The Rights And Duties Of Power: Part One

I_I_I

It is an undeniable fact that the Republican Party is not only the majority party of United States government, but also the clear preference of the nation. That said, we should acknowledge that the Democrats, even now, remain in just such denial. But for this article, the question must be addressed - what is to be done with command of the country, indeed of the Free World?

That’s the problem so many on the Left have with George W. Bush, you know. Despite losing a series of elections which were basically referendums between whether Americans wanted Democrats or Republicans in charge, Liberals continued to hope that George W. Bush would play the “Gerald Ford” style of leadership - bumbling, never in command, and always sensitive to the opinion of the Left. When it became clear that Dubya not only intended to complete his duties by taking the Conservative road, but worse - meant to put the nation above all, Liberals discovered a danger to their game plan which they had never seen coming. After all, politicians are a piece of lint a dozen, but the man who truly serves the nation is rare, especially in a President. Some might take the JFK or Nixon route, and do some good while never quite letting go of personal pride, but a man in the mold of Lincoln, Jackson, or - shudder - Reagan is quite out of the Liberal’s league. That was part of the Reagan charisma, the common man’s realization that Ronnie was a Republican, but only after he was an American. Men before Reagan fought the Cold War, but Ronnie won it. And Liberals now perceived that Dubya meant to take that same commitment and dedication to modern fronts. Against such a force they had no counter.

It was bad enough for the Liberals, when Bush handled the 2001 collision in International waters between a PLA fighter jet and a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane with tact and sensitivity, avoiding an almost-bloody escalation. It was bad enough when Dubya ignored the MSM’s polls and pushed for tax cuts. But when Jihadist terrorists killed thousands of Americans on 9/11, Liberals were horrified to discover that Bush had no intention of stopping his response at a few speeches. For all the bluster from France, the Democrats, and other enemies of Democracy, the last few years have demonstrated a resolve and thorough accomplishment in the U.S. Military and Government long believed to be dead. The balance of power in the modern world is distinctly managed by the Bush Administration.

So, the Republicans own a condition seldom imagined by a single political party, much less anticipated. The Liberals will denounce it as Imperialism, of course, but that comes from a predictable defeatism and fear of strong ideals. And yes, that’s a fair description of the policies in West-Central Europe, as well. President Bush has seized on an important military lesson, and applied it to international affairs as well; whomever has the initiative forces his opponents to act in response to his actions. Al Qaeda understood this during the last decade, and used that principle to act with relative impunity during the Clinton years. China did the same thing by brazenly making deals with international pariahs like Saddam Hussein, because they knew their opponents lacked the courage to escalate the matter. In the same vein, Russian President Putin took harsh measures to put down an uprising in Chechnya, on the same concept. Obviously, there is a risk to such gambles - if an opponent decides the escalation of a response is worth the cost, you can lose everything if you turn out to be bluffing. It is important, therefore, to remember that Poker is primarily an American game, and in his younger years, Dubya did quite well by it. Some have suggested that he bluffs well, while others have claimed that he is so lucky, he never has to bluff. In either case, George W. Bush came to the White House singularly equipped not only to respond to such challenges from opponents, but to seize the initiative himself. As a result, Americans’ IRS taxes are lower, the Republican majorities in the House and Senate have grown, and there are two more free nations in the Middle East than when he took office. Just to be clear, these are all good things.

Obviously, an election or two could change things greatly. In 2008, a Democrat or a weak Republican could take Dubya’s place, or even in 2006, a change in either house of Congress could emperil the progress made so far. As a result, the first order of business is to protect the gains made, by increasing the Republican majority, by increasing the Conservative share of GOP seats, and by never forgetting that the initial revolution in 1994 was just that - a promise for fundamental reform in government, and not just to change the logo of the team in charge. To accomplish this, Republicans in general and Conservatives in particular must make efective use of all the tools provided, especially the blog and new media resources at their disposal. That means, in practical terms, that Republican Congressmen and Senators must recognize the paradigm shift in the forces of information dispersal, and must be available and open to the media which is friendliest to them, as well as the most trusted and credible.

Many on the Left are counting on a force known as “party fatigue”, the theory that voters eventually grow tired of one party in control, and increasingly want to give the other side the reins. The problem with that theory, is that when applied to the longer term it does not work out that way. Democrats, for instance, held control of Congress pretty much from when FDR came to office in 1933, through the first couple years of the Clinton Administration. Also, between 1860 and 1912, it was pretty darn hard for a Democrat to get elected President. The truth is, when a party gets away from the trust which brought it into control of a government, support wanes and people start looking for a better alternative. This is important to the present condition, because while a number of Republicans have done a poor job indeed of addressing the needs of the citizens and nation, the Democrats have been absolutely empty in the ideas department. Hiding from terrorists, increased taxes, and oppressive government regulations are not going to win over the majority of Americans. So, the Republicans can hold onto control, if they will just remember their promises and keep them.

On the international level, the field is just as open. Europe, with the notable exceptions of England and Italy, is largely squishy in their resolve to fight terrorism. Africa is as it always was, a continent with unfulfilled potential and endless ethnic violence. East Europe seems to be following the same sad course. Asia as well is showing stress fractures, especially along the Southwest frontier. South America is improving from the squalid conditions it suffered a century ago, but remains factional, almost feudal, in actual practice. And the Middle East, save for where America has left its influence, appears to have trouble deciding whether to indulge suicidal or homocidal predilections. In short, a nation which chooses to act with decision and resolve finds much ground for gain, which means that the United States must act with even greater resolve to insure its objectives, even for the sake of the world.

To Come - Part 2, Political Supremacy and Party Evolution