By Alan Caruba
It is possible for an entire nation to suffer depression? Not the financial, but the emotional kind.
I have not spoken to anyone, however, that has expressed any optimism about the state of the nation and the air is full of conspiracy theories regarding what new action Barack Obama might take. The most popular of these is that he will declare “a national emergency” in order to assert powers that would put him in control of the nation without reference or consultation with Congress.
I would have dismissed such a notion in the past, but Obama genuinely scares me and a lot of other people as well. An example of this was the great surge in gun sales that led up to Christmas. Guns are not generally regarded as the kind of gift you find under the Christmas tree unless you’re a hunter or shooting sportsman.
I cannot shake off the memory of the march on Washington in 2009 when an estimated million Americans gathered there to peacefully protest the pending passage of Obamacare. The President’s chief political advisor, David Axelrod, dismissed the gathering saying, “They’re wrong.” That’s beyond arrogance. It signals contempt for the way a democracy works.
They were not wrong and the Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing in March in response to 26 U.S. State Attorney Generals who filed suit to have Obamacare declared unconstitutional. The manner in which the then-Democrat controlled Congress forced the bill through to passage was scary, along with then-Speaker Pelosi’s statement that we just would have to read the bill “to find out what’s in it.” It was apparent that none of members of Congress who voted for it had bothered to do that.
What’s scary, too, is that Congress has provided the presidency with all manner of virtually dictatorial powers that were intended to be evoked only in the event of a major, national crisis. Even following 9/11 these powers were not used to hamper news coverage, freedom of travel, and other aspects of our lives. 9/11, however, was followed by the Patriot Act and many of us continue to have grave misgivings about some of its provision.
A more recent piece of legislation that permits the President to authorize the seizure, arrest and imprisonment of anyone deemed an enemy of the state is scarier still. Obama says he would not use such powers but modern history is filled with examples of dictators that did.
So, yes, America is in a very dark mood these days. New Hampshire’s citizens are poised to vote for a Republican to be that party’s candidate for the presidency. Adopted in 1945, at the end of World War Two, New Hampshire’s state motto is “Live free or die.” It is my hope that other Americans feel the same way.
Suffice to say that Barack Hussein Obama is not like any other President in the history of the nation. It is more than a little frightening that this unknown quantity was so carefully “packaged” that, along with a mainstream media that were literally enthralled with him, enough voters were found to elect him.
A lot of those voters were young and likely unaware of U.S. history, the Constitution, and the principles by which the nation is intended to be governed. A lot of those young voters, now a bit older, looking for jobs that don’t exist, living at home still, and perhaps also saddled with huge college loan debt may not vote at all or vote for anyone but Obama.
The other group that was instrumental in his victory was African-Americans and one wonders if a majority among them have had a change of heart. I doubt it. A third group was union members and the civil service unions and others have benefited greatly from his Administration despite growing opposition at the state level.
It is worth keeping in mind that there is a hard core of 25% to 30% of voters who are blindly liberal and utterly immune to facts or reality. The “Occupy” movement drew from this group and they quickly wore out their welcome wherever they gathered. If enough liberals are disheartened by their personal situation, they too may not turn out in large numbers to vote.
As for the GOP, it has become fractionalized by its libertarian segment, its evangelical Christian segment, and by what was a cohesive Tea Party conservative segment. They need to set aside their differences to elect a candidate who can defeat Obama and I am inclined to believe that the closer we get to Election Day, they will.
As with any depression, one has to shake it off and find ways to turn dark moods in to bright tomorrows. That’s America’s job. We have done it in the past and we can do it again.
© Alan Caruba, 2012
14 comments:
I am 53 yrs old, and for the first time in my life, I am truly frightened by what is going on and from the proceedings that the Obama Administration have pulled over America's eyes in plain sight. I am speaking to you, Mr. Caruba as a father figure, as I have talked to my father, who is 83 and was in WWII in the Navy. I have spoken to him as to what to do, what may we (I) expect from this storm that is brewing so very heavily over our beautiful nation. My grandfather died for this country in France, and right at this moment, I am sure he would be ashamed of this country as well as I am ashamed of it.
When Obama first started flaunting his Hope and Change bit, I could see right through his smoke screen, I am personally shocked as to how many people I run into who think he is a god, and yes, they are 20 somethings and 30 somethings who were asleep at the wheel in school especially history and ancient history.
Right now, I am not sure if we will get out of this mess. I can only pray and hope. My grandparents, and parents got through the depression and WWII, but what frightens me is the lawa that say that the government can arrest you for anything now.
Thank you for being a beacon in the storm, Mr. Caruba.
@Denimflys: You're welcome, but I am the father figure around here because I am 74..and you're just a youngster! Not bad given you're "only" 53! :-)
We are praying in the same pew, though. Like you said, earlier generations survived hard times and we must too.
I too am very concerned. I suspect that if Obama believes he will lose the election, he may attempt to suspend them - "national emergency" dontcha know.
@denimflyz - History isn't taught in school any more. Especially not ancient history. I homeschool my kids and I am often shocked at the complete lack of education their peers have - at 8 and 10 years old.
Donna, I personally think Obama really doesn't want the job anymore. He has been the face for those who control him. As such, he will find a way to fail.
Any effort to declare a phony national emergency would be opposed by millions. Don't forget, the Secret Service, the Military, and law enforcemen people all swear to uphold the Constitution. They would not permit it.
@denimflyz: Personally, I must give you my thanks for being part of a family that clearly followed the true American tradition and spirit in the Navy. Regarding the kids asleep in school, if such classes were taught then more of my generation (the moonbat fools who elected President Messiah) may not have believed the "Joke and Change", as I call it. However, unionized teachers being given money from the federal government for things such as No Child Left Behind immediately tilts the educational board in the political direction of the current federal government. If you do not teach about African tribes throughout history, for example, the federal government could choose to defund the school for not following the contract if students fail the exam pertaining to it.
@Mr. Caruba: I bought myself the present of a 9mm Ruger for Christmas. The insanity of anti-gun legislators is so rampant that I was given a fired test round for my new pistol that, if I lived in Maryland or Massachusetts, would have to be submitted to local law enforcement in order to build a record on my gun ownership. Regarding the overall dark mood, I am stockpiling both ammunition and supplies to defend my home when the Second Civil War begins. I do not have the blind faith or optimism that comes with not knowing the basic rules of our government:
1) If someone is incompetent, pay them more money.
2) If there is a dedicated worker who is reliable, never promote him to ensure that the incompetent people never take his position.
3) If you punch the clock enough, no matter how poor of character, knowledge, or skill you are, the federal government will let you retire with a fortune that you never once paid into and are instead taking from that dedicated worker I referenced above.
I learned all of this from 6 years in the Navy as a submariner. As a Petty Officer Third Class I consistently did work at the Chief Petty Officer level that "required" a Petty Officer First Class to perform. The gratitude I received was a blind eye for any accommodations and awards which typically went to that Petty Officer First Class who had absolutely nothing to do with the work I performed but put his John Hancock on the final paper to receive credit.
As a footnote, the other reason I was consistently overlooked was because I had no qualms with explaining to any person if they were wrong and why I believed they were wrong. One of the two accommodations I received came from my Commanding Officer after I corrected him on a tactical error in front of the entire crew. The following Commanding Officer, who was far more likely to be wrong than the first CO, threatened me with Captain's Mast for a similar instance.
Greetings, Mr. Caruba.
After reading "America's Dark Mood", I would like to first applaud your very accurate and exceptional insight. You are brilliant and honest to boot; thank you!
Please allow me to express my thoughts; I will attempt to be brief... And I can promise you, my words will not be construed as "politically correct".
This country is falling apart and I think it's been a long time coming that we, the American people, begin cleaning house!
Several members of my family have served this great country of ours (dating back to the 1500s); in each branch of government. I have an Uncle who is one of the few remaining Pearl Harbor survivors - he's 92 and in poor health. Another Uncle was one of the first men to utilize a submarine in the Navy... Yet another Uncle was a Green Beret and was murdered... My husband, a Vietnam Veteran is now showing the scars of Agent Orange... He has a very rare and incurable Bone Marrow Cancer and derived from that Cancer, a para protein induced neuropathy; he is the only documented case in this country. I have ancestors who gave their lives in the Revolutionary war. And there are others...
Meanwhile, I can safely speak for all of them when I say... the first task would be to Impeach Obama along with the 544 members under him that were elected to represent the United States of America's Tax Paying Citizens! To be blunt, everyone of them share the same bed; together with the big corporations, doing everything possible to destroy this Country! First our rights are taken, then our money, then our food; not to mention adversity to God! This country was founded on Christian principle (One only need to have knowledge of our country's history... past Presidents... it's quite obvious)!
Please note, I am not in any way, a fan of Obama or his wife, Michele. After much research, I knew he would not be "President material" and thus, he did not have my vote. Nor, would Michele make an ideal First Lady. I've discovered too many lies, hypocrisies, disrespect, and deceitfulness! I must confess, I fear the pickings for a great President are extremely slim today. Too much selfishness, evil-mindness and greed; too little righteousness, honesty and integrity. But I imagine anyone would be better than what we now have!
My friends and I have always jokingly said Obama is the "Antichrist"... Just read the Bible and see the signs. Of course, I personally do not believe he is, but there are coincidences... However, since actions speak louder than words, and because Obama's service to this country has opened my eyes more clearly; it wouldn't surprise me to find he's made a pact with the devil, himself!
In all of my 53 years of life, I have never once experienced fear so great living in this country. We, the American people need to open our eyes and ears and do something about this chaos to prevent the demise of our great nation! Trust me... if Obama has his way, we will not only be a third world country, we will suffer tremendously at the hands of his evil antics! No more free world... May God have mercy on us all!
Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Caruba. God bless you!
It is worth keeping in mind that there is a hard core of 25% to 30% of voters who are blindly liberal and utterly immune to facts or reality. The “Occupy” movement drew from this group and they quickly wore out their welcome wherever they gathered. If enough liberals are disheartened by their personal situation, they too may not turn out in large numbers to vote.
I know four such people, Alan, and they scare the s--- out of me. Male and female, they smile when they defend the president's actions and they get angry when confronted with unbiased truths. I cannot believe that adults can be so Stupid and vicious!
@Alan:
Since Obama became a blip on the national radar in 2007/8 - I have warned sometimes daily on my blog that he was a Communist and would make a serious effort to overthrow the Republic if he became president.
So far, unfortunately, my predictions made years ago have all come true in regards to Comrade Obama and his march to absolute power.
The next act in the drama is "The Insurrection of 2013"....
Over the years I have seen how the Left have infiltrated the education system of western countries, and used it to indoctrinate our children with their progressive, anti-western messages. That is where our problem starts. Kids are mostly unable to think for themselves or their parents are too indifferent to worry about what is being taught to their kids to stop this rot. Further control of the population is done by using guilt and PC indoctrination, and the results are what we sit with today - a spineless, easily manipulated society, too lazy to question the how’s and why’s. That is how America voted for Obama – guilt and indoctrination. Today, America has a 25-30% liberal voting block; a growing African American and Hispanic population, hostile to their fellow citizens; and a 47% non- paying tax base who mostly expect something for nothing – and who get to vote. The next President of America will need to start addressing these issues if America is to survive. You only have to look at California and Detroit as examples of what America will become if something drastic isn’t done to stop the downward spiral. People need to regain their pride in who and what they are and where they come from in order to correct the imbalances, and a good starting point is the education system!
Lime Lite, you hit the nail on the head. I've been screaming about what has happened to our schools for years now, but nobody seems to be listening. Our youth is our future, and we've allowed our enemies to infiltrate the schools, and indoctrinate our children with ideologies and philosophies that run completely contrary to ALL the principles this great country was founded on. If we don't do something to correct that, and do it quickly, we can kiss this country as we know it goodbye ...
A perfect assessment of the future under Barry S. I share your fears having decided he is not feckless and amateurish, but wrong-headed and determined to bring the USA down to 3rd World status. My private hope is that in Sept. or October, he does not turn "cowboy", invoking martial law to become a modern-day Mussolini.
Being a student of history I have seen this mess coming from a long way off, as I am sure you have also Mr. Caruba. That being said, in the fall of the Weimar republic and the fall of any country that was crushed by totalitarism, there are a few constants.
1. Remove God from all aspects of "public" life.
2. Indoctrinate the children to believe in the communist system through peer pressure and outright bullying.
3. Turn citizens against each other, thereby keeping them occupied while the "party" does its nefariousous deeds.
4. Turn the entire belief system upside down, what was good is now bad, what was bad is now good, two examples: the increasing push for gay lesbian and now gender bender rights, the complete ridicule and eventual removal of the Christian element in our society.
5. Turn the children against their parents "see something, say something", sound familiar? The progressives have turned this country into a land of snitches and liars.
6. Keep people afraid all the time, there is always a boogieman right around the next corner, hence the TSA. Now when you go to NHL hockey games there are signs and messages all over scoreboard extolling the virtue of see something, say something.
7. Heavy handed tactics on the part of police, case in point, I believe it was on Jan. 10 that a group of people were protesting in the Grand Central Station against the passage of the bill (NDAA) which gives the government the right to detain American citizens without due process, indefinitely. Now as far as I am concerned, this is the type of thing that the first amendment was addressing. However, the local PD came in like gangbusters and forcibly removed and incarcerated a number of these protesters, within a matter of MINUTES, yet the communists of OWS were allowed numerous weeks!
Wether or not will want to admit it, this country is in grave danger right now, and Americans need to stand up and fight back. There are a number of ways of doing this, join a local tea party, the oathkeeprs, talk to your neighbors, harass your senators and congressmen about the situation, refuse to obey clearly illegal laws. Failing this, we are likely to fall, either way people need to decide are they for LIBERTY or are they for TYRANNY, either way, the time for fence sitting is over, make up your mind!!
@Chris: Bingo! That is exactly what has been happening in America since the 1960s. Conservatives must fight back against this.
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