Consistency of Character

Consistency of character is something that not many of us can claim. We all want to be viewed as people who can be relied on to do the right thing time after time. Unfortunately most of us can recall instances where we failed to come through when someone or some occasion needed our strength and our assistance. Even without the descriptor of character attached, consistency is difficult to accomplish. For those of us who are parents we have often second-guessed our inconsistent guidance for our offspring. Consistency is a highly-valued trait in professional sports….with limitations…. a consistent .100 hitter will find himself consistently re-assigned to a lower league. Consistency is a valued attribute when it is productive or represents a favorable behavior. Consistent character in the lofty world of national politics is truly rarified air. The term “flip-flop” has more social relevance today for chameleon-type politicians than for flimsy footwear.

It is time for a mea culpa. Back in my ultra conservative GOP days I thought Ron Paul was a somewhat looney nagger. His constant harping about the Constitution and the abuses by the Federal Reserve seemed quaint but somewhat far-fetched…..a little “out there” if you know what I mean. But time and circumstances have moved us all “out there” as we realize that Dr. Paul’s predictions were “spot on.” The unconstitutional forays into “never never land” by Congress and administrations have resulted in a massive, intrusive, expensive and inefficient government. The secret manipulations by the Fed when added to the known digital creation of money from thin air have led to the value of our currency becoming debased while the specter of runaway inflation haunts us. Ron Paul has understood the gaping faults within the Federal Reserve for a long time, and we ignored him.  The current knock on Congressman Paul from his detractors involves his foreign policy positions. They accuse him of being an isolationist, or naïve…..or “wacko.”

The title of this piece is “Consistency of Character,” and if one is to be faithful to the Constitution, one must be consistent regarding domestic policy, foreign policy and government-citizen interactions. As I have written in previous columns, the United States Congress has not DECLARED war since December 8^th, 1941. Consistent constitutional adherence would not permit the multitude of military actions that we have pursued during the past 70 years. To praise Dr. Paul’s constitutional integrity regarding the size and scope of government while condemning his constitutional foreign policy stance is both hypocritical and self-serving. If Dr. Paul’s critics want him to become a flaming interventionist who spends trillions of dollars and countless lives, they should amend the Constitution to allow for frequent willy-nilly military operations against every perceived threat, real and potential, with a minimal legislative or constitutional justification…..rather like we have been doing for seven decades. The chief reason that no war has been declared in all that time despite our being in nearly constant conflict for the entire period is that Congress and the presidents have lacked the political will and courage to take a recorded stand. Cowardice should not be rewarded…..nor tolerated.

Now, regarding Mr. Paul’s specific stand on Iran and the nearly universal gnashing of teeth and wailing about his unwillingness to initiate aggressive military action against the Iranians, in a previous column (“Do Something”—8/19/2011) I identified several nations that are legitimate threats to the security of the United States. That number has increased with the events in Libya. That nation is on the verge of anarchy with tribal, regional and ideological factions all vying for power. At stake is the broad range of weapons of mass destruction that have been sequestered throughout the country. Those armaments are particularly vulnerable for acquisition by groups committed to terror. Iran certainly is a threat…a considerable threat with no air force or missile delivery system …but to focus on the potential of Iran without watching the reality of other threatening countries would be….could be…a disastrous oversight.

Dr. Paul thoroughly understands that fixation on the enemy du jour could lead to a devastating consequence for our nation. He believes in a strong defense and a powerful swift response if any nation directly challenges our people. Those who would dismiss Congressman Paul as a serious contender for the presidency because of his foreign policy views are hypocritically disingenuous. It is radically hypocritical to laud Mr. Paul’s steadfast consistent compliance with the Constitution while decrying his constitutional position with regards to international ventures and military action. It is disingenuous to insist that the only true leaders are those who violate the Constitution by sending our armed services personnel into harm’s way while playing the role of chicken hawk cowards who are unwilling to go on the legal record to justify their actions.

Consistency of character is a commodity that is rare in the halls of political power. Honesty and integrity are also in short supply. For those of you who are or may know someone who is a serious follower and believer of faith, you may be aware of how some people like to ridicule believers and poke fun at their faith. It is similar to someone like Dr. Paul who takes his oath of office seriously but is the target of derision by those who claim to support the Constitution. There are three valid remedies to this situation: amend the Constitution, stop falsely claiming to support it, or engage in a serious examination of Dr. Paul’s positions in the light of constitutional awareness. If you, yes You, truly want a restoration of constitutional government for our nation, you must perform your due diligence and request that other candidates stop claiming to be followers of the Framers while they pursue their interventionist world-policeman and unconstitutional foreign policies. Let’s be consistent.

Comment:   cearlwriting@hotmail.com      or    www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

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Do Something

The main stream media talking heads have consciously and deliberately ignored Congressman Ron Paul’s lofty finish in the Ames, Iowa, Straw Poll. When they do stoop to mention him, it is done derisively based primarily on his response to a Thursday night debate question. He was chided, and then asked about his position regarding the acquisition of nuclear weapons by the Iranian government. Dr. Paul, in essence, responded that we (the United States) should do nothing. He went on to state that starting another endless war with a nation that has no meaningful air force or capable missile delivery system would be folly. Media eyebrows were lifted, heads were shaking the negative, and Congressman Paul’s platform opponents chuckled. “There’s that crazy old guy suggesting that we not intervene. What’s wrong with him?”

Historically, Americans are “doers.” When we have confronted a problem or a barrier, we have leapt to action and corrected it. Sadly, today, when we face a perplexing issue, we spring into action and demand that the government “do something.” This attitude resembles the night-time cries of a two-year old asking Mommy and Daddy to get the monster from under the crib. Neither cry for a solution is based on reality. There is no monster under the bed, and government is notoriously incompetent and costly. So we come to Iran….controlled by the mullahs and fronted by that little wacko…they are building a nuke. On at least two separate occasions their developmental progress has been drastically damaged…by computer hacking and by the untimely deaths of key project engineers. Nevertheless, the politicians, the media and some of the people plaintively cry, “Do something.” When Iraq was supposedly amassing and improving weapons of mass destruction, President Bush did something. We’re still there, and our people are still dying because of roadside bombs, booby traps and lethal insurgents.  

Many people, public and private, have expressed dismay or revulsion with Dr. Paul’s stance toward Iran. They animatedly remark that the Iranians (their leaders) want to destroy the U.S. of A. so we cannot, we must not allow them to possess a nuclear device. They appear to have forgotten that the Soviet Union threatened to “bury” us, and they had a massive nuke arsenal (many components of which are floating on the world-wide black market). China has nuclear weapons. North Korea (no friendly chums there) is armed with the bomb. We ourselves presented the Islamic-based government of Pakistan with nukes to offset Indian development, and many of the Pakistani leaders are bloodthirsty fundamentalists. So given the myriad of potential threats from around the entire globe, doesn’t it seem more reasonable to perfect the defensive shield that President Reagan started and subsequent presidents have allowed to wither? Given that the threats are so numerous and varied, a comprehensive defensive posture with massive retaliatory capabilities is much more sensible than attacking a country without an air force and negatively disrupting the region more than we have done so far.

Although Congressman Paul’s critics are dismissive of his position, none of them have countered with a comprehensive plan for dealing with Iran other than the one that has been a failure for thirty to sixty years. Yes, that’s true political and media leadership. Government must “do something” even if it is the same failed wasteful policy of the past several decades. They appear to suggest that another 20 or 30 year war with significant loss of life, multiple guard and reserve deployments, and trillions of taxpayer and BORROWED dollars is the right way to go. You see, they’ll be “doing something.” Yes, they will be doing everything other than their constitutional duty. They will waste so many of our resources—human, financial—while allowing our defensive system to degrade further. As Einstein so pithily observed, “insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result.”  We have danced this dance since the end of World War II….and here we are queuing up for another round on the floor. 

Knowing that a hornets’ nest is hanging in a backyard tree is one thing. Poking it with a stick is something else. Dr. Paul’s views about adherence to the Constitution and his dismay with the Federal Reserve’s mismanagement of our monetary system are widely known and are becoming more popular. People are beginning to understand that our fiscal and financial houses are in disarray. They are beginning to recognize too that there must be some limits on government, or it would become too large and too oppressive. Those were the reasons for devising the Constitution in its final form---preserve individual liberty by curtailing government intervention in our lives. It is from his constitutional principles that Dr. Paul rejects imperialist behavior by our elected officials. Give Congress or the Administration the authority and power to conduct “police actions” or warfare at will and the people’s ability to restrain an out-of-control government is dangerously eroded. Despotic regimes have used war and perceived threats as rallying points to unite the people around the government and to thwart opposition within the nation. Why should our professional career politicians be any different? “Wag the Dog” was a fictional film with a realistic scenario.

Bottom line for me as I review the GOP Presidential Primary field is that ONLY ONE candidate has taken his oath to the Constitution seriously enough to stay true to it. Only one candidate has been willing to stand firm on principle while being ostracized and ridiculed…even when time has proven that he was correct regarding the monetary system and constitutional abuses. Only one candidate does not reflect the “American Idol” version of slick career politicians that have led our nation to the brink of collapse. Voters can find multiple reasons for supporting or rejecting a particular candidate. I pray and hope they think it through….I have. It’s time to “do something” to stop the madness. Doing the same old things in the same old ways will not get the job done.

Comment:    cearlwriting@hotmail.com       or       www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com