Column Left, March!

In 2008, I was working for a government contractor in the United Kingdom but was closely following the political situation back in the US. As Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton dueled for the Democratic nomination, I wrote this piece, called after the military command "Column Left, March!" and made some predictions. At the end, we will see how they came out.

I have been living in Europe, the United Kingdom to be exact, for the last six-plus years, and the one thing about living here that stands out prominently is the damage to European culture done by left and left-leaning governments. Socialist programs abound, bringing with them the usual high taxes and government interference in everyday lives (not to mention business). In addition, European nations are doing little or nothing to protect their own, rich heritages. Europe is a nice, fat target for those who wish to force their extreme brand of religion on others. To quote noted author Clare Lopez in her recent article "Jihad Means Offensive War to Spread Islam: Osama Bin Laden’s Warning to Europe:"

"Europe is too liberal, too free, too open, too outspoken, too rich, and also nicely softened up by decades of inroads by concepts like multiculturalism, a paralyzing antipathy to discriminating judgment, and an abhorrence of self-defense." (Source - 23 April 2008, "Jihad Means Offensive War to Spread Islam: Osama Bin Laden’s Warning to Europe," Clare Lopez, published on http://www.analyst-network.com.)

The first part of that sentence refers to al-Qaeda’s view of Europe but the second part is what is most pertinent – "multiculturalism," the adherence to being "non-judgmental," and, especially, the "abhorrence of self-defense." The latter refers not only to military matters, but to defense of European culture and, most importantly, the Judeo-Christian foundation of western civilization. Thankfully, as she notes elsewhere in the article, some Europeans are starting to "push back," most notably Pope Benedict XVI. But is it too late? Is Europe already starting to become "Eurabia?"

The purpose of this article, however, is not to discuss what is happening in Europe but what may be about to happen in America. I’m referring to the very good chance of Barack Obama being elected president, combined with what could be a Congress with a substantial majority of Democrats. This literally brings chills to the spine. The damage to the country could be catastrophic. If you think the current administration and Congress are spendthrifts, wait until next year (if the above scenario comes to fruition). The likely results of a President Obama administration (or a Hillary Clinton administration for that matter) combined with a largely Democrat Congress are as follows:


 Higher taxation (much higher)
 Greatly increased government spending
 A judiciary dominated by justices and judges who "legislate from the
bench," basically ignoring the Constitution
 A further erosion of our Second Amendment rights
 Unfettered abortion, including the abhorrent practice of "partial-birth" abortion
 An increasing antipathy to organized religion and religious people in general (unless, of course, they happen to be Muslims)
 The continued erosion of the sanctity of marriage (As it happens, the day I was writing this, the California Supreme Court overturned the state’s ban on "gay marriage." This is exactly what I am talking about – elitist courts thwarting the will of the people.)
 Open borders and an even greater influx of illegal immigrants (and the resultant increased burden placed on taxpayers)
 Abandonment of our mission in Iraq and the subsequent chaos which will result in the deaths of many thousands of Iraqis
 A nuclear armed Iran
 An even more-threatened Israel, our only true ally in the Middle East
 A defensive posture in the War on Terrorism as opposed to the offensive strategy that has been so effective
 A weak foreign policy including appeasement of dictators and extremists
 The emasculation of our military and our Intelligence Community
 A substantial weakening of our nuclear deterrent
 A huge burden placed on American business to satisfy the "global-warming" alarmists
 Erection of trade barriers to placate the unions, driving up prices
 The further degradation of the American educational system

I could go on but you probably get the (awful) picture. Now, I am fully aware that the current (i.e. Bush)administration has not been exactly stellar on some of these issues, especially regarding spending and immigration. I am also aware of the fact the soon-to-be-nominee of the Republican Party, John McCain, has his own baggage with respect to some of these issues. McCain, however, would at least hold the line in many of these areas, especially on foreign policy and the War on Terrorism.

Right now, people are worried about the price of gasoline, the price of food, the credit crunch, etc. I submit to you that these things are cyclical in nature; prices go up, prices come down, times get hard, times get better, we’re in a recession, we’re booming again. What’s lost in all the hoopla about NAFTA, the oil companies, and so forth is the fact that we are facing the biggest challenge to Western Civilization in decades, perhaps in over a century. I’m referring to Islamic extremism and terrorism. Make no mistake – if al-Qaeda and its allies get their way, our way of life is doomed.

I’m not saying electing Democrats will lead to the United States of Amerabia in the next four or eight years, but I am saying it is likely their policies would go a long way toward making that possible. (I am always puzzled why liberals are so accommodating to the Islamic religion, even its extreme wing. Don’t they realize an Islamic state would crush the very "rights" they so cherish? Strange.)

The Roman Empire lasted around five hundred years. In its declining years, its people grew lazy and were prone to all sorts of debauchery. Moral decay, complacency, the weakening of the Roman military, the debasement of its currency and, by the third century, more and more government interference with the market economy which eventually turned into a form of state socialism. As a result, Rome was ripe for the takeover from the barbarians from the east.

The U.S. is two-hundred thirty two years old, but the decay is manifesting itself already. Shall we go the way of Rome, or shall we stand up and say "enough!"

Remember this choice when you go into the voting booth this November.

Higher taxation (much higher) - hasn't happened yet but it's coming

Greatly increased government spending - oh yeah, in spades!

A judiciary dominated by justices and judges who "legislate from the
bench," basically ignoring the Constitution - Obama has appointed two ultra-liberal
judges - thankfully they replaced two other liberal judges

A further erosion of our Second Amendment rights - so far so good on this one,
although there are those who believe the ultimate aim of the "Fast and Furious"
business was to make the case for stricter gun control. I wouldn't be surprised if the Dems do try to do more in this regard in the second term.

Unfettered abortion, including the abhorrent practice of "partial-birth" abortion -
nothing much has changed here - the 2012 Democratic convention at times seemed like a pro-abortion demonstration!

An increasing antipathy to organized religion and religious people in general
(unless, of course, they happen to be Muslims) - I was spot on with this one,
particularly with respect to the issue of forcing religious institutions to, in
essence, fund medical practices which run contrary to church doctrine.

The continued erosion of the sanctity of marriage - no surprise here - the quest
for "gay marriage" continues - Obama even flip-flopped his position on it, just
as the campaign was getting into high gear. Political expediency anyone?

Open borders and an even greater influx of illegal immigrants (and the resultant
increased burden placed on taxpayers) - Obama bypassed the congress and basically implemented the "Dream Act,' providing (for all practical purposes) amnesty for hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens. Members of ICE have been ordered not to enforce the immigration laws, causing some ICE agents to actually sue the Department of Homeland Security for not letting them do their jobs!

Abandonment of our mission in Iraq and the subsequent chaos which will result in
the deaths of many thousands of Iraqis - after failing to get a status of forces
agreement, we are now leaving Iraq in the hands of extremists and greater Iranian
influence - keep your eyes on this one in the second term.

A nuclear armed Iran - it's coming, you know it is. There have been sanctions with
limited effectiveness and a lot of bluster on Obama's part. We'll see.

An even more-threatened Israel, our only true ally in the Middle East - what can I
say? This goes on as I write this. I think I got this one right!

A defensive posture in the War on Terrorism as opposed to the offensive strategy
that has been so effective - mixed results on this one. Obama has been taking out
al-Qaeda leaders, including UBL, using drones but the infrastructure put in place by President Bush (which Obama criticized heavily during the 2008 campaign) is what has enabled him to do it.

A weak foreign policy including appeasement of dictators and extremists - remember the "apology tour?" His Middle East policy is, in my opinion, a complete failure - the much-touted "Arab Spring" has turned into a mess. Keep an eye on the Benghazi issue, by the way.

The emasculation of our military and our Intelligence Community - this hasn't
happened as quickly as I thought it would but the signs are there. The failure
to achieve budget deal with congress means huge cuts are going to happen soon - (sequestration) - look for a last-minute deal on this one - see the next one as well.

A substantial weakening of our nuclear deterrent - Obama has stated he wants to
reduce our nuclear arsenal to around 300 warheads - that will make our nuclear
deterrent practically meaningless (unless we are trying to deter, say, Monaco or
perhaps, Liechtenstein). He also signed a treaty with Russia giving up some of
our modern weapons in return for the dismantling of obsolete Russian systems.
He also did away with plans for missile defense systems in Eastern Europe.

A huge burden placed on American business to satisfy the "global-warming"
alarmists - the Dems have been trying to pass a European-style,
"cap and trade" policy here and Obama has gone around congress (again) by
a proposed EPA rule requiring industries to report greenhouse gas emissions,
the first step in establishing a cap and trade policy. And Obama nixed the
Keystone pipeline, which would have helped the US become more energy
independent and establish many new jobs.

Erection of trade barriers to placate the unions, driving up prices - this hasn't
quite happened yet but there is a definite bias towards big labor in this
administration. The labor unions made out very well in the auto bailout, bigtime.

The further degradation of the American educational system - the Dems still oppose voucher systems and cater to the NEA, while "political correctness" continues to run amuck in academia, with such "curricula" as gay sensitivity training and how to properly use a condom.

All in all, I didn't do too bad, did I? I should have added one more - the trampling on the U.S. Constitution. Hang on - the next four years are going to be a rough ride.

So today's Inauguration Day and the new term begins. Two of the predictions above need to be addressed:

Higher taxation (much higher) - well, the tax "compromise" agreed to recently raises taxes on the "rich" and Obamacare is going to raise taxes in everybody. Plus the Payroll Tax is going back up. More to come.

2nd Amendment Rights: every time there is an unfortunate occurrence such as happened recently in Connecticut the clamor arise for "gun control." I have written extensively on this subject in other Hub articles (as have others). Obama is trying to do an end-run around Congress -- and the Constitution -- with Executive Orders. The fight is just starting.

A new prediction - huge sales of bumper stickers and pins saying "Don't Blame Me - I Voted for Romney"

Earlier I said this: "A weak foreign policy including appeasement of dictators and extremists - remember the "apology tour?" His Middle East policy is, in my opinion, a complete failure - the much-touted "Arab Spring" has turned into a mess. Keep an eye on the Benghazi issue, by the way."

And now the chickens are coming home to roost. The very fact that a State Department official (a Democrat by the way) was castigated and then demoted for disagreeing with the administration's characterization of the incident in Libya is (in Charles Krauthammer's words) prima facie evidence of a cover-up.

If this doesn't bite Obama on his posterior, I don't know what will.

The title of this article is "Column Left, March!" - a military command I used to describe the leftward turn of government in the US if the Democrats won the election back in 2008. Well, obviously they did and Obama was reelected in 2012. Left-wing governments are characterized by huge, intrusive bureaucracies and emphasis on the collective rather than on the individual. The latest Obama-administration scandals, the IRS focusing on conservative political groups, and the government seizing emails and phone records of reporters of the AP and Fox News, are examples of exactly that. Some of the critics of this administration are long-time liberal Democrats, such as Al Hunt, Kirsten Powers, and even Chris Mathews.

If you listen real well you can hear the ghost of Richard Nixon chuckling.