Political Science vs Government -Did They Make Us Lose The Way?

Harlingen, Texas, May 31, 2008: Back in those long ago days when I was a college undergraduate, I selected a major.  It was called Government.  Now this word distinction is important because in those days our institutions of higher learning thought they were obligated to teach about the art of governance.  Today it is difficult to find a major field of study listed as Government.  Instead it has been replaced by Political Science.

These two titles are now considered to be the same, but really have markedly different meanings.  As defined in Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, the primary definition of Government or Governance is “moral conduct or behavior, discretion, in the act or process of governing”.  Political Science, which has replaced that specific college major, is defined as “a social science concerned chiefly with the description and analysis of political and especially governmental institutions”.

You can see the difference at a glance.  Colleges and universities of the past taught young students about how to conduct themselves morally and with discretion while governing.  Today these institutions teach about the workings of governmental bodies and the politics of working in such environments.

Just as the lessons on governance have vanished with the passage of time, so has the morality and discretion taught in those now forgotten classrooms. In place of those studies our students learn about the “politics” of government, which is in reality learning about how to win office and hold control of government.  This is a very wrong-headed approach to how the public arena should be viewed.

Because the virtues of public service have been diminished, people now entering into these fields learn primarily from those who currently hold positions of power.  They learn “politics”, not “government”.  The difference can best be expressed in a current tongue-in-cheek definition of the word.  Politics (n.): 1. A multitude of special interests masquerading as a contest of principles. 2. The conduct of public affairs by public officials for private advantage and private fortune.

Because political science or politics is the rule, rather than the exception, we have an unending collection of political jokes that range from…”Our politicians are so crooked that when they die, we have to screw them into the ground”, to “Question: How do you tell if a politician is lying?
Answer: His lips are moving!”

Seldom does a week pass without us hearing about politicos who have stolen from the public, lied to their constituents, cheated on their families, committed sexual misconduct, distorted their record, padded their resume, taken credit for good things they had no part in advancing, put blame on the backs of others for their own failings, accepted bribes or falsified records.

If they are not into committing any of the above, they are standing around with a moist finger raised high to check which way the political wind is blowing.  This is done so frequently that most folks think it is some form of political salute.

There are really very few office holders on the national scene that can be considered as quality individuals who are dedicating their lives to moral conduct and behavior, discretion and the art of governance.  In their place we have managed to substitute political parties and political animals that find it next to impossible to be honest with the public.  Government is gone…. replaced by politics, politics, politics…or win at any cost.  It has turned us into a nation that constantly votes for the least offensive of several very bad choices…and we get bad officials as the result of our own actions.  Even staying home and not voting isn’t a good option, because then, we are giving another vote to the other guy we don’t want to see in office.

Some people think we can blame political science, a preoccupation with enhancing political parties and a failure to demand quality candidates for the mess we have in today’s public arena.  When the academics stopped teaching government we lost all those great young minds that dreamed of meaningful public service.  We allowed our nation to become a tool of the political elite…and America today is the big loser.

The Turning Over of the Falsehood Rock

Harlingen, Texas, May 24, 2008:  Oliver Wendell Homes said it best…”You never need think you can turn over any old falsehoods without a terrible squirming of the horrid little population that dwells under it.” Well, that is just what happened this past week when Democrat Representative Maxine Waters experienced a Freudian slip and uttered the secret fraternity password that identifies her Party.  She spoke the word all members of her party know must be hidden from every rational thinking citizen.

While addressing oil executives during a House hearing on May 22, 2008 Waters threatened to nationalize the oil industry if it failed to do something to stop the ever-escalating price of gasoline at the pumps.

In a harsh exchange with Shell Oil President John Hofmeister, the California congresswoman demanded that oil companies guarantee consumer prices will fall if drilling is allowed off U.S. shores.

The reply from Hofmeister was equally sharp.  He said, “I can guarantee to the American people, because of the inaction of the United States Congress, ever increasing prices unless the demand comes down.”

The brought about the before mentioned Freudian slip as Waters responded, “And guess what this liberal would be about.  This liberal will be about socializing …uh, um…”

It took the congresswoman a moment to recover.  She then continued, “Would be about, basically taking over, and the government running all of your companies.
It was reported that the oil company executives answered that statement saying they had seen such action before…in Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela.

The huge thing about this seemingly small stutter-speak is that Maxine Waters had used the big “S” word in public debate.  She had turned over the always hidden falsehood rock of socialism and exposed the dirty underbelly of the far left political party.

Those who promote the Democratic Party use every word possible to hide its underpinning of socialism.  They say they are the “party of the working man.” They call themselves “liberals”…and when the meaning of that word becomes too tainted, they become “progressives.” They call themselves everything but what they are…. “Socialists”!

If you are a party that wants to redistribute the income of the entire country… and if you are the party that wants to nationalize all services from welfare to health care…and if you hate all business and feel you can run it better than those who have invested their lives in its advancement…. you are a Socialist.  But, you never want to use that identification label; because you know that socialism has failed in every place it has raised its ugly head across our globe.  Of course, all socialists feel there is nothing wrong with their planned system of governance.  The only reason it failed everywhere is because…those places didn’t have good leaders.  The belief here is… in the United States Congress there are the chosen socialist leaders who will finally make everything work as planned.

So, socialism has been identified aloud in a public debate.  It has been a decades long falsehood that has finally been revealed by a known proponent. The rock of socialism has been turned over and has disclosed the horrid population that dwells beneath it for what it really believes.

Then They Asked Me..."What Would You Do Bigmouth?"

Harlingen, Texas, May 21, 2008: Last week I took every American voter to task, saying that we all were to blame for our current high gasoline prices at the pumps and our national energy mess.  My claim was we voted into office Republicans who had a chance to correct many of these problems. They squandered their opportunity with a multitude of scandals, misconduct, pork barrel spending and abandonment of conservative principles. Those who voted Democrats into office were on an emotional and “feel good” voting spree that pandered to the far left, environmental extremists, animal rights activists and socialists determined to beat America back into the Stone Age.  The end result of these actions has been an explosion of oil and gas prices that are now reaching the point where major damage is being inflicted on all citizenry.

We can see it everywhere.  Not only has gas hit more than $4.00 a gallon in many parts o the United States, but food prices have escalated, airlines have increased prices and reduced flights, utility costs have jumped, truckers are parking their rigs because of lost revenue, schools, cities, states and the federal government are reassessing their increased energy needs and even church budgets are being reviewed. All of these gyrating signals have the national stock market on a roller coaster ride of confusion.

Mary Homemaker and Joe Lunchbox are really starting to hurt.  In antidotal evidence from here at home...our museum director recently resigned his position and took a job nearer to his house.  He could no longer afford his daily 55-mile commute.  Last night we saw on the evening news a family of eight that could not pay their rent and buy gasoline to travel to the only job one member had at a 24-hour convenience store.  They were evicted and are now living in their van. An independent snack vender has reported that his machine servicing route has increased in cost more than $160 a week, due to the high price of gasoline.  He also reports that wholesale prices for his snack supplies are now almost as high as the retail price he receives from their sale.  He can increase the price to his customers, but there is no guarantee they will continue to buy his products. Stories such as these can be told about people in every corner of the USA…all because we voted those people into office that created our national mess.

Since that first article was published I have been flooded with calls, letters and emails which can be summed up as saying, “OK, Bigmouth, what would you do to correct the problem?”

My suggestion is the next election should be a single-issue event.  By that I mean, America should be willing to vote out of office any and every elected official who has voted or continues to vote restrictions of our energy supply, forcing us to import the majority of our national oil needs from foreign sources.

Any representative, senator or presidential candidate unwilling to establish a program of emergency energy growth and long term energy development, call for waivers on environmental restrictions, fast track legislation through the maze of government regulations and end the stonewalling of such important legislation should be notified he or she will be targeted for removal from office.

The best weapon available in this battle is the Internet.  Sample letters to those seeking office can be created that stress the energy expansion demands of the public. They can be made available to everyone by a clip of the mouse. Telephone calls, emails and even the traditional “snail mail” can be used to inform politicos of the public’s rage.  Telephone numbers and email addresses of elected officials are readily available to anyone who knows how to “goggle”.  There are online chat rooms to get out the energy revolt message.  Most of all, everyone with a computer has his or her own mailing list.  These can be used to pass on information about an energy revolt to every corner of the country.  Granted these are small voices, but just remember the noise at your last live sporting event…many small voices can erupt into a tremendous roar.

Think about this particular “Single Issue” for a moment.  I would argue it transcends just about every other political issue we are now facing.  I know the response…”What about Iraq, nuclear threats, the mid east, North Korea, etc.?”

Well, we can’t do much about any of these problems while strapped in an energy straightjacket.  Energy impacts city, county, state and national government. It strikes at national defense.  It cripples social reforms.  It blocks job expansion. It hits airlines, trains and buses.  It attacks truckers and local delivery people.  Electricity, food processing, farming, shipping, hospitals and nursing homes are hit.  The military, Border Patrol and law enforcement are restricted.  There are even increased costs to running that power lawnmower in your front yard.  And it is all because of the way our politicians have voted to damage our way of life.  We can do something to change our energy direction but it needs to start now.

Then They Asked Me..."What Would You Do Bigmouth?"

Harlingen, Texas, May 21, 2008: Last week I took every American voter to task, saying that we all were to blame for our current high gasoline prices at the pumps and our national energy mess.  My claim was we voted into office Republicans who had a chance to correct many of these problems. They squandered their opportunity with a multitude of scandals, misconduct, pork barrel spending and abandonment of conservative principles. Those who voted Democrats into office were on an emotional and “feel good” voting spree that pandered to the far left, environmental extremists, animal rights activists and socialists determined to beat America back into the Stone Age.  The end result of these actions has been an explosion of oil and gas prices that are now reaching the point where major damage is being inflicted on all citizenry.

We can see it everywhere.  Not only has gas hit more than $4.00 a gallon in many parts o the United States, but food prices have escalated, airlines have increased prices and reduced flights, utility costs have jumped, truckers are parking their rigs because of lost revenue, schools, cities, states and the federal government are reassessing their increased energy needs and even church budgets are being reviewed. All of these gyrating signals have the national stock market on a roller coaster ride of confusion.

Mary Homemaker and Joe Lunchbox are really starting to hurt.  In antidotal evidence from here at home...our museum director recently resigned his position and took a job nearer to his house.  He could no longer afford his daily 55-mile commute.  Last night we saw on the evening news a family of eight that could not pay their rent and buy gasoline to travel to the only job one member had at a 24-hour convenience store.  They were evicted and are now living in their van. An independent snack vender has reported that his machine servicing route has increased in cost more than $160 a week, due to the high price of gasoline.  He also reports that wholesale prices for his snack supplies are now almost as high as the retail price he receives from their sale.  He can increase the price to his customers, but there is no guarantee they will continue to buy his products. Stories such as these can be told about people in every corner of the USA…all because we voted those people into office that created our national mess.

Since that first article was published I have been flooded with calls, letters and emails which can be summed up as saying, “OK, Bigmouth, what would you do to correct the problem?”

My suggestion is the next election should be a single-issue event.  By that I mean, America should be willing to vote out of office any and every elected official who has voted or continues to vote restrictions of our energy supply, forcing us to import the majority of our national oil needs from foreign sources.

Any representative, senator or presidential candidate unwilling to establish a program of emergency energy growth and long term energy development, call for waivers on environmental restrictions, fast track legislation through the maze of government regulations and end the stonewalling of such important legislation should be notified he or she will be targeted for removal from office.

The best weapon available in this battle is the Internet.  Sample letters to those seeking office can be created that stress the energy expansion demands of the public. They can be made available to everyone by a clip of the mouse. Telephone calls, emails and even the traditional “snail mail” can be used to inform politicos of the public’s rage.  Telephone numbers and email addresses of elected officials are readily available to anyone who knows how to “goggle”.  There are online chat rooms to get out the energy revolt message.  Most of all, everyone with a computer has his or her own mailing list.  These can be used to pass on information about an energy revolt to every corner of the country.  Granted these are small voices, but just remember the noise at your last live sporting event…many small voices can erupt into a tremendous roar.

Think about this particular “Single Issue” for a moment.  I would argue it transcends just about every other political issue we are now facing.  I know the response…”What about Iraq, nuclear threats, the mid east, North Korea, etc.?”

Well, we can’t do much about any of these problems while strapped in an energy straightjacket.  Energy impacts city, county, state and national government. It strikes at national defense.  It cripples social reforms.  It blocks job expansion. It hits airlines, trains and buses.  It attacks truckers and local delivery people.  Electricity, food processing, farming, shipping, hospitals and nursing homes are hit.  The military, Border Patrol and law enforcement are restricted.  There are even increased costs to running that power lawnmower in your front yard.  And it is all because of the way our politicians have voted to damage our way of life.  We can do something to change our energy direction but it needs to start now.

Oil Too Expensive? You And I Are To Blame!

Harlingen, Texas, May 16, 2008:  Well, my last fill-up of gas only took $60 out of my wallet.  And, I still had about four gallons in the tank when I turned on the pump.  It made me very angry and I made my feelings known to a lot of people.  Roaring about the high price of gasoline and oil seems to be the only topic of conversation these days.  You hear it at work, at home, after church and in the barbershop.  It leads the nightly news, makes headlines in daily newspapers and is expressed in fearful ways by school officials, business owners and those who rely on the fuel to power their farm implements and heavy machinery.

Right now everyone is blaming the politicians for this major attack on family, city, state and national budgets.  It is right to point the finger at Washington.  Those who cast votes in Congress are the major culprits in this energy war.  But, right next to them stand the American voters who placed these politicos in positions of power.

At the top of the list in this “blame game” are those who have insisted on voting the Democratic ticket regardless of reason or logic.  What they have earned is the consequences of pandering to the liberal left.  We knew we were in trouble back in 1973 with rationing, gas lines and about 30%of our oil requirements being filled by imports.  Now, 35 years later we have still done nothing to improve our energy supply and our national need for imported oil has grown to more than twice the 1973 requirement.

Republicans had a chance to correct the problem back in the early 90s.  They gained control of Congress in 1994 with promises made in their “Contract with America”.  Then, instead of staying on mission and growing their majority, the GOP managed to give us the dalliances of Newt Gingrich, followed by the scandals involving party leaders such as Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham, Mark Foley and Bob Ney to name a few.  Added to that, a complete departure from conservative values, pork barrel spending and a mismanaged war totaled up to a stinging defeat at the ballot box and a return to Republican minority status.

If you traditionally voted the GOP ticket, you can blame yourself for failing to place quality individuals in office.  Those elected managed to misuse the public trust, lost to the opposing party and ended any chance we had to move toward energy independence.

Those of you, who cast your lot with the Party of Thomas Jefferson, also deserve a major portion of the “blame pie”.  Your emotion driven votes to empower obstructionists have kept us energy dependent.  For more than thirty-five years Democrats have managed to torpedo any chance we had to keep our energy ship afloat.  In vote after vote and bill after bill, those who lean far left of center have bent to the will of NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard), environmentalists, animal rights advocates, and other socialist driven causes to stop any attempt at drilling in national waters, Alaskan locales and other known deposit sites.  They have refused to listen when our President asked them to increase our energy development and even placed him in a position where he has been begging the leaders of other countries to feed our demand for in increased oil supply.

But, oil is not the only thing the American public has voted to restrict.  Voters have kept us from increasing natural gas, wind driven energy and even solar power by allowing restrictive legislation.  Voters have kept nuclear power at a standstill by placing into public office politicians who voted against power plant construction.  Voters have allowed litigation to stop the construction of oil refineries and coal operated power plants.  Voters have placed multiple barriers in place to stop the advancement of our abundant coal supply as an alternative energy source.

The usual response to such charges is “I didn’t vote for any of those things!” But, you did really do just that.  In America’s representative republic, those we place in office are charged with voting the will of their constituents.  Thus, you and I are the reason oil has started robbing our nation of a prosperous future.  We are also the reason alternative forms of energy have not been developed.

How do you correct the problem?  You do it by using those same ballots that got us in this mess…. But, next time do it right!

More Than Energy In The Wind

Harlingen, Texas, May 3, 2008:  A renewable source of energy that requires no coal, gas or oil, has no waste product and creates no greenhouse gases would seem to be the magical solution everyone is seeking.  As gasoline tops $4.00 a gallon in many regions, Americans are screaming for a solution to the national attack on family budgets.  With almost uncountable restrictive federal regulations, most of our available resources remain untapped.  These same politically oriented restrictions have even stopped the construction of new refineries.  In fact, the only resource our left-leaning Political Kings and their Environmental Jesters have not managed to completely regulate is the wind.

This does not mean they are ignoring attacks on wind power energy.  From lamenting the possible death of birds and bats, to threats of damage to the ecology, charges and counter charges related to wind energy unfold in our newspapers and across television screens. In many regions of the country, these naysayers have managed to influence political bodies and regulations relative to permits and locale have been adopted.  One of the few barriers to even more regulatory moves has been the fact that wind farms are constructed on private property.

However, the NIMBY (not in my back yard) crowd and environmental activists are now on the attack in Texas, just as they have been with every other attempt to increase energy across the United States.  The latest of these attacks is taking place along the Gulf Coast where PPM Energy of Portland, Oregon is attempting to erect 240 wind-powered turbines on the Kenedy Ranch. This is the first of two planned farms on the 400,000-acre South Texas ranch. It is the start of an $800 million project that will eventually provide electricity for more than 100,000 homes, and have no negative emissions. According to a company spokesman, even before construction started it had completed three years of comprehensive wildlife studies.  The conclusion of these studies was the farm would be outside the main migratory flight path and no endangered species or birds would be harmed.  This failed to satisfy those opposed to the construction.

The first to attack the project was neighboring King Ranch President Jack Hunt.  He claims the turbines will create an eyesore, even though the nearest highway is more than twenty miles away and there is little population to view the operation.  He also claims the wind farm will harm wildlife and kill migrating birds.  A coalition of state and local environmental activist groups started filing complaints early in 2007 making claims that birds migrating to the south flew on a path that led directly into the planned 200 to 400 feet tall wind-turbines.  They predicted massive kills.

State courts and agencies have dismissed all attempted actions saying the King Ranch and the Coastal Habitat Alliance have no standing for action in a case that requires no permits and is on private land.  Still the group persists and in December 2007 filed state and federal lawsuits to halt construction.  If they fail to stop the building of the wind farm, they at least want to gain input in the project.

According to those involved in the Kenedy Ranch project, the litigation is completely without merit and will only serve to delay construction.  In the event these law suits fail, Hunt, with his King Ranch clout, is contacting Texas state lawmakers in an attempt to convince them to pass legislation regulating and licensing the construction of wind farms.

The State of Texas leads the nation in wind-generated energy. Wind farms provide almost 4% of the stateÕs electricity.  A total of 4,356 megawatts of electricity are produced in the Lone Star State from 40 different projects. This is more than one third of the current 11,600 megawatts being produced in the United States.  California holds national second place with wind farms that generate 2438 megawatts.  Texas is well suited to developing wind energy due to its size, availability of open land and ample winds.  Farmers and ranchers have found wind farms a good source of supplemental income.  Some large landowners are considering the development of their own wind farms, while others are content to lease their land.

One of the very important benefits to having wind farms on any site are the use of land is very minimal.  Only about 42 by 42 feet of actual space is used for any single wind turbine, allowing farmers to plant right up to the base of the construction.  Because some of these turbines are very high, between 100 and 400 feet, there is little noise, allowing normal conversation right at the base of the unit.  There is also wide separation of units, with each one situated on about a forty-acre plot of land.

To better understand just what a megawatt provides, think of it in these termsÉa megawatt is a million watts.  If you turn on a 100-watt light bulb, it will burn 100 watts of electricity in one hour.  So, a megawatt would provide one hour of electricity for ten thousand 100-watt light bulbs.

Texas has a renewable energy objective of 5,000 new megawatts of electricity by 2015.  The Kenedy Ranch projects will provide a major portion of the target megawatt goal.  However, just as in the case of oil and gas exploration, hydro-electric and nuclear power plants, more electric generators or refineries for fossil fuel, the self serving few do everything in their power to impede progress that is all in the national interest.