kuhn is a die-hard fan of the Reagans' and you will not find one negative word about them in the book. The author spent day and night with or very near the president for four years and still has only praise for his boss.
I found the section about the negotiations with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 and 1986 especially interesting coming from the perspective of the personal assistant. There were a number of details in the meetings that appeared to contribute greatly to the outcome. It was also revealing to hear about President Reagan's response when talks broke down and success seemed to escape him. If you enjoy reading about history or real people and real events, this is a nice "light read".
Terri Marks is a baby boomer wife, mother and grandmother in Madison, Wisconsin. She has a life full of colorful events and observations. Her hobbies are bird-watching, gardening and serving at her church. She publishes her own ezine at http://www.calicowoman.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terri_Marks |
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Ronald Reagan's Republican Party
"We're the party that wants to see an America in which people can still get rich." -- Ronald Reagan - Remark at Republican congressional diner Washington D.C. [May 4, 1982]
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
American Conservative Political Philosophy
The Classical Conservative Definition:
A classical conservative values tradition and freedom over governmental power. Conservatives, under this definition, advocate a free market economy without governmental intervention. Conservatives tend to view government as a necessary evil, whose primary responsibility is to protect people from violation of their rights and freedom by others. Conservatives distinguish this from government taking action to guarantee people's rights and freedom (a subtle, but important distinction). Conservatives think of morality as something that binds people into groups through loyalty and authority (in certain cases, substituting religion for authority). Conservatives tend to be tribalists.
There is likely not as much difference between the two philosophies as you may have thought. The distinctions are subtle, but they do lead to a different philosophy of both the purpose, and responsibilities of government. Distinctions between the two philosophies shift and morph to suit the politics of the day.
Conservatives are usually regarded as associated with the Republican Party, liberals with the Democratic Party. This is an over-generalization.
Both parties embrace certain conservative and liberal tendencies. Moreover, it does not account for those that do not affiliate with either party, standing as independents, a very large segment of America's political society.
FOUNDERS OF CONSERVATISM
Edmund Burke is often regarded as the founder of the conservative philosophy. Burke stated in 1791 that it was not necessary to tear apart society to cure its evils:
"An ignorant man who is not fool enough to meddle with his clock, is however sufficiently confident to think he can safely take to pieces, and put together at his pleasure, a moral machine of another guise, importance and complexity, composed of far other wheels, and springs, and balances, and counteracting and co-operating powers.
Men little think how immorally they act in rashly meddling with what they do not understand. Their delusive good intention is no sort of excuse for their presumption. They who truly mean well must be fearful of acting ill."
Burke professed that change should only be made when fully aware of the consequences of the actions. Society is complex and interconnected, so changes must be made with deliberation and knowledge of history. The damage from miscalculated changes can be too disastrous to society, to do otherwise.
This is not to say conservatives oppose change. Conservatives recognize that change is necessary in society; however, conservatives move at a slower pace than liberals.
The Modern Conservative Movement
Many credit Russell Kirk's 1953 book, "The Conservative Mind" with the birth of the modern conservative movement in the United States. In 1957, Kirk condensed he beliefs in "The Essence of Conservatism:"
"...The conservative is a person who endeavors to conserve the best in our traditions and our institutions, reconciling that best with necessary reform from time to time...Our American War of Independence...especially in the works of John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, we find a sober and tested conservatism founded upon an understanding of history and human nature. The Constitution which the leaders of that generation drew up has proved to be the most successful conservative device in all history."
In this statement, Kirk restated that the U.S. Constitution is an instrument that protects people from abuse by government; in that regard, the Constitution must be strictly interpreted to guarantee that protection.
Barry Goldwater was the first politician to waive the modern conservative banner. His book, "The Conscience of a Conservative" was required reading at Harvard, at least for a while. When running for president in 1964, Goldwater promised to enforce the U.S. Constitution.
However, it was Ronald Reagan that legitimized the conservative political philosophy as President in 1980. He ran on a platform of cutting government, as he did when governor in California, where his main reform was in welfare.
As President, Reagan cut taxes in his first year. Whether as a direct result or not, the U.S. economy began an unprecedented economic boom in 1982 that lasted until 2001. However, Reagan will also be remembered for not only his economic forecast in 1982, but his prophesy that: "The march of freedom and democracy ... will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash-heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people."
The fall of the Berlin wall came in 1989, followed by the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
CONCLUSION
In looking at the above comparison of conservative and liberal values, it is apparent that arguments can be made for the value of either position. However, such a limited view misses the point. Combining both philosophies can take the best from each to provide solutions to our problems.
As an example, take the issue of trust as to whether government is the best answer to our problems. Conservatives are wary to trust government as the answer; liberals tend to see government as a necessary evil, but still the best answer to solve our problems. Both are appropriate views. Our Founding Fathers recognized this dilemma and developed a system of checks and balances, a separation of powers for an effective government, but one that never developed too much power over its citizens.
The Founding Fathers listened to both sides of the conservative and liberal argument to try to find a system that meets the needs of all.
Today, our society needs to move forward to meet new challenges; liberals say we need new solutions to those challenges; conservatives say we need to trust proven solutions because miscalculation could make our problems worse. Again, both views have value; and a blending of both is likely the best answer: learn from the past, while we forge the future.
Unfortunately, our politics have become too polarized and too divisive. People take positions rather than work together. Political parties provide those positions. Many Republicans revert to religion as a bastion, while many Democrats turn their party into a religion.
After obtaining a degree in political science, I embarked on a career in insurance and government. For the last 21 years, I have worked for local government and government associations. I have written articles, as well as manuals, assisting local government in effectively managing their activities and exposures. I have also provided training in these areas, been a frequent speaker at educational seminars, and acted as President of an association of governmental employees. During this time, I continued an interest in the politics that is embedded in government and where politics is leading this nation in the Twenty First Century. Rick Lawrence, June 6, 2009 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Lawrence |
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
"Open Letters to George W. Bush" author Case Wagenvoord: BOOK REVIEW
Open Letters to George W. Bush
Case Wagenvoord
iUniverse (2005)
ISBN 0595361978
Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (6/06)
This book is a tongue-in-cheek satire of government and big business, told through a series of letters to President Bush from a fictional character called Belacqua Jones, described by the author as a meth-addicted psychopath, half a bubble off plumb.
Belacqua Jones is an ardent admirer of George W. Bush and possesses keen insight into the political machine. That insight is clearly evident in this book as Jones comments on every aspect of Bush’s presidency and offers invaluable advice to further his political career. Some of Jones’ suggestions: Enhance the value of death. If someone has an illness such as cancer, offer painkillers rather than medicine to fight the disease. Morphine is much cheaper than chemotherapy. Keep the rest of the world impoverished so that the US can maintain its standard of living. Shore up Social Security by making cigarette smoking mandatory for children. If he wishes to eliminate Social Security, he can just abolish retirement. Problem solved. The big corporations can take back all the money they put into the 401 (k)s and give enormous bonuses to the top executives as they so richly deserve.
Jones is also looking out for George’s interests, such as warning him about the Ashlee Simpson debacle. It takes an astute player to recognize the potential harm Simpson could do the political machine.
At times Jones shows astonishing vision, such as urging the canonization of Judas Iscariot by the Vatican. How could anyone, except a meth-addicted psychopath, half a bubble off plumb, realize that Judas was a victim, actually a sacrifice to the greater good?
Although I don’t agree with everything Case Wagenvoord writes, I found that I was in agreement with much more of what he has written than I anticipated. A brilliant, satirical book, I would urge everyone to sit down and browse through this work. Since the book is a series of letters, in no particular order, you can jump around, picking the chapter headings that intrigue you. Some of my favorites…The Iron Colon, Tree-Huggers, The Benefits of Torture, God Bless the Democrats, Stoning and Human Sacrifice.
Joanne Benham is a reviewer for Reader Views. |  |
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Ex-Presidents of the United States of America - George Bush the Elder, Part Four
He secured the Republican nomination for the 1988 Presidential election and chose US Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana as his running mate, they were pitted against the Dukakis/Bentsen Democratic ticket. The subsequent general election is viewed as one of the nastiest that ever took place, Bush won it on an electoral votes landslide, becoming the first Acting Vice President to be elected President. He was in office when the Communist governments in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe collapsed.
Indeed, his Presidency was dominated by foreign policy. He sent troops to Panama in 1989 to overthrow the regime of Manuel Noriega and in 1991 committed US forces to repel the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The success of the latter had the effect of soaring his popularity levels at home, this would be it's peak, it would plummet from here on in as domestic problems would come to the fore. The economy went into massive decline, forcing Bush into an embarrassing reverse turn on his famous election slogan of 'Read my lips - no new taxes' - he now had to raise taxes. His health was also beginning to give some cause for concern, he was diagnosed as having a mild heart condition and in 1992 he collapsed vomiting in the lap of the Japanese Prime Minister.
His domestic failures led him to lose the 1992 Presidential election to Bill Clinton. Since his 1992 retirement, Bush has retied with his wife, Barbara to their home in the exclusive neighbourhood of Tanglewood in Houston and they spend their summers at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport in Maine. Bush also holds his won fishing tournament in Islamorada, an island in the Florida Keys.
Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source Russell Shortt, http://www.exploringireland.net - http://www.visitscotlandtours.com |  |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)