Principles are the Foundation of a Free Society
August 28, 2008 – 11:04 pmThe strength of a nation is a function of the strength of it’s people and it’s institutions. For most of it’s history the United States valued and encouraged independence and self sufficiency. That ideal has slowly but inexorably diminished, as has individual freedom; and as individual freedom decreases so does individual happiness. How did we get on this slippery slope?
The political process in this country has devolved into a competition between incumbent politicians and their challengers to utter the most promises to the most people. These promises tend to be promises of economic benefit, most of which, if met, result in wealth and taxes being taken from one group of people and transferred to another, more politically powerful, group. This is a form of indentured servitude, or even slavery, for those who have been taxed the most and leads to a sort of slave holding mentality by those who control the tax revenue.
The most vociferous and unprincipled among us tend to get the lion’s share of political favors and tax loot. Thievery is rewarded and principals of right and wrong are ignored. The bitter irony of this type of politics is that it saps the strength and kills the soul of a country as the culture it supports becomes more and more corrupted; corruption resulting from a sense that every law is for sale, that every politician has a price and that no principal is ever worth sacrificing for. In the face of rampant corruption the good people amongst us, and the principals that made them good, are destroyed.
An obvious example of this type of moral and political corruption is the accepted, but racist, policy of monopolistic tribal gaming. The Democrat party in this state, from Governor Gregoire, to some local politicians, and my opponent Congressman Norm Dicks, have all sold themselves to this corrupt institution. Gambling, like all industries should be open to all and success should be determined the market place, not by how many local politicians you can give money to and influence.
Tribal gambling is just one of many examples of the modern corruption of our politicians and political system. Indeed, the entire system seems to be teetering on the brink of outright quid pro quo corruption, which would inevitably lead to the destruction of most forms of private property for all but the politically favored. To those that say it can’t happen here I give the example of the various South American “republics”, nearly all of which are republics in name only and in-fact are despotic dictatorships or self serving oligarchies. Unless one is corrupt and well connected one has little chance of success or freedom. Almost without exception these countries have modeled their Constitutional and Legal systems upon those of the United States. But, in the face of overwhelming corruption on every level, the best of political models rapidly fails.
Please join me in fighting the corruption that has weakened our country’s soul. Help us restore respect for the guiding principals of independence and morality upon which this country was founded.
