The Unlimited Arrogance of Power
“I’ve come here tonight … to speak frankly and directly to the men and women who sent us here.”
That was the beginning of President Obama’s first report to Congress, and it spoke volumes. With those words, President Obama began a process of dividing the nation. Those voters who sent him there expect much in the way of handouts and governmental support, and they were richly rewarded. President Obama spent the rest of the speech explaining what perks his voters could expect and hinting at the sacrifices that producers of wealth could expect to bear.
Obama claimed to dislike big government. He then announced new government programs for job creation, unemployment compensation, home loan repayment, new mortgages, car loans, bank bailouts, a larger military, increased funding for research, possible bank nationalization, new financial market regulation, energy research, new road building, federally funded energy efficiency programs, cap and trade carbon regulation, new funding and regulation of the auto industry, government run health care, new education programs and reform, new college payment programs, increased veterans spending, escalation of the war in Afghanistan, and a cure for cancer. All this, but not one dime of new taxes for 95% of Americans. And yet, he said seriously, this was “Not because I believe in bigger government – I don’t.” I guess I have no idea of what Mr. Obama considers big government to be, but from where I sit, Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama have just become the world’s biggest helicopter parents. No area of our lives will lack the touch of the heavy hand of government.
The phrase “every debate we have in the coming months” was included in the President’s speech. So far, none of the draconian changes to our way of life have been “debated.” The bills are written and passed with little allowance for public scrutiny or input. President Obama revealed the unlimited arrogance of his power when he replied to a question Congressional Republicans had about the stimulus package by saying simply, “I won”.
For some, this new socialism is a welcomed lifelong dream. To them, I offer the words of Samuel Adams. “If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”
I felt disillusioned after the passage of the stimulus bill. I can say, with great honesty, that after hearing this speech, this… manifesto… that for the first time in my adult life, I am ashamed of America. The Obama experience has brought me a modern perspective on the feelings of our Founding Fathers as they struggled against an oppressive government that had levied crushing taxes upon them with little or no representation. Those of us in the red community should expect the multitude of new policy “Czars” from Washington to bear a strong resemblance to the heavy handed governors appointed over the thirteen colonies by the British monarchy. I hope the strength of our convictions is sufficient for us to confront them with the same steadfastness that great patriots confronted governmental tyranny in the past.
