Posted by
SteveJ on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 11:33:00 PM
Many of you on the political left keep telling us how our country ought to function -- and how your political opposites have run roughshod over it. That includes the economy, corporate America, the military, health care, the role of government and education.
Actually, a lot does need fixing. Few Americans are giddy about our nation's direction. While we appreciate that our country hasn't sustained another 911 hit, many of us grimace at the way George W. Bush has piloted this country during his last two terms.
On the other hand, the left's ideas for change look like scripts for a mock disaster … with the "mock" taken out. Yes, we've seen you gnash your teeth at conservatives and libertarians. We've heard your slogans. But your collectivist ideas remain unconvincing and unappealing.
It's time you begin plugging some of the holes in your well-intentioned paradigm instead of simply railing against the current administration. So please answer the following, as you are able:
Question #1:
For those of you who think "diplomacy" should be the primary method of engaging Islamic terrorism: What evidence exists that jihadists respond well to that approach? How do you suggest we sit down and negotiate effectively with people who (1) endorse death by stoning, (2) slap their women around and shame them, (3) fly airliners into skyscrapers, (4) try to blow up innocent people on airplanes, in shopping centers and during worship services, (5) cut people's heads off with a knife while the person is still living, (6) shriek "Allah is great!" during a dastardly act of butchery, (7) go into riot mode and call for blood over a cartoon or the naming of a teddy bear?
Note: "George Bush and the Republicans are evil!" is not a substantive answer. Neither are, "War never solved anything," or, "The Israelis are even worse than the jihadists."
Question #2:
For those of you who think the rich don't pay their "fair share" of taxes: Just whom do you think is paying the vast majority of taxes in this country?
Note: "George Bush and the Republicans are evil!" is not a substantive answer. Neither are, "The rich keep getting richer and the poor, poorer."
Question #3:
For those of you who see "the rich" as a sinister force in society: Who pays your salary? Who puts food on your table and allows you to pay your bills? Is it a Washington bureaucrat … or is it more likely to be some well-off person who put his capital at risk and created a business for you to work in?
Note: "George Bush and the Republicans are evil!" is not a substantive answer. Neither is, "Rich people are just in it for the almighty dollar."
Question #4:
For those of you who think African Americans' lack of achievement is the result of deliberate, systematic white racism: (1) Why do Africans who come to this country have such low unemployment? Are white bigots bigoted only against American-born blacks? (2) Why do blacks who stay out of jail, keep childbirth inside marriage, shun drugs and get a job fare just as well as whites who do the same?
Note: "George Bush and the Republicans are evil!" is not a substantive answer. Neither is, "If the GOP had its way, they'd still be lynching blacks." (A side note: The worst treatment of blacks during the 20th century came under the administrations of Democrats like Lester Maddox, Orville Faubus and George Wallace.)
Question #5:
For those of you who think health care is a "right:" Can you show us where the Bill of Rights outlines this alleged right? And if health care really is a right, an entitlement, why aren't food and shelter? Should Washington buy you your groceries and pay your mortgage?
Note: "George Bush and the Republicans are evil!" is not a substantive answer.
Question #6:
For those of you who think nationalized health care is a great idea: When have you ever found a "free" service that was just as good as a service you had to pay for? Can you guarantee us that once health care is "free," people won't drop into the doctor's office constantly for every trivial ailment, creating a monster backlog and waiting list (as in Canada)? Will Hillary succeed in altering human nature?
Note: "George Bush and the Republicans are evil!" is not a substantive answer. Neither is, "The GOP doesn't care if people get sick and die."
Question #7:
For those of you who think that income ought to be spread around more evenly: Who among us is qualified to decide who gets how much? Should it be government bureaucrats? Politicians? What saintly attributes of fairness do we generally find among their ilk that makes them such objects of trust? Just how much is "too much money," and according to what authority?
Besides that, is the doctrine of "zero sum" economics true? If person A gets more money, does person B necessarily get less as a result? If so, please explain how this works. Also, how many salary increases have you refused on the grounds that someone else will lose out?
Note: "George Bush and the Republicans are evil!" is not a substantive answer. Neither is, "Democratic Party politicians … they care about the little guy!"
Question #8:
For those who think gun laws are effective measures for addressing violent crime: Do you believe that any of the armed crooks are going to turn in their guns once these become illegal? How will poor, inner-city residents defend themselves against the predators in their neighborhoods if we make gun ownership a crime? Should they try diplomacy? Begging and pleading? Asking their guardian angels to intervene?
Note: "The NRA is a bunch of kooks," doesn't qualify as a good answer. Something more substantive is in order. Ditto with, "George Bush and the Republicans are evil!"
Question #9:
For those of you who want the feds to "save Social Security": Do you believe that the system will be sustainable once the gigantic volume of Baby Boomers starts drawing benefits (with a comparatively small group paying in)? Will America accept near-Scandinavian levels of taxation to prop up this creaky system?
Considering your lifetime pay-in versus your return, do you think Social Security is a solid investment? Has the government handled our money well? Who but a dolt would think so?
Note: "Privatization is just Bush's sneaky way of … [fill in paranoid accusation here]," is not a substantive answer.
These aforementioned questions don't come from a Bush groupie or a card-carrying Republican. Like you, I detest the thought of young men and women going overseas to die. But your ideas for fixing America's problems are profoundly wrongheaded. They are born of emotion, not logic. They rest on sloganeering, not facts. Where they've been tried, they've produced stagnant nations that do little to advance humanity.