Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Democrats won election, but America will lose
EDITOR:
Democrats, are you familiar with the term “Pyrrhic victory?” If not, look it up, because you have just achieved one with the election of Barack Obama, and it would be nice if you knew what you had actually won.
America has been one of the most successful societies ever created. It is unique among counties because unlike other countries it was not born of a tribe but of an idea. The idea was simply that individuals living in a free state, unshackled by tribal loyalties, would, over time, create a just and prosperous society. This has been the dream of philosophers since the ancient Greeks. But for every thesis there is an anti-thesis. America’s anti-thesis is tribalism in all its forms.
The Democratic Party has mastered the art of tribalism. They have carved the nation into tribes: Black, Hispanic, rich, poor, middle class, unions, management, and then pitted one against the other. In most cases, these tribal conflicts are instigated by slanderous whisper campaigns that twist the truth and spin the lies. One doesn’t have to be a genius to see the dishonesty behind their rhetoric, but one must be willing to look.
Since FDR, the Democratic Party faithful has been unwilling to look. America is about to suffer for their blindness. They have allowed their leaders to stoke their hatreds, play on their guilt, and demand their loyalty all for some socialist ideal that has been tried by greater men in different times with the same result — failure. Not just benign failure, but catastrophic collapse as was experienced in Russia, China, Cuba, North Korea, and to a lesser extent, Europe.
Democrats have elected a black man to the highest office in the land — proof that our founding fathers were correct, freedom breeds justice. Unfortunately, he is a socialist, a devotee of the entitlement mentality, which is the product of a tribal culture. He does not see this crisis as an opportunity to reinvigorate the American dream, as FDR and Ronald Reagan did. He sees it as a chance to implement his socialist ideology, which is the antithesis of that American idea. If he succeeds, like Pyrrhus of Epirus, our children will curse this victory. And someday, Americans will regret the blindness of their forefathers the way we once marveled at the wisdom of ours.
THOMAS MASKELL
Poland
Where are the city’s plows?
EDITOR:
One question: why aren’t the Youngstown side streets plowed when we have such an excess of snow? Living in one of the townships, our roads appear to be plowed within “minutes” of the fallen snow (no complaints).
If the city of Youngstown needs more trucks, more slag, more salt, can our suburbs help out?
I spend a great deal of time in the city, and it is sometimes impossible to reach my destinations due to unplowed side streets. And, what about emergency vehicles?
Some of these residents may be unable to go to work, school, etc. due to unplowed streets.
L. A. LEWIS
Canfield Township