Back to the Future

To people under fifty the recent talk of the need for more regulation of the marketplace and in essence, our lives, doesn't seem like such a big deal. To those of us over fifty, if you aren't a bit frightened or at least pissed, shame on you.

Let me elaborate. Not too long ago you moved to a new city. You went to AT&T or the "little bell" to plead for a phone. You might think that you are trying to get a drivers license, or that you're at the post office. " We may get to you next week", the cheery little lady says. Don't say anything or it might be two weeks. And you can have any color as long as it's black. And, oh yeah, it's $50 to install and another $100 or two locations, and on and on. Don't think about going to another phone company because there isn't one.

The paper reflects the latest strike by General Motors. More money, more benefits. You buy a car and at fifty thousand miles like "Mission Impossible" it blows up. If you hear a rattle you might look in the door and see if a good old UAW worker left a whiskey bottle in there. And oh yes, check the wheels and see if all the lug nuts are present.

Need some gas? Go down and get in line. What do you know, they are sold out.

If you didn't live as an adult in the sixties and seventies, you are not as in tune with the ramifications of what the present Administration is alluding to as I am. You see I remember wage and price controls, fourteen percent inflation, and twenty-two percent interest rates. And talk about the Iraq war, I remember the three Democratic wars, World War II, Korea and Viet Nam. If you think 4,000 casualties is bad run the numbers on these boys.

I remember the misery index and a military so weakened that we couldn't fly three helicopters into Iran to rescue hostages without them breaking down.

The saying "he who ignores history is doomed to relive it" is true. It is time for true journalists to come to the forefront and either educate or refresh people as to the real impact of the "good old days" with it's regulation and government control. And I mean the history, not a remade version the way the left would like it to be viewed.

Thank you Ronald Reagan for the twenty-five years you gave us.

Advise to the GOP

The hottest game in town seems to be giving advise to the GOP on the direction the party should take to regain favor with the voters. It seems a bit ironic that much of it is coming from the Democratic party and their sycophants. Unfortunately much of the remainder is coming from the "Beltway" and media types in New York City.

They are no doubt, smart people. The only problem is that their circle of communicants is their own - the other press, the politicians, the political staff, etc. There is a greater and greater disconnect between the politicians and media and the rest of the three hundred million folks in country - especially those of us in the "fly over" zone. "You couldn't see the forest for the trees" is certainly an appropriate metaphor.

In Hans Christian Andersen's the "Emperor's New Clothes" the moral of the tale was that what people wanted to believe, or those in power wanted them to believe,and it blinded them to the fact that the Emperor had no clothes on. It took a little boy to blow the whistle on the deal.

I am seventy- five years old. When I was thirteen, the GOP controlled the House of Representatives. It wasn't until 1994 when I was sixty-one that they had control again. The reason they had control was a contract with the people based on the precepts given them by Ronald Reagan - smaller government, more individual freedom, lower taxes and a strong national defense. The reason they lost control was they abrogated those agreements and betrayed the people's confidence.

Many would like to say that the country's changed,that people want more government and that for the Republicans to regain favor they must be "Democrat Light" - the old Bob Michael line of "go along to get along." I say baloney. Look at the polls and issue after issue shows that public opinion is "center-right". Look at the April 15th tea parties. Possibly a million, if correctly counted, stood up and said enough is enough. We want our country back. The people feel disenfranchised . The only time their representatives in the House and Senate recognize their existence is when they want their vote and their money. American politics is emulating the politics of Rome at the end of the Republic.

In the movie "Jaws" Quigg is talking about the shark. He painted the shark as one great eating machine. His whole existence is finding something to eat and eating it. An American politician's life is money- money to get re-elected with. Have you tried to reach your representative in Congress lately. Good luck.

The Republican party can again espouse the principles of smaller government, more individual freedom, lower taxes and a strong national defense, and, if they can convince the voter that they mean it and will stick to it and fight for it, they can regain control of Congress.

The ultra conservative editorial writer of the 1950's, Tom Anderson once said, " the only thing in the middle of the road is a yellow stripe and a dead skunk." Tell it like it is Tom. The Democrats are calling the Republican party the party of "no". By embracing once more the ideas above, they can become the party of "yes"