The Patriot Post® · Gridlock or Obamaland

In 2008 Barack Obama declared that he wanted to “fundamentally transform America.” I do not want to transform America. My hope is for a reformation of America to its traditional, Christian values and a restoration of our true liberty that exists under our Constitution, as it is written.

The election results created another opportunity for gridlock. At approximately 9:00 AM Eastern Time on November 7, I sent an e-mail to John Boehner encouraging him to maintain the gridlock whenever possible.

Personally, I can accept four years of gridlock better than I can digest the “transformation” that will end in bigger, more expensive government with a loss of essential liberty for dessert. Obama’s first four years were bad enough.

In the aftermath of the election, I was not surprised as some pundits rued “four more years of gridlock” and the fact that America is so “polarized.” Again, gridlock is better than a transformation most of us do not want. As for the polarization, it is clear that slightly over half of Americans either do not understand the crisis or do not care.

Crisis! Yes, I said it. It is real. It is an economic, debt, moral/spiritual, and national defense crisis. Progressive Republicans and progressive Democrats have continued unabated for decades. They are growing the bureaucracy in Washington and spending money we do not have. Many Americans continue to put their faith in political parties and politicians. The politicians continue to distract us from truth with “bread and circuses” while their actions are a disservice to the people.

Apparently half of Americans hope that progressive politicians will someday deliver utopia. But, to hope for a utopia created by man is foolish. We all know that man is fallible and finite. Utopia is out of man’s reach. Only God can bring utopia. We need to put our hope and our faith in the Lord and hold our politicians accountable to the Constitution, as it is written.

Since no rant is worthy of space without at least a suggestion of a solution. Here it is, my blueprint for the next four years:

1.) Christians must pray for spiritual revival and transformation of our people. Let us sing, “Lord, send a revival and let it begin in me.”

2.) Americans need to read and appreciate the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We should know our founding documents and appreciate the “unalienable rights” and essential liberty that they express.

3) We cannot wait for government to turn things around for us. Be productive. Production produces wealth, jobs, taxes, etc; everything we need to boost the economy. We need to recommit ourselves to the value of hard work. Able bodied persons should take as many jobs as they can handle, at least for the present. There are plenty of part-time jobs out there. Persons without a full-time job might consider two part-time jobs. Others might want to consider a small business venture that requires little or no investment. Full-timers might supplement with a part-time job. The road to a totalitarian government and an unfixable economy is paved with welfare checks. The road to success and peace of mind is paved with hard work.

A brief study of the Constitution will reveal that the federal government really has only two important mandates: National Defense and Interstate Commerce. In other words, the Constitution severely limits the power of the federal government. The highest authority should be in the hands of the States and the people. The purpose is to protect you from the excess cost and tyranny of a monolithic federal power requiring monolithic bureaucracies. When matters are decided by the people at the state and local levels there is less waste, lower costs, and a more direct involvement of the people (and better results).

I want the lion’s share of my tax dollars to go to my state and my local government. I would rather cut waste than cut welfare, Medicare, or Social Security. It just makes sense.

The truth that politicians almost never address is this: it is the cost of the monolithic federal bureaucracy itself that is breaking the budget, not the cost of the valid programs. We must return to the mandates of the Constitution and put the federal government back in its place. It is our nation, our money and our Constitution. We need to take it all back.

We want to remain “the home of the brave and the land of the free.” But, we know our bravery is going to be tested and our liberty is in great peril. We will need the will and spirit of warriors and a righteous anger to succeed.