David J. Stoddard -- Confessions of a Reformed Republican

CONFESSIONS OF A REFORMED REPUBLICAN

By David J. Stoddard

August 1, 2007

NewsWithViews.com

I breathed the proverbial sigh of relief after the 2000 elections. Bill Clinton had just served eight years in the White House and had damaged this country to a degree that is still undisclosed by the liberal media.

"Plastic Man" Al Gore had come frightenly close replacing Slick Willie at the helm of America's ship of state.

I was elated that George Bush won. Now the haz-mat teams could disinfect the White House, the bimbos could be swept out and dignity would be restored.

I wasn't concerned that George Bush violated grammar and habitually made up words. I equated Bush's seeming lack of intellect to that of my brother.

I have a younger brother who has a speech impediment and severe dyslexia. Those who first meet him immediately come to the conclusion that he is retarded. However, he is extremely bright as discovered by several car salesmen, a stock broker, an IRS Agent, some real estate agents and countless others after their having walked away dazed from trying to take advantage of a stupid, illiterate man. My brother owes no man a dime, has no mortgage, car payments or other monthly payments, except ordinary utility fees. He lives quite comfortably on money and investments he made entirely by himself.

So, I figured George Bush is an extremely intelligent man despite appearances. After all, he had been governor of Texas.

Bush, in my opinion, has miserably failed the American people. He has proven himself to be an arrogant dim bulb and after the bright bulbs, (like Colin Powell) bailed, Bush stands surrounded by even dimmer bulbs. (E.G. Chertoff, Aguilar, Gonzalez and bunch). Bush speaks about this being a nation of laws, yet he refuses to enforce Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution (secure the borders); he refuses to enact the Country of Origin Labels required by law over 5 years ago, the FDA is totally gutted and inept DHS can't keep top level managers; the FAA computers are dangerously outdated, foreign governments dictate U.S. policies, NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO and U.S. trade policies are bankrupting the country, the national debt rises exponentially and the U.S. dollar is losing to all but the Third World currencies. Then we have Katrina and "Brownie you are doing a good job."

Bush has become the most inept President ever, with the possible exception of Jimmy Carter, and Jimmy Carter wasn't as dangerous as Bush. Bush is threatening our way of life by picking and choosing which laws he wants to ignore just as a dictator would.

In addition, there is Iraq. I confess that I was in favor of taking out Saddam. Once that was done, Bush should have brought our troops back and let the Shiites, Wahabis, Sunnis and the whole Muslim world settle their differences. Those differences are going to be settled whether we are there or not. Instead, Bush is wasting American lives and capital trying to set up democracy in a region where democracy is not wanted, nor is it compatible with Islam. Islam is fundamentally a system of governance. True, they worship a god, bow to Mecca 5 times a day and all that, but it is fundamentally a system of governance. When democracy and Islam collide, one always loses.

I got a queasy feeling during the capture of Baghdad. I watched looters on T.V. running amuck as U.S. soldiers stood by and watched it happen.

I think when Bush stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier under a banner that read "Mission Accomplished" and announced that major hostilities had ended his naiveté' was epitomized to the world.

I spoke with a retired U.S, Army Colonel a while back who has been to all the War Colleges our government has to offer. In addition, he speaks Arabic, Spanish and German. He served in the Middle East for many years. I asked him what it is about International Law that requires the United States to rebuild Iraq and set up a democratic form of government. The Colonel told me that there is no such requirement, and could not explain militarily why the U.S. didn't just take out Saddam, and withdraw.

Now, Bush is occupied with Iraq, ignoring domestic issues, trying to set up the Security and Prosperity Partnership, pushing the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, allowing China to export poisons to us, allowing Latin America to get cozy with dictators; allowing corporations to violate our laws, exporting jobs, and shafting middle America. I was under the naive impression that our government works for us. The two major parties are controlled by the same interests. Those interests need only buy a majority of both houses and they get their way no matter what. Laws don't get enforced and Bush does his kabuki dance, while John Q. Citizen gets raped by corporate interests, foreign governments and ethnic whores.

Our only peaceful means of redress is in the political arena. When our politicians ignore us and pay homage to special interests, we are doomed as a nation of international statue.

What can we do?

This is a conundrum that gives me troubled sleep.

In a country where 50% voter turnout is considered exceptional, we are doomed. The average American must get out and vote. Too many of us mindlessly vote for the "R" or the "D" simply for "party unity" without regard for anything else. Others vote for the lesser of two evils, (I am guilty of that). A vote for the lesser evil is still a vote for evil.

This society has degenerated to a general condition in which the political candidate with the most money wins.

Why?

Because voters are not paying attention and because of misguided party loyalty.

Why be loyal to a party that is beholden to those who have no loyalty to you?

Because I feel disenfranchised, I re-registered as an Independent. In my state an Independent can vote in either primary. This is a good thing.

I am not about to tell you how to vote. I can tell you how I am going to vote. I will no longer vote for evil. If the two candidates are not satisfactory, I will write in a candidate of my choice. In this age of the "New Media" consisting of instantaneous communication via the internet and email, anybody can organize an effective write-in campaign. There is no longer the necessity of being able to buy expensive radio, T.V. and newspaper ads. Web sites are relatively cheap to set up. All necessary information can be posted and updated as appropriate. People can campaign for their candidate from their computer desk and via telephone.

We must break the succession of candidates who sucker the votes from the people, take office and then cater to special interests.

The politicians govern by consent of the people. The people have the power. We must take it back from those who oppress us. If we don't, we are relegated to the rank of subject and not that of free men with inalienable rights. We must wrestle political power from the economically powerful. If not, we become like Mexico and be governed by an oligarchy.

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Dave Stoddard has lived and worked on the border all his live. He has traveled in Mexico and has friends and family there. Dave lives near the Mexican Border in Cochise County, Arizona. He speaks, reads and writes Spanish fluently.

Mr. Stoddard spent 27 years in the Border Patrol and served in Calexico, California, Vermont, Yuma, Tucson Sector Headquarters and Naco, Arizona. He also worked in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and other locations.

Stoddard provided testimony about immigration reform to Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner's (R-WI) House Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims in 1999 and a Congressional subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources in 2002. He has also been a guest on multiple nationally broadcast Radio and television programs, including Bill O'Reilly's "The Factor."

E-mail: diogenes@theriver.com

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