Nathaniel

Shockey

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February 4, 2009

Totalitarianism: Not Just Another 15-Letter Word

“It is true that we cannot depend on government alone to create jobs or long-term growth, but at this particular moment, only government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift us from a recession this deep and severe. Only government can break the vicious cycles that are crippling our economy.”

– Barack Obama, January 8, 2009

It is quite clear that our new president is intelligent, has helped to create a nice family and has profoundly good intentions for our country. It is also clear that he is significantly different than his predecessor, as he constantly assures us of George W. Bush’s “failed policies” nearly every time he speaks publicly. But we must remember that winning an election doesn’t make a person inherently right.

Obama has obviously considered this idea, as he responded to dissent from the GOP about his stimulus by saying, “I won.” But the simple fact is that most Americans, whether they realize it or not, have an inherent philosophical disagreement with our new president.

I remember Arnold Schwarzenegger’s speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention, as he famously stated:

If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government . . . then you are a Republican! If you believe a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group . . . then you are a Republican! If you believe your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does . . . then you are a Republican!

As governor of California, he’s done good things and he’s done lousy things, but with this speech, he clearly and simply typified conservative doctrine. As Bush demonstrated with some of his policies, simply being a Republican doesn’t automatically keep the government small and the people in charge. So perhaps what the Governator ought to have said was that if you believe those things . . . then you are a conservative.

Even in May 2008, as the economy began to slide, a Rasmussen poll found that 62 percent of Americans wanted smaller government and lower taxes. Ten percent weren’t sure, and only 28 percent wanted the opposite.

The point is that conservatism isn’t the problem. Republicans are.

From a very general perspective, having witnessed the plummeting stock market and the seemingly sudden burst of the housing bubble right near the end of the Bush Administration’s second term, it’s no mystery why people would vote for someone different.

But does it concern you at all that Obama so frequently mentions the previous administration’s failures as though there is an outright consensus? I find it a clear sign of insecurity and weakness whenever someone alludes to some sort of consensus, as though the argument itself doesn’t have enough weight without saying, “Everyone agrees with me.”

It’s no wonder Obama would rely on this notion, because the truth of the matter is that most Americans do not agree with his statement that, “Only government can break the vicious cycles that are crippling our economy.”

Why don’t we agree? Because it’s wrong, wrong, wrong.

There can be no quick fix for a really bad situation involving millions of people, because the decision of one or a few individuals doesn’t right the entire ship. Everyone has to decide. That is unless, of course, we’d prefer totalitarianism, which is not just a big word alarmists use to scare people. Totalitarianism is a government that does not tolerate other opinions. When our government starts passing bills and economic plans that most of the people it claims to represent oppose, we ought to start reconsidering what type of government we really have.

Most Americans opposed the $700 billion bailout, and according to a recent poll, only 38 percent of Americans support the stimulus package in its current format. If this is not reflected in the way our government acts, then we ought to be worried.

Obama believes in greater governmental control, and as the above statement made clear, he doesn’t do much to try to hide it.

The difference between Bush and Obama is that under Bush, the government got too big by accident. Under Obama, if it continues to bulge, it will have been intentional.

If you still believe in democracy and freedom, stand up and say so. Or at least don’t expect our government to say it for you.

© 2009 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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