What’s Happening?

Published in the Observer 4/7/2010

The last two weeks since the passage of Obamacare have been rather odd if you follow the news closely. But it is not just Obamacare driving the craziness around us; other issues have made it to the forefront of the news which should pique interest. I did note Reid and Pelosi appear missing and the President has become the spokesman for reassuring the American people they will be cared for life now. Covered in the Washington Post Saturday was President Obama’s 17-minute rambling explanation about healthcare and taxes in Charlotte, North Carolina trying to once again explain the benefits of Obamacare and why taxes must increase. Instead of trying to justify the 2,000 page Obamacare bill, the President Obama should learn from Thomas Jefferson, “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”

As I write this article, I am watching a news report regarding the Catholic Church. The scandal rocking the church right now is nothing new though, it is the same pedophile acts that have made news headlines in the United States. I don’t understand how anyone can act surprised when it seems to be a disease of this religion, not just a new, isolated event. For example, movies have been made about past abuses and often the Priests are targets of jokes regarding children. This time, the scandal does not stop at a local Parish but appears to go to the highest ranks of the Vatican. Maybe change will come; for years it appears church members have struggled to speak out against these crimes and even now, the Church is working to stop media coverage under accusations of defamation. “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent,” Thomas Jefferson.

In the world of crazy dictators both Chavez (Venezuela) and Ahmadinejad (Iran) made the news this past week. On one hand, it’s hard to take either dictator seriously, but yet they make headlines. President Chavez entertained Russia’s Prime Minister Putin, met with Russian troops and spoke to them through translators. Why would these two countries build a relationship? Because Russia has technology and Venezuela has oil monies. Last week the focus was a proposal for Russia to supply space and weapons technologies to Venezuela. This proposal is laughable as the country itself has energy problems, but should still be taken seriously. Chavez has increasingly built relationships with Iran, China, and Russia and worked to push himself away from the United States. Similarly, Iran’s President Ahmadinejad stated he is more determined than ever to make Iran’s nuclear program successful. Like a defiant child he is empowered by the threat to stop him and thus continues to aggressively pursue a nuclear weapons program. Although the United States publicly pokes fun at both countries, they continue to slowly work toward their goals and appear to achieve some success. “An enemy generally says and believes what he wishes,” Thomas Jefferson.

The commonality of Ahmadinejad, Chavez, the Catholic Church, and Obama is they all believe their demagoguery. Like Jim Jones, they want the people to follow them, and to question their actions is not seen as debate but as enemies of the state. I am hopeful people around the world, and here in the United States, have awakened to the rhetoric pontificated to us. “Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day,” Thomas Jefferson.