Socialism Vs Capitalism

We Americans oftentimes tend to oversimplify things, especially when it benefits our agendas.  On the other hand, and when it also benefits our agendas, we can pretty much gum up the works by overly complicating things to a state of near incomprehension. 

In a political sense, we have probably oversimplified the terms liberal and conservative.  Even among the passionate advocates of either persuasion, there is much debate about the true meaning of their respective philosophy.  There seems to be degrees of each discipline.  In some form or fashion, that particular distinction pretty much dominates all political discussion in our nation these days. 

I want to focus this piece on another area of oversimplification; that being the terms socialism and capitalism.  Let us begin with some basic economics definitions. 

Socialism: an economic theory or system in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange are owned by the community collectively, usually through the state.  It is characterized by production for the use rather than profit, by equality of individual wealth, by the absence of competitive economic activity, and usually by government determination of investment, prices, and production levels. 

Capitalism: an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development occurs through the accumulation and reinvestment gained in a free market.

Distribution: the division of the total income of a community among its members, especially between labor incomes (wages and salaries) and property incomes (rents, interest, and dividends).

Redistribution: an economic theory or policy that advocates reducing inequalities in the distribution of wealth. 

Equality: the state of being equal. 

Equity: the state or quality of being just and fair.

Democracy: a government by the people in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.

After considering the above definitions, it is important to note that the definitions used for socialism and capitalism are couched in economics; not politics.  These are the tools used by our government to deliver the product set forth in our Constitution.  That last definition defines our country.   Our nation is a democracy and is based upon a clearly drawn blueprint known as our Constitution. 

Our Constitution is the “what”.  Our Declaration of Independence is the “why”. These documents are not overly complicated and are certainly not beyond the comprehension of the average American.  They were, in fact, written by people not unlike you or me.  Here is a transcript of the Declaration of Independence with some good analysis links in the margins: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript .  And here is a transcript of the Constitution, also with some good supplemental links: https://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/1/essays/38/commerce-among-the-states .

Fed up with the tyranny of the British Crown, the United Colonies announced their independence and proceeded down the historical path of first gaining that independence through war and then earning that independence through practice.  That earning continues today.  Part and parcel of that earning is the eternal and ongoing tension between the differing but not mutually exclusive philosophies of socialism and capitalism.  I challenge you to find either of these terms in the two documents referenced above.

Our forefathers threw off the yoke of an oppressive government because they were being unfairly represented, unjustly taxed, and restricted in their fundamental rights and liberties.  The nation they envisioned, and the one that has manifested itself from that origin, is not totally faithful to either form of economics.  Ideally, it represents a balance and blend of the better parts from both systems.  When we go to the polls, we do not vote for either/or; we vote for the blending recipe.

Don’t miss the next post….Just Google centerlineright

…and post your comments to spur discussion.

We can use the term compassionate conservative or we can use the term blue dog Democrat.  Both terms are meant to reflect a philosophy that even though governed pre-dominantly by a conservative or liberal tilt, it also contains important and selected principles from its counterpart’s theory.  This is what our country is when it comes to the subject of economics. 

Both national parties obviously desire that our nation be by the people and for the people.  And for this to be reality there must be aspects of capitalism in our culture.  I am talking about the opportunities presented to all citizens through free markets, entrepreneurial enterprises, and the risk/reward principles of self-sacrifice.  But there must also be a recognition that a purely capitalist approach to economics leaves far too many among us subject to deprivation, isolation, and sub-level existence in a nation of noble ideals, high values, and blessed wealth.

The fundamental question to be answered by the leaders we select through our Constitutional blueprint, to run our government through our Constitutional blueprint, is how we can preserve the edifying principles of capitalism such as accountability, self-reliance, independence, and pride of accomplishment while insuring that a social consciousness exists to address the needs of those among us who are impoverished through no fault of their own. 

We must guard against falling into the trap where we are all in on either one side or the other.  In this particular case, the proper and just solution is clearly somewhere in the middle.  Here are some very good articles about just such a balance and why it is an eternal struggle to achieve it.

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/the-characteristics-of-capitalism-and-socialism-393509

https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/glossary/capitalism-v-socialism/

https://www.thoughtco.com/socialism-vs-capitalism-4768969

Go back and review the signatories of our two founding documents.  Even though they may not have used the exact terms, these men were clearly inspired by the capitalist principles of independence and self-determination, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”.  By the same token, they were also aware of the obligation to all when they wrote in the Constitution’s Preamble, “Promote the general Welfare”. 

They had no more conception of Wall Street or Corporate America than they did of Medicare or Social Security.   Yet all of these are part and parcel of our society.  The essential component to our marvelous experiment in democracy lies in the elemental wisdom of our Constitution.  It is left up to our chosen leaders to decide which principles of which economic philosophy we choose to integrate into our government.  Our founders knew that our nation would…no, must evolve and change as history unfolds.  But they also knew there were fundamental and unchanging principles that should dictate how that evolution and change should be managed by our selected leaders. 

If we are true to our Constitution…to our blueprint…then our nation will remain strong and vital regardless of the mix we choose between capitalism and socialism.  But what happens if we fail to select leaders who are worthy of their office and who forget that our government is by the people and for the people?  What if we elect people who will not honor the will of the citizens and choose instead to mold our country in their own vision?  At that time we will have failed those who first conceived of these great United States of America and their glorious ideals will be lost.    

Welcome to Oz

This blog is directed mainly at those people who voted for Democrats, Joe Biden in particular, in last November’s election.  There are a lot of good people in this world who happen to fall into this category; most are Democrats, but there are also Republicans and Independents in the group.  Many of these folks are far better people than myself; smarter, more successful, more humane.  They are not bad people.  They have simply done something that is very stupid.  I have only one thing to say to you: This ish is on YOU.

I have been a frequent critic of ex-President Donald Trump.  I enthusiastically embraced his policies; but I abhorred the man.  If I could fly my flag (small f) without Trump’s name being on it, I would be one of the many who are still displaying 2020 campaign banners.  I am solidly in the school of thought that would love to see Trump fade into the background and have a new set of Republican (or Democrat, or Independent) leaders step forward to pick up his policy initiatives.  That would be best for the Republican Party.  That would be best for our country.

On the other side of the street, we are less than a month into the Biden Administration and the detachment from reality is becoming more pronounced by the day.  If you voted Joe Biden for President, YOU share in the credit for all of the lunacy that is flowing and will continue to flow from the White House and the Democrats in Congress.  This bunch of idiots told you plainly what they were going to do and now they are doing it.  Joe, Chuck, and Nancy are on the case.

If you have a job that is somehow involved with the American energy sector and voted for Biden … how do you like him now?  The hard earned energy independence that was gained under Trump is slipping away, like gasoline evaporating in the summer sun.  All of the economic and diplomatic benefits that flowed from that independence are going up in vapor.  Gas and oil product prices are rising and will continue to do so.  While you are looking for a new job winterizing windmills or selling your fishing boat so you can put gas in the truck to get to work, reflect once again on exactly what it was that compelled you to vote Biden.  Windmills, solar panels, and lithium batteries … what do they all have in common?  They all lead to prices that are higher than a cat’s back, they are all extremely inefficient, and they are all heavily subsidized by your tax dollars through a Democratic Congress.  Read a bit about your new investment here: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/02/wind-and-solar-energy-dont-work.php

If you have a grandmother, a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, or a granddaughter … think about how your Biden vote is shaping their future.  There are only so many college scholarships available for female sports and if you have to choose between a 6’3” hairy-legged 230 pound young man that identifies himself as a girl and a 6’1” young lady that weighs about 185 soaking wet … who you gonna pick to play the “5” on your team?  College sports is all about winning and if you think there won’t be guys taking advantage of this foolishness, then think again. 

Like so many Democratic ideas, this one has not been thought through.  Like the unintended consequences of gay marriage and where they might lead, so the trans-identification theory is fraught with peril.  As I have written before, keep that in mind when you see the dude dressed like a lady follow your daughter into the public restroom.  President Biden is completely on board with this madness.  How crazy is this stuff: https://www.cnsnews.com/article/washington/melanie-arter/psaki-biological-males-competing-girls-sports-trans-rights-are

The nation of Iran is no doubt the world’s largest purveyor and exporter of terrorism.  The Trump Administration policies had effectively brought the radical Iranian leaders to their knees and had severely limited their abilities to deliver a terror product to the global market.  How is that going now that Biden is on the job?  Never fear; the same guy that bartered the Iranian Nuclear Deal, replete with its pallet of cash bonus, is back on the job. 

And you can forget about China making any changes to its blatant practices of intellectual theft, cyber espionage, genocidal treatment of its selected citizenry, and territorial appetite for expansion; they got one of the first phone calls from our new President.  Jumping in bed with President Xi Jinping and wrecking the hard-won treaties between Israel and moderate Middle Eastern nations is a recipe for global disaster.  Consider this: https://www.nysun.com/national/note-to-biden-your-hero-fdr-warned-of-appeasement/91417/ and this: https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-psaki-asked-if-israel-is-important-ally-of-u-s-she-doesnt-answer

Along with its flurry of Executive Orders that were rift with new governmental regulations, the Biden Administration is simply itching to mandate a $15 dollar hourly minimum wage.  This fever persists in the Democratic community even though history, the business community, and noted economists from all walks of politics warn of its adverse effects.  If you have a job that is currently paying below the $15 an hour level and have worked your way up to your current salary, you might be looking at a small pay increase … or you might be looking at losing your job.  How in the world does dumping this irrational mandate on our business community at a time when it is reeling from the pandemic’s adverse effects make any sense?  It doesn’t : https://www.americanactionforum.org/insight/examining-the-effects-of-raising-the-federal-minimum-wage-to-15/#:~:text=The%20Congressional%20Budget%20Office%2C%20for,and%20services%20across%20the%20economy.

With threats of terrorism a daily concern, with a global pandemic continuing to sweep across our nation as vaccine-delivery systems are tied in knots, and with our unemployment rate beginning to creep upward … how much sense does it make to open up our borders and encourage a flood of illegal immigration?  What could possibly go wrong with this policy: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-legislation-immigration-border-security-2179887c74cfd8d156bbd293abfc9fb0

I have complained repeatedly about both of national parties’ malfeasance when it comes to the federal budget and debt.  But the new Democratic Party wave of leadership that has swarmed into WDC like locusts have taken this irresponsible behavior to a whole ‘nother level: https://www.cnsnews.com/article/washington/terence-p-jeffrey/1923752000000-federal-spending-sets-record-through-january .  

Just a handful of weeks into a new Administration and the Biden folks want to hand out $3,000 to $4,000 per year for each child in America.  This is on top of the all the other federal goodies that will be doled out of the Democrat’s federal tax-funded moneybag.  And hey … why not mail out some checks to non-citizens while we’re at it: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/democrats-stimulus-checks-push-tax-paying-noncitizens

But perhaps the worst scam of all is loading up the pending Covid Relief Bill with all things non-Covid related.  Read the precursor to that bill here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6800/text .  And even more deliciously-wasteful than this goody bag of liberal ideals is the fact that the Biden Administration is still sitting on trillions of dollars of unspent funding authorized by the previous Covid Relief Bill: https://issuesinsights.com/2021/02/11/dont-tell-anyone-but-biden-still-has-1-3-trillion-in-trump-approved-covid-funds-to-spend/

Don’t miss the next post….Just Google centerlineright

In the part of Kentucky where I reside, we live in dread of an eastern wind.  In the summertime, an east wind will suck the moisture right out of the ground.  It hammers a tobacco patch, dries up pasture fields, cuts the yield on corn, and can destroy your vegetable garden.  In the spring and fall, a weather pattern from the east usually means high winds, torrential rains, and lots of thunder with lightning.  Weather from the east is just bad news.  There is an ill wind blowing through our nation’s Capitol these days and it is emanating from the Democratic Party.

The Democratic leadership that has taken over Washington, DC is just like an eastern wind.  It brings nothing but varying degrees of calamity and unintended consequences.  Even when it brings the right answer, it is perverted and distorted in such a fashion as to make it untenable.  You pray for rain and it brings a flood.  You complain about the mud and it answers with a drought.  All of you folks who voted for Biden and Senate Democrats this last election have selected it as our prevailing weather pattern.  What are the prospects of this turning out well: http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0221/hanson021121.php3

The Wizard is a tired old man with dementia whose character quotient is the thickness of a 5-year old work boot sole.  The people controlling the bells and whistles behind the Wizard’s curtain are a bunch of emboldened ideologues that are about as grounded as helium-filled balloons.  The Democratic Congress is in a mad rush to wipe away anything smacking of Trump from the pages of history and to instill a liberal orthodoxy on this nation before anyone can realize what is happening.  Collectively, they are turning America into Oz.  And if you voted Democratic; you are a full-fledged citizen.

You may have thought you were voting against the Bad Orange Man who was full of sound and fury and ill will towards all; but you were actually buying into an Orwellian illusion built of empty promises and magical formulas that are fundamentally flawed.  The Wizard is propped up on the stage.  The crowd behind the curtain is growing ever larger and bolder by the minute.  The privileged few will be seated in the grand theatre to watch the show.  And what about the rest of us?  Get used to being a Munchkin, because that’s how the so-called progressives in our new Oz will be regarding you.

The Reinvention of America Continues

As the farcical impeachment of a President who is no longer a President continues, let us consider the sincerity of the accusers.  Donald Trump, Representative Marjorie Greene, and other selected Republicans fly off the handle with crass and irresponsible rhetoric and are impeached, severely punished, perhaps criminally prosecuted, excoriated by the mainstream media, or otherwise persecuted.  The Democratic Party’s Senate Leader Schumer, House Speaker Pelosi, Representatives Al Green and Maxine Waters and The Squad spew hate speech that leaves little to the imagination and it soon passes down the memory hole.  It was the One himself who uttered these words of wisdom about how to combat Republican political attacks… “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun”.  Or maybe we should reflect on the words of the One’s Attorney General Eric Holder, who self-identified himself as that President’s political wing man… “If they go low, we kick them”.  Welcome to the new world of do as I say, not as I do.

https://thefederalist.com/2021/02/03/chuck-schumer-used-violent-rhetoric-to-sic-a-mob-on-two-supreme-court-justices/#.YBqdXsLJ5oo.twitter

And while we are considering the thoughts of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, let us look at his observations on another subject of nonsense from the Democrats.  Senator Paul goes off the rails on occasion and certainly loves the camera; but he is also a true conservative who has an intense appreciation for the fundamental principles of our democracy and constitution.  He shines the brightest when he speaks truth to power, as he does here…

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/02/03/what-planet-are-you-from-rand-paul-denounces-biden-transgender-sports-policy/

Just as the colossally-obese Democrat Covid bail-out package is being jammed down the throat of America, rewarding those states who have spent themselves into oblivion, there is forming in the wings another prize to be handed out to those who wish to escape the consequences of their actions.  As I have written before, this is nothing short of a middle finger salute to every person who has responsibly paid their student debts through hard work, sacrifice, and simple integrity.  The link featuring Mike Rowe is a repeat from an earlier post; but good, common sense always bears repeating.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/democratic-loan-forgiveness-benefits-wealthy

https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-rowe-makes-case-for-opposing-student-loan-forgiveness

And what are many of those people with these debts doing these days?  One thing they are NOT doing is performing the trade they were educated to perform.  While they sit at home and dole out PC foolishness in the name of online instruction, an entire generation is absorbing an irrecoverable loss.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/02/what-we-are-doing-to-our-young-people-is-a-crime.php

Don’t miss the next post….Just Google centerlineright

On a lighter note, here is a fascinating perspective on how truly strange the world around has become.

https://www.ranker.com/list/maps-mash-v1/mel-judson?format=slideshow&slide=47

Unfortunately, the amusement quotient is limited when the reality of election consequences begin to set in.  All the substantial foreign policy achievements from the Trump Administration are being unwound as quickly as his domestic policy was with the forty some odd executive orders that have been thrown out.  I fear the Middle Eastern time bomb that was beginning to be disarmed is on the verge of being reconnected.

https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/biden-foreign-policy-asssessment/

As the Democrats check off the boxes on their liberal to do list, it is inevitable that they will eventually get around to gun control.  This topic, as with many before it, clearly demonstrates the liberal community’s detachment from reality.  Government might make it difficult to purchase and own a firearm.  Government will very likely make it extremely onerous and expensive to obtain ammunition for our firearms.  Government will continue its efforts to restrict our rights to carry our firearms.  But believe this…Government will never confiscate our firearms.

https://justthenews.com/nation/january-was-busiest-gun-background-check-month-us-history-already-more-10-2020-total

Let me close with a word about one of the greatest performers of my generation, Eric Clapton.  He lived it all…the sacrifice to achieve fame, the misery of dealing with that achievement, and the absolute beauty of surviving and allowing his mature and seasoned professionalism to reflect all of it in his performances.  I leave you with a good article about his life and some of his music.  I was going to pick one of the three songs, but after listening to them once again, I thought…why leave anything out?

https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/02/the-beautiful-torture-of-eric-clapton/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4hv_8TXFWg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9myqi7VL9s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUSzL2leaFM

 

 

The Dull and Numbing Effect of Inevitability

Pre-November 2020, I had hoped that a majority of American voters understood that elections have consequences, that we get the government we deserve, and that all you had to do was listen to the candidates to see what they would do if elected.  If in fact American voters truly understood these three premises, then our nation has become unmoored.  If American voters simply did not understand these three premises, then there is going to be a heavy price to pay for stupidity.

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”.  At the end of the Obama/Biden second term, after eight long years of “the new normal”, Americans were reconciled to a facile, discouraging, and uninspiring economy that had devolved to a nanny-state status of extreme government dependency and regulation, low workplace participation, an increasing level of energy dependence on foreign sources, a depressed state of entrepreneurial spirit in our nation, and a global attitude towards America that viewed us as little more than a classmate in history.  President Biden’s selection of individuals to populate his new Administration leaves no doubt that Obama the Third Sequel has arrived.  Only this time around, what previous semblance of reservation about utilizing raw political strategy to achieve a liberal agenda has been discarded.  It will be the same, only stronger.  It is the One on steroids.

Obama’s obsession with all things racial all the time is now being reintroduced through the use of a previously-proven tactic.  Did you notice how the liberal/progressive/global contingent abandoned the term global warming when it was proven to be obviously baseless and conveniently replaced it with the term climate change which is universally undeniable?  Never mind that the cogent point is precisely what part of climate change is man-made and what part is the natural evolution of the planet.  This Machiavellian rebranding permitted this unfettered bunch of loons to peddle their theories without being bound by science.  Having successfully pulled off this sleight of hand in the realm of climate concerns, the incoming Obamanistas are now replacing the universally-accepted premise of racial equality with the ephemerally-defined term racial equity.  You might wonder: What is racial equity?  Be patient; they will tell you.

Listen very carefully to how they have shifted the debate from one of fairness, dignity, and respect to one of governmental and societal indulgence in the use of reverse discrimination to achieve a preferred outcome. 

https://nypost.com/2021/01/29/bidens-racial-justice-agenda-judge-everyone-by-the-color-of-their-skin/

https://www.cnsnews.com/article/national/susan-jones/hud-nominee-marcia-fudge-treating-everyone-same-not-always-fair

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/bidens-united-states-of-racial-quotas-and-preferences

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/01/crt-is-sacrosanct-and-may-not-be-questioned.php

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9204835/Historians-slam-chairmans-decision-rename-44-San-Francisco-schools.html

How many of us can remember waiting in line at the gas pump to pay obscene prices for fuel because the Middle East Cartel was yanking the energy-dependence chain that was draped around our necks?  Do you also recall that within the last two years, we have become energy-independent as a nation and it has resulted in a more stable fuel price and supply, a robust energy sector that has contributed mightily to our economy, and greater diplomatic influence in our Middle Eastern negotiations with both friend and foe?  Well…think again about what old Albert E had to say about repeating those same mistakes….

https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-energy-secretary-nominee-some-jobs-may-have-to-be-sacrificed-to-climate-agenda

https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-kerry-gas-industry-workers-who-lose-their-jobs-can-go-make-the-solar-panels

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/01/let-them-eat-solar-panels.php

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/01/who-will-tell-the-greens-there-is-no-battery-fairy.php

And what about those Get Out of Jail cards that those Obamanistas, both pre-Trump and post-Trump, are beginning to receive?

https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2021/01/25/new_evidence_ties_fbi_higher-ups_to_dishonesty_of_anti-trump_lawyer_126807.html

https://justthenews.com/accountability/russia-and-ukraine-scandals/former-fbi-lawyer-gets-no-jail-time-after-pleading

https://justthenews.com/accountability/russia-and-ukraine-scandals/scandal-rama-figures-tied-past-controversies

Notice that the Judge who gave this Clinesmith character a pass is the very same Judge that was on the FISA Court and got snookered by this bunch of crooks in the first place.  Perhaps there is a bit of CYA taking place here?

Don’t miss the next post….Just Google centerlineright

We are apparently going back to the good old days where we crawled in bed with Iran and their legions of international terrorists, surreptitiously sent to them pallets of cash, and permitted them to pursue their nuclear weapons agenda with a wink and a nod.  Oh…and all the while we ignominiously kicked our friend and ally Israel to the curb.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/white-house-names-2015-nuke-deal-negotiator-malley-as-bidens-envoy-on-iran/

Our newly-minted Three Stooges (Joe, Chuck, and Nancy) are joining together to lend additional credence to Albert E’s words of wisdom.  Their partisan action of forcing Obamacare through without a single Republican vote worked so well for them that they are now going at it again with their glorious Covid Relief Bill.  As you read about this escapade and all of its beneficiaries, keep in mind that our government has not yet spent a major portion of the previously-passed Covid Relief Bill that was so very essential.  As one of the Three (Chuck) says, why “pinch pennies”?  Why indeed; it’s only trillions of your dollars.

https://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/terence-p-jeffrey/bidens-2021-covid-19-bill-costs-more-entire-1981-federal-government

Regarding that Covid Relief Bill and how it might help to enable our noble teachers’ unions to get back to the business of actually teaching…..

https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-who-resisted-reopening-schools-took-thousands-from-teacher-unions

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/polling/open-schools-person-learning-says-decisive-majority-new-poll

Apparently, building a wall was not the mistake; the mistake was in where the wall was built…

https://www.dailywire.com/news/officials-face-backlash-after-calling-for-permanent-fence-around-capitol-while-u-s-halts-border-wall

I suppose riots are not always riots and protests are not always protests and incendiary remarks are not always incendiary remarks.  It all depends on who is rioting, who is protesting, and who is making the remarks.  Once again, the question is begged, “How can you incite something that is pre-planned?”

https://justthenews.com/government/security/evidence-pre-planned-capitol-attack-grows-experts-say-case-weakens-tying-trump

So as we revert to the Obamanista model of spurring the economy with suffocating Executive Orders, killing energy jobs by shutting down international pipelines that are the most environmentally-responsible method for transporting oil, and raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour so that businesses will lay off their employees and increase their reliance on technology….we once again celebrate ole Al’s prognostication.  We’ve seen this before; do you really think it will be any different this time around?

No; it won’t.  It will be worse.  It will be accelerated to a higher gear, with more torque and horsepower.  The bumpers will be removed.  No one cares about padding anymore.  The furious flurry of Executive Orders that have been maniacally shoved across the White House table is only the beginning of an obsession to refashion this country in a new and progressive pattern that bears little resemblance to the ideals of our founders.  The ideologues who have been and will be appointed to this new Administration are attempting to reshape our nation in their vision, using their principles, and their powers. 

The Democrats have implemented the emperor has new clothes rule.  Through the enablement of their useful idiots, the mainstream media, they perpetuate the notions that up is down, wrong is right, cold is hot, black is white, two plus two equals three…or five…depending on the day of the week, farce equals fact, and it is heresy to even  hint that the emperor is naked.  How long can this denial of reality persist? 

The previous emperor would dress flamboyantly, parading about in green and insist it was purple.  Perhaps he would wear fur in the summer and declare that it was cold.  But at least he wore something; and his fashion sense was fair game for criticism.  In fact, there were times when it seemed to be the only game in the kingdom.  Our new emperor is stark naked.  Not a solitary stitch adorns him or many of the edicts flowing from his castle on high. But his minions insist that no inkling of doubt regarding his exposure or lack thereof is to be entertained.   All must profess that he is resplendent in his regal clothes of imaginary threads.

They will implement their new and enlightened policies in the name of tolerance, while brandishing naked intolerance for any thoughts or actions that do not align perfectly with their agendas.  There is a palpable rush to get as much done as soon as possible; lest the sobering effects of reality settle in and abort the process.  At some point, their alliance will begin to fray and deteriorate.  Their actions will reveal their true intent; that being the lust to gain power and to maintain it.  As the lunacy of their philosophy is fully revealed, a slow and painful realization will dawn upon a portion of those who were lured in by their empty rhetoric and hypocritical norms.  This disaffected segment, along with the vanquished group that opposed this liberal march to begin with, will eventually stand up and demand an end to the madness.  We can only hope that this reversal of fortune will be minimally invasive, relatively non-violent, and not long in arriving.  

The kingdom’s subjects, loyal though they be, will not long stand for the insistence that they play the role of the fool.  The fleeting and shallow entertainment value of the dancing Jester will at some point fade and the sheen of nakedness will be far too bright to deny any longer.

However, the gnawing fear is that the period of time it takes to return to our constitutional framework will be a major disruption of our culture, spiked on occasion with irresponsible and senseless violence.  It will likely usher in an extended time of unabashed incivility and will conclude too far in the future to prevent the significant harm that will be realized in the interim.