We Need Leaders Not Followers

The political discourse in the country has become more and more about addressing symptoms than addressing the underlying sickness. This is true because it is easier to be elected (and continue to be re-elected) by empathizing with the electorate’s indifference to substantive issues, susceptibility to irrational fears, and feckless personal financial behavior than to inform, educate, and lead by example. In fact, the federal government and most of its elected officials (social progressives, in particular) continue to promote a culture of anti-intellectualism (spending on education without accountability for results), entitlement (rights without responsibility), and victimization (its always someone else’s fault). While this is a wonderful way to get elected, it is not a particularly effective method for ensuring the continuance of the Republic. My perspective is that we should elect people to lead not follow. Sometimes, this is a difficult position and may actually result in the elected official not being re-elected, which is a tough position to find yourself in when 8-years as president could result in $109-million post-presidency income.

The most recent volley in this exchange is congress’s dissembling over progress in Iraq and the economy. No where in either debate does the congress compare progress to prior wars or economic performance. If one were to do so, I believe they would find that, from a historical perspective, we have made excellent progress on both fronts. The problem is that the facts to do not fit the socially progressive Democrats’ ideological purposes, which are to turn a capitalistic society, built on strong moral principles, into a humanistic, socialistic one.

So, this brings me to my point. I expect our elected represtentatives to lead. I expect themto win the war on terrorism, of which Iraq and Afghanistan are only a small part. I expect them to be more quantitative in their assessment and communication of economic performance. I expect them to be principle-based decision makers, to vote their conscience and, once they have, to stick to their convictions and not to avoid or seek politically expedient solutions to complex, core issues that threaten the long-term viability of our society. In all of this, I expect them to promote intellectualism, capitalism, and personal moral responsibility. If they do not, I will work hard to make sure that they are replaced with someone else who does embrace these principles.