"One opposes tyranny, or one enables it. There is no middle ground and time is not an ally. Wrapping tyranny in the flag and calling it security makes it no less evil." – My Friend Andrew Nappi, 2012
One of my favorite people* spoke using analogies a couple thousand years ago, and it was an effective means of communication that I've tried to use on occasion. This topic is dear to me since most people I know are aware I'm a gearhead with a garage full of vehicle projects. Those that know me a little better know I'm a Chevy fan, so this is a troubling analogy for me to use.
In the upcoming presidential election, we are faced with one of four candidates. This posting will focus on two of them, mainly due to several recent people that espouse limited government stating their support for Newt Gingrich. The other candidate will be Ron Paul.
For the vehicle end of this, both cars will get you where you're going, and serve the same function in that respect.
First, there is the red Camaro. It sure looks good, and it takes you back to great memories of the Camaro you had in high school or maybe as a young adult. Once you start "looking under the hood" though, you'll find out it came to be due to a taxpayer bailout of GM.
Then there is the blue Mustang. Even Chevy guys like me have to admit Ford did a great styling job on it. Is it perfect? No. The engine bay is too small, the engine is smaller than the Camaro, and it doesn't offer the 6-speed manual transmission the Camaro does unless you step up to a really expensive model. But it was made via a free market with no taxpayer bailout.
See the USA in your Chevrolet- Now in a Big Government Way
Applying this analogy to the two candidates, many people have fond memories of the conservative vs. liberal battle of the mid 90's when President Clinton was in office and Mr. Gingrich was Speaker of the House (1995-1999). Some good things happened back then so far as limited government such as welfare reform (entitlements that comprise a great deal of tax dollars) and the first balanced budget in a number of years. In the time since then, though, consider the following:
He was not voted out of office in 1999. He resigned under pressure from other Republicans.
In 2003, he was a big supporter of President Bush's prescription drug plan, which added over $17 trillion to Medicare's unfunded liability.
In 2008 he wrote a book called "Real Change". In it, he endorsed the concept of the government compelling people to buy health insurance. This actually dates back to 1993 for him, when on Meet the Press he said: "I am for people, individuals — exactly like automobile insurance — individuals having health insurance and being required to have health insurance.” In 2005 in a NPR interview, he said "“Our goal has to be for 100 percent of the country to be in the insurance system,” he said. “So that means finding ways through tax credits and through vouchers so that every American can buy insurance, including, I think, a requirement that if you’re above a certain level of income, you have to either have insurance or post a bond.” In my experience as a lawman, the only people that posted bonds were those accused of committing crimes.
In 2008, he appeared with Nancy Pelosi in this ad in support of taking action to address "climate change"
Back to vehicles for a moment, it is because of things such as this that we must run a corrosive substance called Ethanol in our vehicles. The federal government has dictated it thanks to politicians like Mr. Gingrich. Incidentally, in 2009 his lobbying firm was paid over $300,000 to support Ethanol subsidies.
Even before his term as Speaker, his vote to create the Department of Education in 1979 was one of only a handful needed to do so. Prior to that, he served as a regional director for the Nelson Rockefeller presidential campaign. Mr. Rockefeller was a supporter of an expanded federal government. When Mr. Gingrich initially ran for Congress initially in 1974 and 1976, he did so on a far-left environmental platform. He "reinvented" himself for 1978 as an anti-tax fiscal conservative, and finally won election.
Ford- A Better Idea
As noted, Ron Paul is not a perfect candidate- there never has been one since the person I mentioned in the first paragraph, and He was not a politician. The main concern is his positions as to foreign policy. One thing that is consistently overlooked here is the amount of money (foreign aid) we give to unfriendly nations, notably those unfriendly to Israel. If you'd like a dollar amount courtesy of the federal government, simply go here:
You may be surprised to see we gave North Korea $25 million in 2007- do you remember who was President then? How about a foreign policy that gives no money until our own fiscal house is in order? We can rethink giving money to foreign nations at that point. I've said repeatedly that if we go under due to the albatross of national debt, our foreign policy is of zero significance. I have no problem with securing the USA and maintaining a very strong defense, while not sacrificing the body parts of our young people in constant wars or having bases "defending" wealthy nations.
Logical thought process?
In closing, my logical brain suffers a short circuit when I try to reconcile someone that stands for limited constitutional government, fiscal responsibility, and free markets (these are the main Tea Party principles for many groups) supporting Newt Gingrich. The people that I have seen supporting Mr. Gingrich to a person oppose President Obama's mandated health insurance plan. How can they blindly support someone that wants the exact same thing? To use a final automotive analogy, the clutch is slipping somewhere here. Ron Paul is the only candidate that consistently has stood for these values- even when they were not in the mainstream.
* For those that do not realize it, I'm speaking about Jesus Christ, and encourage those that do not know him to check him out as you would any candidate. You'll find he has no "baggage" other than dying on a cross to save us. Finding a good bible-teaching church has helped me greatly in my life, and it would be selfish not to share this information.
About Paul Henry
Paul has a law enforcement background, having served as a Florida Deputy Sheriff and State Trooper for over 25 years until he retired. He worked many levels and positions within the FHP, from road patrol trooper to traffic homicide investigator, then sergeant with homicide squad oversight. His last 5 years were as a lieutenant in criminal investigations, where he investigated numerous internal, ID Theft, commercial vehicle theft, and driver license/title fraud cases. Paul is best known for the September 2003 capture of Florida's most wanted fugitive Walter Rhodes, who was involved in the 1976 murders of Trooper Phillip Black and Constable Donald Irwin in South Florida. Rhodes had absconded from parole and was hiding in Washington State under a false identity. After retirement, Paul wished to pursue his automotive hobby and be left alone, but saw an increasing amount of waste in government as well as the government's increasing involvement in our private lives and liberty, so he became politically active.
Paul is the founder of the non-partisan citizen's group Floridians Against REAL ID, and authored two bills for the 2012 Florida legislative session: REAL ID partial repeal and Motorist Rights (red light cameras). Paul is the REAL ID and Red Light Camera issue lead for The Tea Party Network, a communications network for over 80 Tea Party groups. Paul works as the Deputy Director for Legislative Affairs with the Florida Campaign for Liberty and lives in the Tallahassee, Florida area.
The Camaro or the Mustang… an Analogy
One of my favorite people* spoke using analogies a couple thousand years ago, and it was an effective means of communication that I've tried to use on occasion. This topic is dear to me since most people I know are aware I'm a gearhead with a garage full of vehicle projects. Those that know me a little better know I'm a Chevy fan, so this is a troubling analogy for me to use.
In the upcoming presidential election, we are faced with one of four candidates. This posting will focus on two of them, mainly due to several recent people that espouse limited government stating their support for Newt Gingrich. The other candidate will be Ron Paul.
For the vehicle end of this, both cars will get you where you're going, and serve the same function in that respect.
First, there is the red Camaro. It sure looks good, and it takes you back to great memories of the Camaro you had in high school or maybe as a young adult. Once you start "looking under the hood" though, you'll find out it came to be due to a taxpayer bailout of GM.
Then there is the blue Mustang. Even Chevy guys like me have to admit Ford did a great styling job on it. Is it perfect? No. The engine bay is too small, the engine is smaller than the Camaro, and it doesn't offer the 6-speed manual transmission the Camaro does unless you step up to a really expensive model. But it was made via a free market with no taxpayer bailout.
See the USA in your Chevrolet- Now in a Big Government Way
Applying this analogy to the two candidates, many people have fond memories of the conservative vs. liberal battle of the mid 90's when President Clinton was in office and Mr. Gingrich was Speaker of the House (1995-1999). Some good things happened back then so far as limited government such as welfare reform (entitlements that comprise a great deal of tax dollars) and the first balanced budget in a number of years. In the time since then, though, consider the following:
Back to vehicles for a moment, it is because of things such as this that we must run a corrosive substance called Ethanol in our vehicles. The federal government has dictated it thanks to politicians like Mr. Gingrich. Incidentally, in 2009 his lobbying firm was paid over $300,000 to support Ethanol subsidies.
Even before his term as Speaker, his vote to create the Department of Education in 1979 was one of only a handful needed to do so. Prior to that, he served as a regional director for the Nelson Rockefeller presidential campaign. Mr. Rockefeller was a supporter of an expanded federal government. When Mr. Gingrich initially ran for Congress initially in 1974 and 1976, he did so on a far-left environmental platform. He "reinvented" himself for 1978 as an anti-tax fiscal conservative, and finally won election.
Ford- A Better Idea
As noted, Ron Paul is not a perfect candidate- there never has been one since the person I mentioned in the first paragraph, and He was not a politician. The main concern is his positions as to foreign policy. One thing that is consistently overlooked here is the amount of money (foreign aid) we give to unfriendly nations, notably those unfriendly to Israel. If you'd like a dollar amount courtesy of the federal government, simply go here:
ForeignAssistance.gov
You may be surprised to see we gave North Korea $25 million in 2007- do you remember who was President then? How about a foreign policy that gives no money until our own fiscal house is in order? We can rethink giving money to foreign nations at that point. I've said repeatedly that if we go under due to the albatross of national debt, our foreign policy is of zero significance. I have no problem with securing the USA and maintaining a very strong defense, while not sacrificing the body parts of our young people in constant wars or having bases "defending" wealthy nations.
Logical thought process?
In closing, my logical brain suffers a short circuit when I try to reconcile someone that stands for limited constitutional government, fiscal responsibility, and free markets (these are the main Tea Party principles for many groups) supporting Newt Gingrich. The people that I have seen supporting Mr. Gingrich to a person oppose President Obama's mandated health insurance plan. How can they blindly support someone that wants the exact same thing? To use a final automotive analogy, the clutch is slipping somewhere here. Ron Paul is the only candidate that consistently has stood for these values- even when they were not in the mainstream.
* For those that do not realize it, I'm speaking about Jesus Christ, and encourage those that do not know him to check him out as you would any candidate. You'll find he has no "baggage" other than dying on a cross to save us. Finding a good bible-teaching church has helped me greatly in my life, and it would be selfish not to share this information.
About Paul Henry
Paul has a law enforcement background, having served as a Florida Deputy Sheriff and State Trooper for over 25 years until he retired. He worked many levels and positions within the FHP, from road patrol trooper to traffic homicide investigator, then sergeant with homicide squad oversight. His last 5 years were as a lieutenant in criminal investigations, where he investigated numerous internal, ID Theft, commercial vehicle theft, and driver license/title fraud cases. Paul is best known for the September 2003 capture of Florida's most wanted fugitive Walter Rhodes, who was involved in the 1976 murders of Trooper Phillip Black and Constable Donald Irwin in South Florida. Rhodes had absconded from parole and was hiding in Washington State under a false identity. After retirement, Paul wished to pursue his automotive hobby and be left alone, but saw an increasing amount of waste in government as well as the government's increasing involvement in our private lives and liberty, so he became politically active. Paul is the founder of the non-partisan citizen's group Floridians Against REAL ID, and authored two bills for the 2012 Florida legislative session: REAL ID partial repeal and Motorist Rights (red light cameras). Paul is the REAL ID and Red Light Camera issue lead for The Tea Party Network, a communications network for over 80 Tea Party groups. Paul works as the Deputy Director for Legislative Affairs with the Florida Campaign for Liberty and lives in the Tallahassee, Florida area.