( - promoted by jczacher)
From the first time I visited the LaurinLine after the article in the Morning News over two years ago, I have enjoyed the repartee' between the posters and host, Laurin. When Laurin chose to move on and turned the blog over to others, I was still full of enthusiasm for a blog that was challenging, interesting, and capable of honest debate over current topics and political news. The new moderators have been faithful in my opinion to the original intent of the blog. They have encouraged discussion and differing opinions from all who enjoyed posing on this site.
Recently, some of the older and more faithful contributors have seemingly abandoned the site and no longer do we have the participation we had at one time. I feel like the shipwrecked sailor on a deserted island with a lone coconut tree for food and companionship. The last few diaries posted have been mine and I was trying to get some dialog or differing opinions offered for further discussion. I tried to initiate discussions over topics that may or may not be important in the upcoming election. Agree or disagree, I was hoping for a response but the silence has been deafening.
I am going to try once again to get some interest generated with another diary. I would like some discussion for, against, up, down, forward, backward, sideways, or any other way you choose but choose to contribute.
Having a strong indication of who we will vote for in the upcoming primary is important and watching the debates is enlightening (?) to some degree and is important but going beyond the hot button issues is also a vital part of the vetting process when determining who our choice will be.
Iraq, SCHIP, Social Security, Abortion, taxes, civil liberty issues, wiretapping, immigration, Supreme Court appointees, and a host of other issues affecting our daily lives will be part and parcel of the next administration. The make-up of both houses will determine the success or failure of the next president's agenda. If it is a sweep for Democrats as some pundits are expecting, conservatives will lose any voice in governing the country. We will have a minimum of two years where Hillary will have total control over everything that goes through Washington, DC. Is this the government we really want to have? Even under the best circumstances, I cannot imagine a time when it is a good thing to have one political party being in such total control that the opposition cannot muster enough votes to present a legitimate challenge to special interest legislation.
What are your thoughts about a sweep so thorough that any legislation presented or proposed by one side has no chance of failure? What are your thoughts of having a Senate with Democrats holding 61 seats, therefore guaranteeing every bill that comes to the floor will be passed? What happens to honest representation then? Based on demographics, this country consists of a moderate population with most supporting a lean to the conservative side of moderation. The far right and far left really do not represent the majority in the United States.
If predictions are accurate, we are facing a unique situation in American politics. We are looking at the potential of a congress dominated by Democrats to the point of rendering Republicans ineffective and ineffectual.
If this is an accurate prediction, after January, 2009, if not already, we will see our troops withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan in 6 months or less;
we will have national health insurance for everyone including illegal immigrants;
illegal immigrants will be granted citizenship with no pre-existing conditions attached;
taxes will be raised and the tax cuts will be repealed;
we will see the resurgence of unions contributing to even higher consumer prices;
we will see penalties for companies buying outside the borders of the USA in an attempt to enact a brand of isolationism;
we will see a lessening of support for our military and funding will be for comforts in lieu of weapons like it was under the first Clinton administration;
we will see a national law passed in support and recognition of same-sex marriages;
we will see an even further erosion of religious freedoms especially for those who are Christians;
we will see a further embrace of political correctness and the speech police will be even more vigilant than they are now, hate speech will be defined and certain words we can use now will be considered criminal;
we will see a gun control law passed restricting gun ownership;
we will see an expansion of hate crime definitions and laws;
we will see a further intrusion of the government into our private lives and personal decisions relating to food choices, exercising, smoking, and other behaviour choices not acceptable by the pc crowd;
we will see the final change from what was once a Christian nation to a secular one much like our European counterparts.
In short, George Orwell had everything right except for the year.
This is my take on upcoming events. What are yours? |
