A very interesting
phenomenon is the large number of labels we place on people: conservative, liberal, racist, mean-spirited, sexist, pinhead, stupid, homophobic, communist, NAZI, pig, fascist, to name but a few. Anyone who dares disagree with any group of folks on anything is called a name.
President Barack Obama called the Baltimore rioters, looters, arsonists and thieves, criminal thugs; for that he was called a racist by a Baltimore City Councilman. Come on now, is President Obama a racist? Not even close, but he condemned the criminal acts conducted by mostly African American folks, so he was labeled with that title.
If you are not a Senator Bernie Sanders liberal or a Senator Ted Cruz conservative, you are a traitor to the cause and not a real believer. The acid test is that you must be a pure conservative or a pure liberal, or you are a traitor, sellout or a turncoat. No room for any other stand but 100% blind belief in the cause. You are a traitor if you believe abortion needs to be allowed to save the life of the mother, or on the other side if you believe generations of welfare dependency has damaged the nation.
We continue to hear that the nation has never been so divided; we are divided, but not even close to how divided we were in the years leading up to the American Civil War. That failure to compromise resulted in the deaths of 640,000 Americans, in today’s population over 6,500,000 American dead, the entire population of Indiana.
Our representative Democracy is based on the art of compromise; Americans have a real genius for compromise, and our system of government is based on it. We are a conglomerate of states, all with a multinational population, many races, different religions, customs and courtesies, a true melting pot.
Let’s not forget our nation was founded with a system of government that embraced the give and take of the Yankee trading ethic. We all need to work together for the good of our nation. The insane truth is I will be condemned by the dedicated left and right for this letter.
Robert M. Traxler, Dorr, Mich.
As much as I like your articles and we are kindred spirits in Conservative values, I’m in fervent disagreement with your “compromise” position.
I turn to Lady Margret Thatcher herself in her famous comment “Compromise is the Death of Leadership”. There is compromise and there is middle-ground. Compromise to a Democrat is the Republicans cave, values and principles be damned, and they get everything they wanted at the Republican’s expense. Look at the budget recently passed by the “compromise” led by Speaker Ryan. He said he couldn’t and wouldn’t oppose the budget. Why the hell is he Speaker if he can’t oppose the budget. The Boehner fix was in.
I’ll tell you why, because he didn’t want to oppose the budget, because he didn’t want to do the work to pass an amendment to fund all departments needing funding – military, passports, non-discretionary spending, etc. so nobody is inconvenienced and shut all discretionary spending down until there is a real compromise. He doesn’t want to be the one to shut down the government. And you wonder why the rise of Trump?? The majority of the American people with brains knows the country is on the downhill slide and if Mrs. Clinton is elected, it will be all over. And guess who will be selected as Supreme Court justices – libtards, like Kagen and Sotomayor?
Middle ground is where you don’t compromise your values and principles. Compromise, for better or worse a definition, is “caving” in modern vernacular.
When President Reagan had a position he believed in and he thought the majority of Americans would support, he would go directly to the people in a presidential speech and look directly into the camera (where his Hollywood and barnstorming speech days with General Electric training would be put to use) and tell the people what he wanted to do and asked for their support. The phone lines would burn up and letters would pour in, supporting the president’s position, and the Democrats would see the writing on the wall and “compromise” – essentially caving to Reagan’s position. Obama does it with a “phone and a pen” – to hell with the Congress and the American people. Do you remember the power of Reagan’s persuasion? Remember the economy and pride we had during those Reagan years?? The military had more of everything, the economy was humming, people as a whole were happy. That is Leadership.
The childlike narcissist, Marxist, Alinskyite we have now in Obama is not leadership – anything but. Mrs. Clinton will be the third term of Obama. Trump is certainly not my selection, but if he wins, what are our options besides not voting – allowing Mrs. Clinton to waltz into the Presidency?
I’m a Cruz supporter – I’ve made no bones about it. I was at the beginning and am still thinking he is the best man for the job. Remember the Gang of 8 and how Cruz helped defeat it. And he filibustered the budget. And he won 9 of 10 times presenting cases to the Supreme Court. A firm Constitutionalist, state’s rights guy.
Why does the majority of the Senate hate the guy – because he says what he’ll do and he does it. And he points out those that say one thing and do another to get elected. I don’t know about you, but that is the kind of guy I want – a leader and visionary.
I urge you to look at “compromise” and the difference it means to both parties – it is a vast chasm of disagreement between what it means to Democrats and (little “r”) republicans. Establishment Republicans are just Democrat “light”. Ever notice the media’s description of the “extreme right wing Republicans” and the Democrats? Everyone in the Democrat party are reasonable and correct. Everyone on the Republican side are “extreme”.
Free Market Man,
Next time please tell us what you really think. I am kidding, thank you for your comment. The current leadership in the Republican Party is exceptionally bad at negotiating, I agree with you on that.
Each and every person running for President in both Parties (Dr. Carson dropping out) is a career politician except Mr. Trump; he terrifies the establishment, & insiders. The big money folks on both sides are spending tens of millions to “stop the Trump train.” Mr. Trump will not be beholden to the king makers, the donor class and Party elite who have enormous power in Washington and they hate him for it. For a paltry two or three million, the uber-rich purchase access to the career politicians of both parties’ leadership who will hear them out and try their best not to disappoint them.
Mr. Trump will not take their money and will owe the king makers nothing, turning Washington upside down and inside out.
Our Constitution is a compromise, the Bill of Rights a compromise; we as individuals compromise many times each and every day of our lives. Our nation needs a President who can make good agreements domestically and internationally. Democrat presidents paying North Korea and Iran billions of dollars only to have them build nuclear weapons are examples of inept negotiation.
Robert M Traxler, Dorr Michigan
The more I watch Mr. Trump in the debates, the more I see a liberal Democrat, however, not as bad as Bernie Sanders (who is a Communist, although he says he’s a Socialist), nor as lying, money grubbing Mrs. Clinton was and is. Her performance as Secretary of State was disgraceful and not one accomplishment during her tenure. She needs to quit trying to be a wart that won’t go away and just retire. Trump isn’t beholden to anyone and he likes a good fight – I can admire that, but he has a liberal way of thinking on some things that trouble me.
As much as I admire and enjoy reading Army Bob, I think his insistence on compromise is very overstated. Yes, the great documents of the formation of this country and government were done by others cooperating and seeking common ground and language to hammer out those documents. It was tough and arduous and took several years with many rewrites and changes.
The result was the representative (not democratic!) form of government we have today.
However, the leader that a president must be, seeks the support of the populace. The support of the members of Congress will come if you present your case to the people for their support by explaining what is sought, why it is a good idea, and asking for the support of the citizens to ask their representatives and senators to support the initiative or idea. Reagan would make the case in an address to the public on television, asking for their support. Congress, after the calls and letters came in, knew Reagan had won the debate before it even started – that’s a Leader, not a compromiser. You notice our present President Obama just does what he wants by issuing Executive Orders – no compromise, no asking the American people for their support, no addressing and asking Congress for support, just a stoke of the pen. That is a petulant, narcissistic, immature child – not a leader.
Reagan was the most consummate communicator of our time. He also knew how to handle the Soviet Union by demanding they acquiesce to his position – and he demanded nothing less. Between Reagan and Mrs. Thatcher, they were the best political team ever as Allies.