What will remain?

When Harding took over from the Wilson administration, he 'inherited' a ballooning national debt, a credit bubble, a post war depression (1920-21), dozens of progressive political experiments. In just a few years, he cut the size of government by 1/3, reduced the national debt, cut taxes by 60+% (amazing how big they got in so short of a time, huh?), and restored the economy. Stunning how much he got done by doing so very little. Please read that last line and think on it. Perhaps even read up on that period in our history. Most of what he did was cutting, reducing, and stepping out of our way. Very under appreciated President.

In Hardings' time, the government was not as invasive or pushy, yet. Yes there were cycles even then, but like a good sailboat on the lake, our government, as outlined by the Constitution, will right itself is allowed to.

When Eisenhower took over from the Truman administration, he inherited a war in Korea, a Cold War in the rest of the world, and a society that was evolving, rapidly, a complex technological and societal matrix. When he was a boy, there were no airplanes in the sky or mass production of automobiles. Yet not only did he create the Superhighway project, but he also created the foundation for NASA. The world of Eisenhower was not the world of Harding. He extracted us out of the active war of Korea and began to build up a nuclear deterrent (since the Soviets had just stole the plans to build a bigger bomb). He attempted to limit the range and scope of the government and even began to note a sinister new development in society. The so-called "military industrial complex". In context, what he was warning about was a growing 'feed back loop' whereby industries existed to provide products, jobs, and visibility for Congressional districts. Taxpayer money was being doled out to industries not because these items were needed but because they became pork projects for Congressmen wanting to get re-elected. These industries then became influential enough to practically select the politicians that would then vote for the appropriations. Most history books conveniently leave out the connection with the politicians.

When Reagan took over from Carter, he inherited a growing national debt, growing 'Stagflation', a discredited American image abroad, a weakened military, a resurgent Soviet Union, union bosses, corruption, Progressive pet projects (Department of Education and Energy comes to mind). The country had slid so much under the last several Presidents (Nixon is a mixed-bag for me) that even two terms of Reagan could bring us back all the way from where we had left the path. He slashed taxes, in a Democrat controlled Congress, and rebuilt the military. Congress broke just about every spending promise they made to Reagan and the deficit grew, though by paltry amounts compared to today's figures. He re-energized our Space Program and, most importantly, he restored our faith in ourselves. He made us proud to be Americans again.

As a child, I remember looking at the newspaper headlines and photos of burned and wrecked helicopters in the Iranian desert. I remember looking at the bodies of our soldiers laying neglected in the sand and wondered how our country could be so inept. How could the pilots not even get to the mission start? Could they have even accomplished the mission had they gotten there? Who was running that show? In a nut shell (no, I won't hit on the peanut thing) it was Carter. Where Carter was spineless Reagan had resolve. He had vision and he had religion. When two-bit dictators in Central America and the Caribbean caused us trouble, he rung their bell. When the leftists in Congress blocked him, he went around them. I know I'm on slippery ground with that last line legally, but god bless him anyhow.

After Reagan, we got one Progressive president after another. National debt is truly unsustainable, our military is once again being used inappropriately (you know, to actually win wars) and our children are being indoctrinated in ways not seen since FDR and Fascism.

These are dangerous times everyone. There are vast numbers of the American public being ignored and marginalized (the left has NEVER been the majority in this country). When enough people have had everything taken from them and no longer feel that there is an outlet for their voices that things get dangerous. All it takes is for a very charismatic individual to come along and offer those people everything they want only if they follow them. I pray that the Democrats get obliterated this November and neuter Obama and his deliberately treasonous activities. Get the Progressives out of Congress and the President will be severely curtailed.

Only God knows what He has in store for us. It will be up to us to rise to the challenges.

-Zavost