Independent Whig

Gabrielle Giffords Shot: Congresswoman Shot In Arizona (LIVE UPDATES)

2011-01-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Gabrielle Giffords Shot: Congresswoman Shot In Arizona (LIVE UPDATES): I have been reading posts on other sites that you can not blame Palin or the tea party for this event. I'm sorry, yes you can. That this person was disturbed is without question, but 'targets' posted on individuals (by Palin) and political hopefuls who urge people to shoot a gun with him to help remove his opponent from office (Jesse Kelly) just direct those prone to violence that it is ok and it is accepted. There are a few Teabaggers who I am sure are happy about this, because this is the type of country they want. Not rule of law, but rule of gun to enforce the laws they want. You can not single this out a random singular event without attaching blame to the culture that has been created prior to this event. Sherrif Dupnik is correct in his assessment of today's tragic events. Palin, the ilk like her, and the rest who follow them do share the blame. They have made it seem that intelligent dialogue is not the way, that democracy is not the way, but that if you don't get your way resort to violence. It has now happened. Acted on by a disturbed young man, but orchestrated by disturbed politics.

2010-10-18T19:15:00.005-06:00

Here is the response from danielet. It must have been deleted, because it does not show on the commenst section (click to enlarge):

After that one was deleted by HuffPost, here came the second attempt. Is it just me or is the second one just that much crazier?:

Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration

2010-09-23T23:55:00.000-06:00

Moderation

2010-09-22T17:32:00.001-06:00

From the Rally to Restore Sanity Forum

Moderation: "Twelve principles of political moderation
1. People of good will can eventually resolve their differences without rancor or recrimination.
2. Sincere, well-intentioned people can disagree. They can look at the same information and arrive at different conclusions.
3. Someone who disagrees with me is an opponent, not an enemy. Those who disagree with me or my party are almost certainly not evil, dishonest or unpatriotic.
4. People who disagree on some things rarely disagree on everything. Today’s opponent is often tomorrow’s ally.
5. Opponents are to be defeated on the specific issue in question, not obliterated, extirpated, crushed or ruined.
6. Half a loaf is better than none. Compromise is an essential element of the political process.
7. Everyone opposes crime and favors education. Nearly all political disagreements are about methods, not goals.
8. Sometimes, there is more than one acceptable solution to a problem. It is often better to implement any among them promptly than to argue interminably about which is the very best.
9. As the end doesn’t justify the means, so the means don’t justify the end. If the best information and intentions have resulted in an unworkable or unjust solution, it’s time to try something else.
10. Sometimes, one’s best efforts on behalf of a cause or position are unsuccessful. When that happens, it’s time to proceed to the next issue without lingering ill will. Civility in dissent is essential.
11. An opponent’s personal life is none of my business. An opponent’s family is entitled to privacy and respect.
12. No political party, philosophy or cause has exclusive rights to the Diety. No political party, philosophy or cause has exclusive rights to the nation’s flag."

That's One Way To Do It

2010-07-10T18:07:00.002-06:00

The Modern Whig Party continues to grow as more individuals realize the two dominant parties are not looking out for them. Recently, The American Centrist Party joined with the MWP. I like this new strategy of absorbing some of the other smaller moderate parties. Hopefully this will be a growing trend.

Shocker

2008-03-26T21:53:00.004-06:00

As the election draws closer we will witness the Democratic Party cannibalize itself, the Republican nominee pander to the extremes of that party and leave voters not with the choice of who is best, but who is not as bad as the other. This was a ripe year for a third party candidate with many prominent Americans able to fill that role, but once again any chance of relying on a third party lies with Ralph Nader. So much for a third party's hopes.
Is there someone out there who would be or would have been a viable third party candidate? Yes, but to look at the way elections are handled and are covered what person with integrity would want to enter the race? It would take, I think, someone from one of the two major parties to finally get fed up with the status quo and gather some like minded individuals to actually challenge the 148 years of Republican and Democratic dominance of our political legacy in America.

Revelations and Ruminations

2007-07-14T03:09:00.000-06:00

I found three statements by three different people very interesting this week. First off we have Ms. Sara Taylor who claims she took an oath to the president and then proceeded to get confused on the difference between the Constitution and the president. Next we have that same president saying that he listens to the commander's and not Congress over policy in Iraq. Lastly, we have Stephen Hadley telling us that Iraq is a major concern, because we are in a post-9/11 world. Analysis?

There lies the underlying problem with this administration and the people in it. They are not loyal to the people of the United States. They are loyal to George W. Bush and will do anything (or in some cases do nothing) to protect him and his policies no matter how that harms the country and chiefly our Constitution.
Wow. This is the first time Bush has admitted he listens to anybody. By the way the U.S. military is not a rogue agency that determines anything. It enacts policy made by people in Washington. If the people want out of Iraq then it is the commanders' jobs to carry out that policy as quickly and as safely possible...Bush listens to people? I can't get over that one...
IRAQ HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH 9/11!!! Every time a White House official is asked anything about problems in Iraq they bring up 9/11. The only reason there are terrorists in Iraq is because WE are in Iraq. This Whig personally feels we should have avoided Iraq and sent all our forces into Afghanistan. If we had done that then possibly we would have caught the person responsible for 9/11, OSAMA BIN LADEN who at this point, after close to six years, is still running free!

Once again, let us get America back and vote a for a third party in 2008.

Argument for a third Party

2007-07-10T02:25:00.000-06:00

A third party? Most people think those who would support or form third parties are on the fringe of society and politics. However third parties have played an important role in past elections by promoting new ideas and turning the tone and discussion of the debates. Recently, there have been various movements to try and draft a third party from scratch. Unity08 and 3rd Party are two of the more organized and there are the Libertarian, Constitution, Reform, and Green parties that have tried to run candidates in most of the recent elections. So why a Whig party? Whigs have been around for centuries and usually arise when threat of a unitary government be it king, council or other rears its ugly head. Whigs fought for abolition in Britain and pushed for revolution here at home. The Whig party arose again in the early 1800's as a bulwark against the strengthening of the executive branch under Andrew Jackson. The Whig party even had four presidents, two of which died in office, one was expelled from the Whigs and the last was named Millard; not necessarily a great track record. Abraham Lincoln started political life as a Whig, but was drawn to another alternative party of the time...the Republicans. Debate over America's original sin, slavery, eventually destroyed the Whig party, so why revive it? In essence this is not necessarily a call for a new national Whig party, but a new national Whig spirit.

"The parties of Whig and Tory are those of nature. They exist in all
countries, whether called by these names or by those of Aristocrats and
Democrats, Cote Droite and Cote Gauche, Ultras and Radicals, Serviles and
Liberals. The sickly, weakly, timid man fears the people, and is a Tory by
nature. The healthy, strong and bold cherishes them, and is formed a Whig by
nature." --Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 1823

Again, why a third party? Look at it this way. Let's say there is aproduct which greatly enhances the quality of people's lives. Now let's say only two companies make this product under Brand Y (why? why WHY?) and Brand Z (Zzzzzzz...). Both Brands try to do what they say and for the most part they deliver at the beginning. After awhile the companies merge with other companies and try to incorporate other elements into their product, which in turn becomes diluted and possibly even harmful. Consumers either become completely loyal to their particular brand to the point of blindness or they just stop buying either altogether. Then comes a new company Brand X (eXtremely interesting, though not mine). Brand X goes back to the basics that made the product great in the beginning. Two effects will happen because of this. First, consumers choose Brand X and bring back the quality they were missing. Second, Brand Y and Brand Z sensing a loss of market share try to make their products new and improved. End result win-win for the consumer.

Special interests have completely diluted and poisoned the two major parties and thereby have diluted and poisoned our political process. Consumers (voters) need to buy another brand and time seems to be running out. The elections in 2008 need a viable third party, because we are definitely in a mess. more on that later...

Open and Transparent...WHAT???

2007-07-07T12:40:00.000-06:00

Today the president accused the Democratic controlled Congress of failure. His main reference being to the failed immigration bill and tardy spending legislation. During the course of his verbal attack he actually stated the following,"...Democrats have a chance to prove they are for open and transparent government..." WHAT? This is coming from the administration where they can't tell you what they ate for dinner because it would limit their ability to get food advice. Unwarranted wire-taps, Valerie Plame, energy task force...open and transparent? I sometimes think the president is trying to be deliberately funny, but it always seems to make me want to laugh instead of cry.

As for the Democrats, well they haven't really been much of a factor to halt the executive branches unrelenting assault on the Constitution and in particular the principle of checks and balances. How do we fix this? Elect a third party. New or revived parties have always come to prominence during times of political crisis and if we are not in one now I am not sure what the definition of one would be.

So the Bush comedy tour and congressional slapstick keeps going. I just wish it did not hurt so bad to be so entertained.

Time for a Change

2007-07-04T02:07:00.000-06:00

Birthdays are always wonderful times to reflect on the years behind and the years ahead. It is on our nation's 230th birthday that the nation must look deep into its soul and see where we are headed for the next 230 years. The current political atmosphere in our nation's capitol has done one of two things. It has either polarized Americans into camps of left or right, political or liberal; or it has repulsed Americans from their civic responsibility of citizen participation.

Any film buff can easily list the number of films in which a lone individual wades into a town divided by two warring parties, plays them off each other and walks away victorious. It is in this spirit that a third party needs to arise from the partisanship crippling our society today, pull moderates away from both camps and victoriously elect competent people to restore the integrity and effectiveness of our national government.