Posted by
Old Bill on Wednesday, December 24, 2008 5:20:39 PM
At this 'most wonderful time of the year' this old man's thoughts turn wistfully to the happy anticipation of Christmas Day!....and, like all good girls and boys, Old Bill can't resist the urge to run home from the library after finishing my homework (yes, Old Bill has homework too, kids) take pen in hand (you remember what 'pens' are don't you, kids? You don't? Never mind---they were a low-tech ink dispensing stylus used to make marks on paper representing alpha-numeric symbols in place of a printer; I thought you might have handled one in elementary school, but never mind---Old Bill is sometimes very, very old)---where was I? Oh yes--take pen in hand and, excitement gleeming in my eyes, compose the letter Old Bill sends every year, without fail, to the North Pole, to---SANTA CLAUS!
And what should Old Bill ask from Santa this year? Old Bill is a great believer in asking for what you really, really want---you never know: if you ask for something very nicely, with respect and courtesy, and without shouting and jumping up and down and screaming over and over like some people do ['OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!'---of course, they did get what they wanted; or did they??? Hmmmm...]---if you ask for something not just for yourself, but for something that's good for everyone in the whole world, you just might find it in your Christmas stocking on Christmas Morning. [Ooops...Old Bill is receiving an instant message from someone, maybe the ACLU or PAW--People for the American Way--demanding that Old Bill replace 'Christmas' with 'Xmas' so as not to offend someone, they don't say exactly who. Who could 'Christmas' possibly offend? Somebody who hates 'Christmas'? Somebody who hates 'Christ'? Somebody who hates Christians? Osama Bin Laden? Lakshmi E Turaiba? Fanatic Moslem Christmas haters like Anjem Choudary? Some of the leftist Democrats who demand that 'Christmas' be replaced with 'Festivus'? They don't say who is offended, but they sure are angry...].
Old Bill has had some luck with his CHRISTMAS letters to Santa in the past: like 1975, when I asked Santa to bring me a dead Mao Tse Tung and an end to the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution; 1977, when I wished for the overthrow of the Gang of Four and the execution of Madame Mao Tse-Tung, the 'White-Boned Witch of Beijing'; 1988, when I asked Santa to 'tear down this (Berlin) wall', since Gorbie hadn't obliged President Reagan yet; and 1989, when I asked for the overthrow of the Soviet Union, and 1990 when I asked Santa to please, please, help the good little boys and girls all over the world by driving the Communists out of the Duma in Moscow, with tanks and cannon to burn down the damn building if that's what it took--I asked Santa for all these goodies not just for me to have fun with, but to share with everyone in the whole world--sharing is caring, you know--and look what happened: every Christmas wish came true within the next year! As somebody once said, always wish for whatever you really want most in the world, because nothing is too wonderful to come true!
So, with a lifetime full of so many presents and precedents, you can understand why I am not overwhelmed with despair this Christmas, but instead full of the joyous optimism and hope---hope for change---that always epitomizes the Christmas Season. Therefore, it is with sparkling eyes and light heart that I take ink-dispensing stylus in hand to pen this missive to my favorite saint, Nicholas the Jolly, and make these humble requests for the Year of Our Lord 2009---not just for me to play with, but to make happy everyone on our whole great big Ecosphere-Bearing Planet Earth! First, because it is the most important thing that everyone on Earth needs, I ask, as I do every year, for Worldwide Peace, Freedom, and Goodwill among All Men---and of course, All Women too, as well as any hermaphrodites who may be out there.
Second, because it is so essential to acheive the first, as well as being a good idea in its own right, I'm asking Santa to send us all the one thing we need most: A COURAGEOUS, CONSERVATIVE, REPUBLICAN PARTY!! You know---a Republican Party led by people more like Ronald Reagan than Richard Nixon, more like Barry Goldwater than Nelson Rockefeller. More like Bobbie Jindall or Michael Steele than George Bush Sr. or George Bush Jr., more like Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Palin than Colin Powell or John McCain. A Republican party that asks what is in the best interests of all 300+ million American citizens and legal residents, and not what is in the best interests of the country-club bipartisan billionaire elite loosely known, until recently, as the 'Eastern Liberal WASP Establishment' which, with the exception of the Reagan years, has effectively dominated both parties' domestic political agendas since they defeated the Taft Republicans to nominate Eisenhower (R) and Stevenson (D) in 1952.
A Republican Party dominated by politicians who want to be elected to office as part of a conservative majority so they can guide America safely in a dangerous world by adhering to timeless principles that lead to success for a nation or a family---principles such as individual responsibility and a work ethic, both in school and on the job, not expecting special favors and lower standards for admission, hiring, promotion or a contract because of race, class, ethnicity, gender, 'sexual orientation' or because they are, so help me, 'Too Big to Be Allowed to Fail' (translation: because they have made enough campaign contributions and other pay-offs to feel entitled to unlimited access to the public treasury).
A Republican Party open to anyone willing to work loyally and energetically for the victory of Republican candidates, but not dominated by people---usually hiding behind the label 'moderate'---who share the vision and values of big-spending, 'grow the government' leftists and who seek only a place at the Washington table for themselves personally so they can get a few crumbs in contracts and 'earmarks' for their family, contributors and cronies back home, content to play perpetual 'me-too' non-oppostion party to the government-owning Democrats.
A Republican Party more interested in growing the whole American economy, for the benefit of all Americans, by reducing taxes and the burden of socialistic regulation so that more successful Americans can start businesses, create jobs, operate at a profit, keep more of their profits, grow and expand their businesses creating more jobs and higher wages by producing things people all over the world will want to buy because they are the best, and can afford because they aren't outrageously espensive.
A Republican Party willing---no, eager---to stand up and fight, vocally, politically and financially, for fundamental principles of civilized society such as: freedom of adults to engage in private sexual relations without interference by the government, while defending the definition of the institution of marriage as between one man and one woman, and defending the lives of unborn babies who cannot, because of their lack of money and the ability to make phone calls, retain attornies to defend, in court, their right to be born--alive.
These are positions passionately supported by huge majorities of the American people of every group and region, and opposed only by truly tiny minorities who constitute, however, a majority among some communities of ideological leftists ranging from upper-west side Manhattan to the California ACLU. The GOP must be led by people who are not intimidated by those leftist ideologues, or who fail to see the necessity of preserving the monogamous heterosexual marriage as the basis of family life which has been the social basis of the most succesful civilizations, and particularly of women's rights, for thousands of years.
We need a Republican Party that will fight for lower taxes, starting with making the Republican tax cuts of the last decade permanent, and totally eliminating the 'death tax' that destroys so many small businesses and the families---owners' and employees' alike--who depend on them.
These measures would, furthermore, stimulate economic recovery and eventual growth in tax revenue, just as in the Reagan Boom '80s; and make no mistake, we will eventually need a huge increase in federal government revenue, in order to finance the huge increase in American military power---back to the level of forces which enabled us to win the Cold War without having to fight a gigantic hot war with millions of deaths---which will be necessary to deal with the variety of threats to ourselves and our allies and others who depend on the United States of America to preserve world peace in their local neghborhood.
In short, we need a GOP that will not merely seek office in order to perpetuate the careers of a lot of politicians who have grown up running as Republicans in Republican districts, and who are perfectly comfortable going along with the ill-informed, often leftist and even downright socialist policies of the Democrat Party, but which will insist on promoting an agenda which will ensure Americans' freedom, safeguard our property, territory and lives, and establish justice---not just racial and gender justice, but all kinds of justice for all kinds of people---just as we are enjoined to do in the preamble to the Constitution. This will be what people today call a conservative party, even though in 1960 it would have included John Kennedy. Dear Santa, please send me one.
But that's not all. Like Oliver Twist, I want more. A democratic society allows all kinds of people to express their opinions, and a democratic political system allows all kinds of people (except convicted felons) to form political parties and seek office. Therefore, there will inevitably be not only a party dedicated to small government and proven polices like free private enterprise, there will also inevitably be a party appealing to that portion of the electorate who want a government as large, centralized and powerful as possible---call this the 'Big Government Party".
Since 1933, this has been the dominant faction in the Democrat Party, and since 1972 it has been not only dominant but monopolistic in its control of the Dems, excluding such people as Zell Miller from any real role except as local vote-getters in conservative districts. This 'Big Government Party' is also a powerful faction in the Republican Party, as evidenced by such politicians as Nelson Rockefeller, Richard Nixon (remember wage and price controls?), Geo. Bush Sr. ("Read my lips--no new taxes!"), Geo. Bush Jr., (McCain-Feingold censorship of political speech and ads, 'No Child Left Behind' from Mssrs. Bush and Kennedy, government-purchased drugs for seniors thru Medicare, amnesty for alien invaders, etc.).
But at least the Big Government Republicans have not hesitated to fight our enemies and defend our country---witness the Patriot Act, the Bush (Jr.) Doctrine of Preemptive Attack on our enemies, surveillance of our enemies financial and electronic communications (betrayed to our enemies by leaked articles in the New York Times), detention of captured enemies at Guantanamo and interogation by whatever means were necessary to find out what they knew and thus keep Americans and our allies safe. The Republican leadership, even under George Bush Jr., has been patriotic in their determination to protect America and Americans even at the expense of their political popularity with the Democrat-dominated drama, academia, media and arts communities and the resulting loss of control of Congress. These Republican politicians have demonstrated their loyalty to our country, not merely with words, but by their deeds. Wisdom has, in some cases, been lacking or late in coming, but patriotism and loyalty have not been in doubt.
The leaders of the Democrat Party, who have opposed the above policies so demonstrably necessary to our survival, let alone our welfare, have, in contrast, repeatedly leaked information that has given aid and comfort to our enemies, for the purpose of gaining a temporary political advantage by embarassing the United States. This is not consistent with either patriotism, loyalty, or wisdom. Except for a brief period after Sep. 11, 2001--a few months, really---the Democrat Party political leaders have never missed a day without doing something to retard, harass, denigrate and teach people to despise our war effort and the men and women of our armed forces who mount it.
Who can fail to recall such gems as Congressman Murtha declaring, before they had had any trial, that 9 Marines were 'guilty of cold-blooded murder' [Was he there? What made him so certain?]. Of course, they were subsequently acquitted at trial. Or Senator Harry Reid declaring that the War on Terror was 'not a real war, just a bumpersticker', and that our war against terrorists in Iraq was 'lost'? Such pronouncements, from sitting members of Congress, could not fail to give comfort---and thus aid---to our enemies. And these are only a few examples of thousands.
What America needs, if we are to prosecute successfully the war begun by the Al Quaeda attack on the World Trade Center---the attack in 1993---is a Democrat Party and a Republican Party which will place all calculations of electoral advantage aside in defense of America---our people, our territory, our ships, planes and businesses, our constitutional freedoms and our sovereign independence.
Only when we have two parties equally and totally dedicated to our defense, equally patriotic, equally in touch with the reality that we are under deadly assault by wicked enemies, and will be so until they are all tracked down and killed, and their supporters frightened into abandoning their war against us---only then will we be able to win the war against the Islamo-Fascist Terrorists, and achieve, if not Permanent World Peace, at least a temporarily peaceful world.
So Santa Claus, please bring me what I'm wishing for so hard this Christmas: a genuinely conservative, energetic Republican Party, and a sincerely patriotic, loyal, realistic Democrat Party. Then I and all my fellow Americans can start to win the long, hard fight for Prosperity, Freedom, and World Peace.
Of course---as I lean back from my computer keyboard and reach for a hard, half-empty mug of cold hot chocolate, and watch my kid race past me to take his friends to the mall in the used hatchback he just bought himself, and as I check the actions on my latest Christmas presents to myself---an assault rifle and an automatic pistol---before loading them in the 4-wheeler and heading for the desert to do some Christmas-eve target practice (a long tradition in Old Bill's family) I am forced to remind myself---as I do every year---that, really, there is no Santa Claus. Anything we want for Christmas, we are going to have to make and provide for ourselves.