THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume X, Issue # 2, January 2, 2008
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
WILL THE 2008 ELECTIONS DELIVER MORE "NON-SOLUTIONS"?
By Christopher G. Adamo
U.S. BORDER CONTROL, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, & THE 2008 ELECTIONS: THE NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT AMERICA
IS LIKELY TO REAP BY THE VOTERS' ELECTING A PARTICULAR PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER TO THE OFFICE OF U.S.
PRESIDENT -- WHAT KIND OF NATIONAL LEADER SHALL WE GET: A PRESIDENT WHO STRIVES TO PROTECT &
PROMOTE THE VITAL NATIONAL INTERESTS OF THE U.S.A., OR ONE WHO SEEKS TO PUT A PUBLIC FACE OF MOCK
CONCERN & "COMPASSION" ON THE POLITICAL ELITES' INCREASINGLY SELF-SERVING ENDEAVORS? A GLARING
INDICATION OF WHAT IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN UNDER ANY PRESIDENT OF EITHER MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY: THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOW THE BELTWAY ELITES REACT TO THE CONTINUING PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION &
HOW THEY REACT TO THE SUBPRIME MORTGAGE DEBACLE
FULL STORY:
As the 2008 presidential campaign season shifts from jockeying and publicity stunts to actual voting, it is all important to
consider what America is likely to actually reap by electing any particular candidate. Honesty being a commodity of ever
dwindling supply, it is dangerous to rely solely on the words of many candidates. All is not as it seems, once the cameras
and spotlights are turned off, or once the primary season is concluded.
A couple of glaring recent examples, when considered in comparison to each other, tell the grim story. Washington is not
about the business of the American people or, as the Declaration of Independence so eloquently puts it, securing the
God-given rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Rather, it seeks to put a public face of mock concern and
“compassion” on its increasingly self-serving endeavors.
Cynical and depressing as such an assessment may sound, the facts nonetheless speak for themselves. Beltway reactions
to the ongoing hemorrhage at America’s southern border, when contrasted against the ostensibly monumental subprime
mortgage “crisis,” provide the necessary evidence for such a claim.
Despite a vast array of excuses and obfuscations intended to convince the American public that the ongoing flood of
illegal immigrants is either no real problem, or is simply unfixable, common citizens see their country, its traditions, and its
heritage disappearing from before their very eyes. By margins of more than seventy percent, Americans demand action to
secure their nation’s border in an effort to curb this invasion.
But what have they gotten in response from Washington? In 2006, after a hard-fought battle in the Congress, a measure
was grudgingly passed that assured the construction of 700 miles of border fence. The event was promoted with great
fanfare as proof of decisive leadership within a Congress intent on dealing effectively with border security. From the start,
the situation lacked credibility, since its principals had been so reluctant to truly confront the border issue. Not
surprisingly, things only deteriorated from there.
To begin with, a little elementary math is all it takes to recognize that, even if the entire fence were built as promised, more
than sixty-five percent of the border would remain open. Does anyone really believe this token effort constitutes border
“security”? Moreover, those doubters whose reflexive reaction was to cynically insist that the fence would never be built
are being validated daily.
Somehow, according to the way business is conducted inside the District of Columbia, the “actual” fence requirement
magically diminished from 700 miles down to 370, which would leave 81% of the border unchecked. Yet, even that length
of fence is an empty promise, with deadlines for construction completely ignored. To date, the government claims that 70
miles of fence has been installed, hardly a “Manhattan Project” to restore our national integrity and sovereignty. But it
still gets worse. The actual length may be less than ten miles.
The American people should never forget that, in the beginning, Congress only conceded to the notion of a border fence
as a means of throwing a few crumbs to those citizens who otherwise rejected any immigration “reform” measures (read:
amnesty) without first securing the border. Apparently, the illegal immigration problem is simply too overwhelming for the
U.S. government to honestly and effectively address it.
So, one might ask, just what are all of those federal bureaucrats and officials back in Washington, D.C., paid to accomplish
for the American people? The abominable answer can be found in their response to the “subprime mortgage” debacle, a
real (we are told) crisis that requires their immediate attention.
As the housing market boomed in recent years, lenders sought to maximize profits by making as many loans as possible,
while families in the housing market similarly endeavored to get the best housing deal their money could buy. Some
overextended themselves, and are now facing possible foreclosures, which would also generate losses for the lending
institutions.
With stunning swiftness, virtually the entire political class in Washington has reacted with promises to ride to the rescue
of the beleaguered homeowners. Posturing politicians and officeholders, from the President to Senators Hillary Clinton
(Democrat - New York) and Harry Reid (Democrat - Nevada), to Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, have offered proposals
to stem the “crisis.”
Clearly, Washington insiders cannot wait to throw money at the problem, clawing past each other in their determination to
get to the microphones and trumpet their “compassion” when dispersing taxpayers’ money to the needy masses.
What they say rarely, if ever, is that only six percent of the subprime mortgages are in default, with the remainder still fluid.
This apparently inconsequential detail belies the fact that the U.S. national government’s real aim is not to protect the
American way, nor to stabilize the current housing market, since its response will accomplish neither. Rather, the political
class sees every situation facing America from a perspective of its own gain or loss in perceived stature.
If the current crop of politicos have their way, the border will go on being neglected or ignored, while the housing situation
will be answered by the irresponsible dispersal of the national treasury. Ultimately, Americans have nobody to blame but
themselves, having reached this point by electing and re-electing such people.
If change is ever to come to this detestable situation, it must result from a determination by Americans that they will no
longer accept the empty words of political aspirants that are blatantly contradicted by their past actions. This is a point that
Americans should thoughtfully ponder as they examine their current field of presidential candidates from both parties.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
American Politics & Political Competition:
Elections, PACs, & Political Parties
American Government & the U.S. Presidency:
Presidential Politics & National Leadership
The American Political System:
Politics & Government in the U.S.A.
United States Immigration, Assimilation, & National Security Policy:
Immigration into the U.S.A., Legal & Illegal Aliens,
& U.S. Border Control
Fiscal Policy: Taxation & Government Spending
Christopher G. Adamo is a freelance writer who lives in southeastern Wyoming and works in the field of industrial instrumentation.
He is actively involved in Wyoming's political process, serving as a delegate to successive Wyoming State Republican Conventions
and as a member of the Wyoming State Republican Central Committee. He has assisted Republican candidates for local and state
legislatures and for the United States Congress. His articles, which appear regularly in The Progressive Conservative, U.S.A.,
and on a number of other websites, reflect a major concern with the damage being done to Conservatism and Conservative causes by
the Liberal Leftist faction in the Republican Party as well as by the much larger and more powerful Liberal Leftist faction in the
Democratic Party. During the early and middle 1990s, Adamo was Editor of the Wyoming Christian Coalition's official news organ,
The Wyoming Christian.
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THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
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Conservative Government Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity