"Imposing Freedom" and Oxymoron

So it seems everywhere I go these days, I see little spots of anti-war protesters here and there. I'll be honest, I greatly admire the persistence and commitment of these folks while I completely disagree with their cause entirely. Frankly, if our right wingers had a tenth of the passion and commitment that these folks have, we wouldn't be on the verge of extinction in Massachusetts.

All that aside, I mentioned that I disagree with their cause. I very much disapprove of their playing on the emotions of others in hopes of convincing people that somehow war is never justified, which is really is complete and total buffoonery. These must be the same folks, who if someone put their family in danger, would likely ask the attacker if he would like to talk? Nothing encourages violence more than people who lack the spine to stop it or prevent it from happening before it begins.

Many of the peace-nicks seem to insist that war has never solved anything. Is that really any kind of rational statement to make? War has, in fact solved many of mankind's greatest problems and issues. Did War not solve the issue of slavery? Did War not cast Hitler from this earth? What if we confronted Soviet Communism not with Nuclear escalation, but by laying down naked in Australia, allowing our nude bodies to form the word "Peace"?

Those who fail to remember history are doomed to repeat it, or so I've been told. With Islamic fascism becoming the new Nazism, what will it take for these folks to take it seriously? What is most unsettling to me is that even the audacity of the 9-11 attacks wasn't enough to make people take this new struggle seriously. 2,000+ people died in the middle of our largest city in broad day light. If that wasn't enough, what will be?

More importantly, what will it take to stop Osama Bin Laden and co.? A relentless succession of sit-ins, die ins, and crap ins? Maybe dressing up in garbage bags and laying in the street will do it? Are these people to be taken seriously at all?

We have many, many issues facing us in this country today, but none greater than fighting the war on terror. Democrats have conveniently flip flopped on their position of 'more troops to win the war' and are now in full blown 'get them out, we've lost' mode. I can't think of a more disastrous foreign policy blunder than to yank our troops out of Iraq at the most critical point in the war.

However, beyond the tactical and political implications lies the truly disturbing piece of all of this, which is how much traction self-defeatism has gained. There has been a relentless effort on the part of Democrats and those generally opposed to the conflict to point out every conceivable flaw this war has had. If it's a success , it should have been a success months ago, not now. Nothing is ever good enough. One must question any idealogical sect that makes the argument that we somehow are "Imposing Freedom on others". Isn't that, in and of itself, oxymoronic?

When you strip it all away, it's all about power. Of course the Democrats want to remove the troops from Iraq. When it goes to hell in a hand basket, they'll ask Americans in 2008 a simple question: "After the foreign policy disaster that was the Bush Administration, how can you possibly elect another Republican President?" It all boils down to power and a party that never viewed our current President as legitimate. Because they never saw him as legitimate, not one single policy he's ever brought up has been seen as remotely legitimate. Nothings up for negotiation when you feel the person sitting in office is not legitimate. It's created a fanaticism and bitterness towards a sitting President never before equaled and quite possibly, never will be ever again. Democrats hate George Bush. Burying him and his Presidency, his party and even perhaps his people, is what drives them every day and will continue to do so until they regain the power they feel is rightfully theirs. If national security of the American people is compromised, then so be it.

Which brings me to the part of all this where I pull things together. Those driven to stop this war are motivated by power, not principle. For the very reasons they supposedly 'threw the bums out' in November, they're opposing this war. It's about being 'right', not DOING what's right. I give full credit to peace-nicks and liberals for wanting to live in a better world. However, their recklessness and thirst for power make me question their motives. You can't be serious about ending a war unless you are serious about ridding the world of the causes of war, which include socialist dictatorships, like the one that we had in Iraq and spreading freedom and democracy and values which we believe to be god-given. Once they start to do that, then I'll take their gatherings on the town green and on the on ramp to I-91 seriously.

Patrick Administration Lost Already

After an inauguration filled with much pomp and circumstance, newly-sworn in Governor Deval Patrick is learning that maybe this whole Governor's thing wasn't as easy as he thought it would be, that is assuming of course, he gave it much thought at all. Given the events of the first three days in office, one must be wondering.

Just today it was learned that newly appointed Economic Development advisor Rep. Daniels Bosley (D-North Adams), will, uh, not be appointed to anything at all. The job, at least Patrick figured, was going to be a 'super cabinet' position of sorts, overseeing housing and urban development, technology and some other areas of the state government. The pay was assumed to be well into the $100,000 a year range. Sound too good to be true?

Bosley today, stepped down from his post before he ever got there to go back to the house, after not really ever resigning there. It was discovered that his office was to be moved from the Governor's office to way down the street, his pay was to be cut, and in the ultimate insult and exercise in the weird, he wasn't going to have any power anyways.

One is probably shaking their head reading that last section, but Patrick, according to Bosley, let him know that, well, he was just going to be a figure head. In fact, Patrick wants to run the department himself, in an effort to be more 'hands on' in his administration. Jimmy Carter was 'hands on' and look where it got us. What a precedent to set. It will be interesting to see how Patrick reports the weekly happenings of the Massachusetts Economy to, well, himself.

In a statement of even greater comedy, Patrick said this would be a change from the "way many of my Republican predecessors operated". I have yet to hear of many Republican Governors, in Massachusetts or anywhere for that matter, that would think that hiring themselves as a cabinet level authority would be a smart move. Come to think of it, I've never heard of DEMOCRATS ever doing that.

Bosley isn't foul on this whole thing, he just wants to go back to the house and get to work again. Some wondered if his position of opposition to Casino Gambling strained the relationship and he said it didn't. I mean, it's not like it would have mattered. He was just supposed to be a figure head!

And in the greatest shocker of all this week, Governor Patrick had to re neg on that good old campaign promise of lowering property taxes. In addition, we found out that Patrick's pretty silly plan of putting 1,000 more police officers on the streets won't even be happening to a quarter of his original plans. Two corner stone issues to his campaign, squashed once there isn't enough of everyone Else's money to spend.

Patrick has thus far proven himself to have very little knowledge of how to govern. Most of his campaign promises were, as expected empty. His civic-re engagement plans a smoke screen for a total lack of an agenda. What little agenda he did have is now out the door when he's not spending money like a madman.

For future reference, a candidate for the Governor's Office is saying "I don't have a plan", "We'll be looking into that", or "Let's Connect the Dots", perhaps it's time to raise some questions about their qualifications for the post.

The most disturbing trend in both Massachusetts politicians and the voters of the commonwealth has been the incredible will to commit to vague promises that when we finally get around to opening them up and looking at the guts of the issue, find out that, well, it wasn't so great of an idea after all. Maybe we all don't agree.

Campaign slogans and rhetoric are no excuse for actually knowing what you're talking about. It's clear Deval Patrick doesn't have the slightest idea of what to do in the corner office. I can't say i'm honestly surprised Patrick is back peddling. However, I am utterly shocked at how early it's come.