Author Archives: Lib-Whisperer

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About Lib-Whisperer

Hello and thanks for visiting the Lib-Whisperer blog site. The Lib-Whisperer is the expression of personal opinions. I hope to grow the site as time goes by and enthusiasm grows. I am sarcastic by nature, but always well intended. I am an admitted history & policy-wonk. I enjoy discussions with people who are curious, flexible and above all else, informed; willing to have their convictions tested through polite fact-based discussions. I’m informed through studying the works of giants like Bastiat, Montesquieu, John Locke, Adam Smith, Thomas Sowell, Milton Friedman, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, our U.S. Constitution, The Federalist Papers, the pamphleteers & landmark SCOTUS opinions to name a few. The Lib Whisperer site hopefully offers insight into the core principles & ideology of a segment of American citizens who believe urgent course changes are necessary to guide our country toward fiscal responsibility, national security, Federalism, conservative values and true representative government. A foundational belief I hold is constituencies constantly form & harden around single issues. History is replete with examples that prove these singular constituencies are routinely high-jacked by traditional established groups and purposely used to divide folks along narrow ideological lines. We must find ways to re-unite citizens who have allowed themselves to become labelled and isolated, and worse, conscripted & unknowingly aligned with larger ideological groups that espouse the need to destroy our country’s historical foundation. For example, witness the origins of the Tea Party and what it eventually became. Mocked & derided by the traditional Left, and then co-opted by the traditional Right. The high-jackings are not always sinister; rather, they are a more a consequence of natural human behavior. There is power in groups, and existing groups who are organized, funded and like-minded typically see new ones as either threats or opportunities. If they are threats- they need to be diminished and eliminated; if they are opportunities, they need to be purposely subordinated, conscripted and melded with the larger group. The intrinsic threat of a new group is it will siphon off members from the established ones. Power, money, prestige and influence moving en masse away from traditional groups is a powerful motivator. Our nation’s two party political-system is a perfect example of hardened constituencies. Labels- once adopted by individuals provide comfort but can induce a subtle intellectual laziness, diminish curiosity, and polarize the adopter. Fiscal cliffs, nuclear Armageddon, financial system instability and corruption, porous borders, the collapse of our public education system, endless wars on drugs, terrorism, polarized ineffective leadership…this is what we are greeted with each day. The future for our kin hangs in the balance; we cannot continue to do things the same way and expect different results. Better ideas are required to solve our problems. Agreeing on what hasn’t worked seems to be a good place to start. Thanks for joining me in the modern “public square” to make sense of all of this.

We Can’t Lose Either Way

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Spoiler Alert…too late- the title gave it away but read on if you’ve got nothing better to do.

In the debris-wake of the final debate of the 2012 presidential election, a fantastic certainty may have emerged. I know it’s a bold claim I make. Patience please.

It’s pretty darn exciting though, and rest assured if I’m right, and my insight is true- folks from coast-to-coast should be all-smiles and thumbs-up gestures this morning. The era of comity & brotherhood may be upon us.

Here’s the key to the mental-squinting and intellectual contortion required to achieve the enlightenment as a debate devotee…you must completely suspend disbelief. Stop listening to the “noise and interference” and attempt the journey to the core beliefs. OK…are you ready? Not quite?

Here are some tips to achieve this new level of consciousness, or self-delusion (take your pick):

  • Strip away those parts of each candidate’s answers that included embellishments, distortions, attacks, zingers and moments-of-righteous indignation
  • Fashion what remains into a summary of our hero’s world-views (rear-view mirror focused) and forward predictions

Here’s what you’re left with if you achieve the new consciousness. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO WINS. America sits on the precipice of a new era of greatness either way.

Beer goggles on…from the perspective of the incumbent, almost without exception things done by recent predecessors, perhaps at times well-intended, were ill-conceived, down right stupid, naive and poorly executed. Good news though…it is virtually self-evident that all these problems are now remedied, and darn it, it is working, just look at the numbers!

For the aspirational candidate- with a brand spanking new direction all things will work perfectly, and you won’t have to be patient because it is going to happen really fast since the incumbent is such a bungler.

In the case of the incumbent, proudly claim the enviable mantle of an exclusive lock on near-perfection; stay the course and all will be well…you sillies are just not patient enough.

For the aspiring candidate- awe inspiring sets of broad but simple principles…a tweak here and a complete-about-face there, and we’re good to go.

So how can we lose? These are smart guys, they know things we don’t know- it sounds fantastic either way!

Here is the point where we come out of the gauzy dream-state and return to the dull-stare.

This season’s debates were remarkable, but in the pejorative sense. The events so stage-managed, scripted and designed to appeal to baser instincts that truth and facts becomes chimera. The conventional wisdom ahead of the debate season was that no one watches these things and they don’t matter.

Whoops, folks in fact tuned in for the first debate in record numbers. In the blood in the water aftermath of debate one, the 24/7 pre/post television news cycle, tweets, blogs, robo-calls, web-news and instant messaging conspired to convince folks to tune-in for the next one, and the next one. Debates became spectacle.

Post debate-one, the secret to success became clear and our hero’s embraced the new normal. They locked themselves away to train and rehearse, preparing for the transformation into Rock-em Sock-em Robots. Honed to perform in two more ninety-minute round swing-fests. New rules: feigned indignity, bold assertions of un-truths, relentless deception, obfuscation, attacks, zingers and distortion, briefly interrupted in the clenches with precious few moments of real policy and leadership vision. All the while, the ring-side commentators tell us how to watch the fight and count the punches. Voters are left to try to figure out the truth in this melee. Sadly, it is not impossible to discern the truth, but it is beyond the desire of most voters to make the effort.

If our nation’s problems weren’t so serious, this would be amusing.

But who cares. Once this election is over, it’s all going to be great…trust me!