BRYCE ON POLITICS
– How the next set of voters see America.
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We are now in the sixth year of the Obama presidency and way past the point of blaming President Bush for everything from the economy to hang nails. A lot has happened during this period, the most noticeable of which is a slow, yet apparent, dismantling of the United States. Youth growing up in the age of Bush and Obama do not comprehend the greatness which characterized America; it is a foreign concept to them. They may not appreciate how we survived WW2, put a man on the moon, and became the industrial juggernaut of the world, but they will be voting in the next election and have no comprehension of what America once was and could be again.
Our youngest voters do not understand the meaning of a massive and escalating debt, a growing welfare state, excessive spending, and a horrendously slow recovery. Since they have nothing to compare it to, they think this is the way things should be.
Militarily, we have diminished our ability to fight. Historically, American policy for defense included the ability to fight in two arenas of operation, as in WW2 (Europe and Pacific). During the Obama administration this was changed to accommodate only one theater of war. Since WW2, America accepted and assumed a leadership role in military matters. Today, we “lead from behind.” To young voters who do not possess a sense of history, this appears to be perfectly normal.
At one time, America was the leader of the space race. This all changed during the last six years where we no longer have a policy or major objective for space, and now depend on countries like Russia and China to allow us to hitchhike into space. Basically, we sacrificed our space initiatives for social programs. To our youth, names like Werner Von Braun, Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Gene Kranz, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, have long been forgotten, as well as their accomplishments.
In terms of energy, when you mention a gallon of gasoline was as little as 29 cents a gallon in the early 70’s, 55 cents in the late 70’s, they are inclined not to believe you. And if you mention gas prices were $1.84/gallon at the beginning of the Obama administration, they are at a loss as to why gas today sells for approximately $3.60/gallon, and do not appear to be particularly concerned about it. Whereas energy independence should be our top priority, the Obama administration blocks all attempts to revive the Keystone pipeline project and cultivate the gas fields in the Northeast, thereby putting Americans back to work, all of which is okay with youth imbued with “green” initiatives and “global warming.”
Our young voters have only known of gridlock in Washington, DC. The president thwarting Congress through any and all means seems perfectly natural to them. Ronald Reagan, even in his day of conservative politics, found a way to work with a Democratic Congress, but not Mr. Obama, not unless you count the 11th hour attempts to raise the debt limit, something he, himself, repudiated when he was a Senator from Illinois.
The legal system has changed vastly. The pretrial release system for processing prisoners puts public safety at risk and is aimed at eliminating the bail bond industry. Drug offenders and illegal immigrants today only get a slap on the wrist. The Commander-in-Chief enforces only those laws he feels is pertinent, least of all guarding our borders. And his Attorney General, the nation’s “top cop,” became the first AG in history to be held in both criminal and civil contempt. If our younger voters are not concerned, why should the rest of us?
Our public educational system has changed from teaching and motivating students, to memorization and testing. Further, an educational bureaucracy is about to become more invasive in the lives of our children with the coming of Common Core. Youth, who have just experienced several years of such education, is now comfortable with this approach.
Even the concept of capitalism, long an inherent part of the American free enterprise system, is under attack by the current administration. By creating a division between the “have’s” and the “have nots” and enacting legislation arresting the development of companies, such as the highest business tax rate in the world, the administration is creating a stifling business environment and moving the country closer to socialism. Young voters show no sympathy as they have been taught to view business, both big and small, as inherently evil.
The division between Americans also seems perfectly normal. Even though it isn’t politically correct, the country has been divided along racial, sexist, and economic lines. The media becomes the judge, jury, and prosecutor in the court of public opinion. By doing so, it stays in lockstep with administration policies and positions. If they do not, journalists are immediately taken to the woodshed.
The culture of corruption surrounding the White House is unprecedented. Evidently, it is now acceptable behavior for all the cabinet departments to stonewall the Congress regardless of lawful subpoenas. It has now been documented there have been hundreds of instances where the president has lied to or misled the American people. Evidently the ends justify the means, regardless of the costs. This is what the White House and young voters understand to be “transparency.”
Some would claim President Obama is openly dismantling the United States and creating a massive bureaucracy to invade every aspect of our lives. Although studies show young voters do not necessarily trust Obama, they have been trained to accept his policies.
This is how our next set of voters understand the world, not based on our past glory. To them, this is all perfectly natural and how they perceive politics working and business conducted. This does not bode well for the next election. If you are a concerned parent, it is time to discuss with them what capitalism is, the dignity of work as opposed to entitlement, the American Dream, the Constitution which explains how our government is supposed to work, and above all else, an understanding of our history. Don’t rely on the teachers or media to explain it as it is not in their best interest to do so; it is up to you, the parents, to set them straight. Do not abdicate your responsibility.
Obama’s secret to dismantling America is not all of the devices mentioned above, but developing an apathetic generation of voters who will embrace Mr. Obama’s policies well into the 21st century.
Keep the Faith!
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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at [email protected]
For Tim’s columns, see:
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Copyright © 2014 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.
NEXT UP: WHY AMERICA SUCCEEDS – The answer should be rather obvious.
LAST TIME: THE STUPIDS – Working with the public is not easy.
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