Time For A New Direction, Democrats

Howard Dean stopped howling long enough to write out one of his strange commentaries, this time in the November 6, 2006 issue of USA Today, “Why you should vote for Democrats.”

He correctly notes in his opening paragraph that “(S)ome Americans may be considering doing something they haven’t done in a long time. Vote for a Democrat.” After that hopeful start, "Howling" Howard doesn’t come up with any reasons that anyone would actually vote for a Democrat, unless they feel there is a need to vote for vague and contradictory policies.

Michael Kinsley in Slate, who will never be mistaken for a conservative, suggests Democrats read their party's position paper, but only after they vote. That way, they will only suffer "after-the-vote" embarassment, not "why vote?" apathy.

He notes allegations that the Bush administration has increased terrorism around the world, without noting that there have been fewer acts of terrorism around the world since 911.

Contradicting Howard’s statement that terrorism has increased, an al Qaeda terrorist on trial in Britain, Dhiren Barot, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to carry out murder over four years between January 2000 and August 2004. Barot and his murderous cohorts were plotting death and devastation in the US and UK a year before President Bush was inaugurated.

The Iowa Howler also is blind to the fact that there has not been a terrorist attack on the United States since 911. Still he says we need to focus more attention on destroying Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda networks. He wants “to ensure that our troops and agencies have the tools to stop future attacks.”

Howard, if that is the Democrat’s position, why don’t you let the National Security Agency monitor communications from al Qaeda to contacts in the United States? Isn’t intercepting their communications and important tool in disrupting their operations? During my three years in the United States Air Force Security Service, we thought it was.

Apparently Democrats still look on wishful thinking as an effective tool to fight terrorism, because I have not heard Howard or any Democrat military expert (they don’t have one) detail or even outline a plan for combating terrorism.

The closest thing the Democrats have to a military mind is Jack Murtha, who when last listened to suggested redeployment of US troops from Iraq to “nearby” Okinawa, where they would be poised to “redeploy rapidly” back to Iraq if necessary.

I hope someone got “Military Mastermind” Murtha a globe, and a “Beginner’s Guide to Military Logistics.” I’m afraid it would still be too advanced for him, but you have to start the Democrats somewhere, even though they show so little aptitude.

“Howitzer” Howie does not just parade his unfinite military acumen, he also puts his economic prowess on display. Without naming any, he avers that “harmful GOP policies have failed hard-working Americans.” I guess his attendants must not let him see the reports that the stock market has rallied from its enormous losses in the last year of the Clinton administration and has set new highs. Howard, I know you don’t know this, but “hard working Americans” are now heavily invested in the stock market, through such things that a government employee and politician such as yourself probably have not heard of like 401K’s, IRA’s, stock option plans, employee pension profit plans, and etc.

Howard, if you can sneak away from your keepers, check out our 4.4 % unemployment rate, the best it has been since President Bush’s tax cuts brought us out of the Clinton/Gore Recession that began October 2000 after the DotCom bubble burst.

In a typical burst of Democrat logic, you promise to restore fiscal discipline, and in the next paragraph throw open the spending floodgates. Howard, if you are going to reduce Republican cuts in programs, you are increasing spending for those programs.

Very noticeably, the only economic plan you mentioned in detail involved increased spending, and you didn’t mention any cuts to anything. I know how you are going to do this, so why can’t you come out and say it?

You’re going to increase taxes, aren’t you?

How else are you going to “reverse Republican health care cuts,” which by the way, Howard, weren’t cuts but just reductions in the rate of spending increases, if you are going to spend more while cutting nothing?

Tax increases, right?

Come on, Howard, say it.

You’re going to “make a down payment on ensuring affordable health care for every American.” Howard, after you make a down payment, you have to keep on making payments on the balance you owe. It doesn’t stop with the down payment. You know that, right?

You’re going to “fix the Medicare prescription drug program.” How, Howard? Keep it afloat with hot air?

You’re also going to “protect Social Security so that every senior is ensured a retirement in dignity.” Howard, in your infrequent lucid moments even you must realize that Social Security is not sustainable in its present form. If you can’t foresee how it will play out here in the United States, take a look at Europe. Europe is already where we will be in two decades or less if we don’t privatize Social Security. (I just found this post - thanks to Captain Ed Morrisey, Captain's Quarters - that totally reinforces my point that Europe is a mirror to our future if Democrats have their way.)

Howard, the social welfare programs in Europe are already killing the economies of Europe. Their populations are aging rapidly, and their expensive social welfare programs and high tax rates are dealing a deadly combination of punches to the soft underbelly of socialism. First, the very generous welfare benefits make working less attractive, and are a magnet for abuse. Second, the high tax rates make working less attractive, and discourage entrepreneurial activity.

Many economies in Europe have not had a net increase in employment for a decade, some for many decades. Yet on the other hand, the number of people who must be supported by those still working is growing, while the number working isn’t. Howard, economists who didn’t sell out their integrity to Leftist ideology saw the slow-motion train wrecks of the European socialist economies coming decades ago, and raised the alarm. They also signaled the same would happen to the United States if Democrats continued to demagogue Social Security reform.

You say, “Our nation has become more divided and polarized with rhetoric and campaign tactics designed to drive wedges rather than find common ground.”

Howard, that’s what Democrats have been doing since you sold your souls to all the special interest groups. You made Social Security reform the “third rail” of politics in America by making it an issue to panic seniors that Republicans were trying to kill Social Security, when you knew all the time that Republicans wanted to fix it before all the Baby Boomers started drawing Social Security, and then it would be too late to fix.

Democrats made a wedge out of affirmative action, promoting discrimination against some groups as a means of rewarding their most loyal special interest groups.

Democrats have always tried to divide citizens by economic class so they can use class envy to buy votes. When half the population pays less than five percent of income taxes, it’s easy to say tax cuts only benefit the rich. Democrats are careful not to mention that the rich are paying a steadily increasing share of income taxes, even as they benefit the most from tax cuts.

At the same time, poverty has been steadily decreasing, even as uneducated and unskilled illegal aliens flood across our unprotected borders.

“Hallucinating” Howard and the Democrats have painted a picture of the United States quite different than its reality, and then affirmed they have the solutions to the problems that don’t exist. They’ll fight terrorism by retreating, improve the economy by increasing taxes, cut the deficit by increasing spending, and fix Social Security by pretending there is nothing wrong.

Democrats ask America, “Isn’t it time for a new direction?”

This American says yes, and I wish the Democrats would finally take one.