LIFEIN THE REARVIEW MIRROR

My philosophy of life is, “You are born, you die and in between you do something.” While doing that something, you learn something. My posts on this Blog are not attempting to change anybody’s mind. I know I can’t do that, but maybe after my seven decades plus of life experience, I can shed some experiential light on another way to think. Life gives us something to do and I believe a big chunk of my life’s something is giving others something to think about. Think about that.







Sunday, June 1, 2014

PRESIDENT--AN OUTDATED CONCEPT?

The Constitution, which seemed like such a good idea almost 238 years ago in a country with about 2.5 million people and 13 states, is really being stretched to the limit. I (and people who actually know what they are talking about) believe the Constitution is stretched beyond its limits.

We are now working with a federal Government just a few folks shy of the entire US population in 1776. We have added 37 diverse states and have tried our best to keep up by our constitutional amendments. We have added 27 amendments, the last addition was 22 year ago. I think it may be time to get the amendment train rolling.

As long as we're going to go through the trouble of amending the Constitution, let's not fool around. My amendment would be to eliminate the position of ----President.

Here's why.

I am a financial and social conservative. Most of the Liberals I know are Liberal because they are passionate over social issues, and financing potential government assistance to almost 314 million citizens, plus a few million more illegals, requires spending much in excess of what can be extracted from the citizenry without riots. Liberals tend to create programs they feel are necessary, then try to find the money some where (redistribute or print) to pay for them. Conservatives look at the money they have, which then determines what programs they can fund. That's just one of the many differences between right and left. We each believe our way is the best for the country.

Here is where I believe we run into trouble. In order for Liberals or Conservatives to get their vision implemented we believe we have to vote for President the one person our party puts up, regardless of their ability to do the job.

Barack Obama did not have the ability to do the job. We were in serious financial difficulty and we elected someone who never even ran any business, even as difficult as a kiosk in the airport. He passed no significant bills as a state legislator, spent 140 some days in the Senate, most of which were spent running for President, had a very "atypical" life as a young man and hung out with questionable characters as he got older. What he did have going for him to be elected President of the United States? He was liberal, he was a minority (I believe more people voted for him because he was black than voted against him for the same reason, which is why the Liberals' cry of racism at every criticism drives me nuts), and the main reason he was elected-- he was not Bush. His second election was won because Conservatives didn't like the guy our party put up so they stayed home. Dumb move that I doubt will happen again.

I can't believe, as the leader of the free world, we hired some one who, to my knowledge, has never even lead a Boy Scout troop. We did and the reason is, and I'll say this again because it's important, he is a Liberal. Liberals had to elect Barack Obama if they wanted the Liberal agenda for the US. During his presidency we have found out he lies, and the answer to any "scandal" is that he is "very angry and will "get to the bottom of it", and "hold people responsible." Who was held responsible for Fast & Furious, Benghazi, IRS, VA? Where is the bottom of it? We have a President who talks a good game while sitting in front of his locker.

I don't mean to come down so hard on the President and what he had, or did not have, going for him. When running for President, the voters didn't seem to care ( or more likely, to know). But this sets up why I am suggesting maybe we, as a country/organization with 313 million "employees" and a budget shortfall of $17T, can't be governed by one person, especially one unqualified person, and what one person could be all-qualified to run the US government on steroids? Sure, the Congress is supposed to provide that balance, but each new President comes up with more and more Executive Orders and the Congress with single digit approval numbers seems OK with that. President rules. He or she better be damn good.

How about this concept as an amendment? Define and vote on the Liberal and the Conservative platform. Whatever philosophy wins the registered voters of that party get to elect a committee of say nine like thinking people, those nine elect a chairman and that group governs along with Congress. (Sure, there is a wrinkle or two to iron out but humor me and let's just go with the concept.)

That procedure should eliminate the need for Liberals and Conservatives to defend to the end the undefendable action of "our person".

If we don't update the system the next election I could find myself defending the actions of President Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty.



3 comments:

  1. Tom- interesting concept to further divide power in our model of government, but haven't you just proposed to create another multi-officer branch of government to replace that held by a single person? Would that truly be progress?

    Bryan

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  2. It would only be progress if our next president brought as little to the table as this one did. I would never have thought of the committee rule concept until Obama. It was obvious from the start that he was unqualified but that didn't seem to make a difference with the he's-young-and-cool crowd.

    It's OK to not be able to handle all aspects of the presidency but you should at least be able to surround yourself with people who do. Being a narcissist that is not as easy as it sounds. I doubt we can survive another Obama. Maybe it's time to try something new.

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  3. May we survive this administration long enough to do so...

    ReplyDelete