Category Archives: Republicans

by Barry Kelly | May 22, 2017 · 4:16 pm

The Professor: Divided America

The following is a fictional account of the dialogue between a political science professor and the students of an honors seminar in an East Coast liberal arts college.

The class had just started when Alison raised her hand. The Professor nodded, and she asked, “Everyone talks about a bi-partisan process in Congress to pass needed legislation. I don’t see how that is possible. It seems to me that the bi-partisan approach to legislation is a thing of the past and is just not possible today. Am I right?”

“When the country is divided, so will the Congress. The wider the divide between our two parties, the more difficult it is to put together a bipartisan vote in the House or Senate to pass any kind of legislation. In the past, while both parties worked to elect a strong majority in both houses, it has only been in the last decade that one party is dedicated to achieving a long-term one-party rule. This has been true since the Progressives have dominated leadership positions in the Democratic Party. Your best source for this recent political direction is the writings of Saul Alinsky, a brilliant revolutionary writer who was once a ‘political organizer’ in Chicago. Alinsky has made a profound effect on the liberal left-wing of the American political scene.

“You can sum up his teaching by saying that as long as your intention is to seize power for the Progressive Party (his term for socialism and communism), the end justifies the means and you are free to choose whichever side of any issue that will help you destroy the political opposition. Both President Obama and Hillary Clinton chose the Alinsky doctrine to push for a one party ruling government in America. They came very close to success. The danger is still there. Approximately half the voters in America have accepted the socialist message. Remember, in most cases people have voted themselves into a socialist government. Voting yourself out of socialism is a very difficult problem. Venezuela today is a perfect example.

“When the democratic/progressive party is devoted to destroying all political opposition, bi-partisan legislation is a hard challenge. If a champion arises from the very diminished number of moderates in the old Democratic Party who could champion America issues of well-being, social mobility, economic prosperity and national security, then maybe the numbers of socialist followers in America could be diminished and there could be a return to bipartisan government. There is not much time left as the Progressives today control the national media and nearly all our universities.

“Alison, does that answer your question?”

“Yes, but how can we who do not believe in socialism and its ‘leading from behind doctrine prevent a Progressive takeover?”

“Don’t stand on the sidelines and whine. Become real players. Get in the political fray at all levels. Speak out. Americans are a remarkable people and given a choice will pick the right course. But only if that choice is laid out and explained, Otherwise, the Progressive/Socialists will play their seductive song over and over until it becomes a reality. At that point, returning to a free society with individual choices and freedoms will require more than words. It will require a people’s revolution in the streets of America.”

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Filed under Alinsky, Barry Kelly, class warfare, Conservative views, democrats, political solutions, Progressives, Republicans

by Barry Kelly | May 11, 2017 · 2:01 pm

The Professor: Democratic Party and Class Warfare

The following is a fictional account of the dialogue between a political science professor and the students of an honors seminar in an east coast liberal arts college.

*******

The Professor liked to keep his class on their toes and ready to respond to any political issue. He stopped his pacing around the room and said, “I’m going to leave you for ten minutes. When I come back, I want one of you to present a Class question. Since it is a Class project you will all receive the same grade for the selection and presentation of the question. I expect a question that will be relevant to our political environment and yet will be a ground-breaking issue for the next decade.”

Several hands shot up as the Professor smiled and left the room. He thought he would like to watch the dynamics of the Class as they worked on selecting a question but he knew if he stayed in the class, the actions around the conference table would adjust to his presence. A big part of his curriculum was to expose students to the give and take of peer groups in the decision-making process.

Returning to the room, The Professor paused outside the class room and listened at the door for a few seconds. He was surprised at the silence. They must have come to some agreement. Walking in and taking his seat at the table, he asked, “Okay. Who is the lucky presenter?”

Edward said, “I am.”

“May I assume that the question is yours?”

“It is one I’ve thought about for some time. But it really is a class question. Should I begin?”

“Yes.”

“The Republican Party has a fairly coherent message that resonated with Americans in the last election. Today the Democrats do not have a positive message, other than opposing President Trump on every issue. Yet the Democratic messaging routinely out performs that of the Republicans. Opinion leaders in the media, entertainment and education organizations seem to be taken with the Democratic Party’s message. Why is that?”

“That is a very good question and one that will be with us for at least the next decade. The question on the first level is easy to answer but difficult to explain in believable detail.

“The Democratic Party has been moving toward European style socialism for the last hundred years and probably longer. Their success is in their messaging. Their failure is in their inability to apply the socialist message to governing. But we are discussing the messaging today. The message when stripped to basics is one of class warfare. The promise is for a redistribution of wealth.

“Material wealth always seems to end up in the hands of a minority, leaving the majority to struggle for what’s left. The message of Democrats/Progressives to the majority who are not wealthy is to set them against the minority who they believe have more than they should have. The message of the Progressives is not to create more wealth or to improve social and economic mobility. Instead it is ‘you must take wealth from the minority who hold it by very high taxation rates, economic regulations, death taxes and heavy taxes on businesses. This Progressive message is very adaptable to slogans. Remember President Obama’s class warfare sound bites: level the playing field; give everyone a fair shake; the rich need to pay their fair share; transform America by redistributing wealth among individuals and nations; and protect the middle class.

“Don’t think the progressive message of the Democratic Party is too simple to be effective. It is not. When hope is vague and distant, the class warfare message is very effective and will thrive in a failing economy.”

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by Barry Kelly | April 26, 2017 · 4:44 pm

The Professor and Saving the Democrats

“Are you all ready for the summer break? Next year you will all be sophomores. I am very pleased with this class. Because of you, I have agreed to teach this honors class for two more years. If you can put up with me, we will have more time together. Starting with Paul, please go around the table and tell us very concisely what you plan to do for the summer and what are you planning to do after graduation.”

In less than ten minutes everyone had responded to the Professor’s request. The Professor leaned back in his chair and said, “All your responses are worth more comments but with the time available, I’m going to focus on Carlos’s statement. Carlos, you said you wanted to work within the Democratic Party organization after graduation. Why did you pick that as a career choice?”

“My family and all our friends have always been Democrats. No one in the family can even remember anyone in the joint family who joined the Republican Party. When we needed something, or had a complaint, we always took it to our Democratic party contact. I grew up in a small town in Western Pennsylvania. My grandparents on both sides worked in the mills or mines. They were all union members. They would tell us stories of how tough life had been when the Republican Party was dominant and cautioned us to never let them takeover political power again.”

The Professor said, “Yes. I’m old enough to know how things were then. The base of both political parties often goes back for several generations. This last election I think is the beginning of new political alliances. The Republicans running on a populist and nationalist platform made serious inroads into working class communities. The political map today is very different.”

“Professor,” Carlos asked, “Will you give me some advice in getting started?”

“I assume you goal is to bring the Democratic Party back to its traditional place of power with working class citizens. To begin you must understand what caused this sudden and dramatic change. The Democratic Party of your parents and grandparents was the voice of the working people. It was a center and slightly left of center party. With exception of the intellectuals in the party, the rank and file were definitely not socialists and were not apologists for American power and uniqueness. Under Barack Obama and the Progressives, the Democratic Party swung rapidly to become the very left-wing of the American political world.

“During his eight years in power, the Progressives took over the party with a strong socialist and internationalist ideology. The welfare of the working-class families was ignored in favor of destroying the opposition political party and America’s economic and military power. The Progressives knowingly turned away from American working and middle-class traditions and heritage in favor of socialist principles.

“They did this very abruptly and successfully. Their globalization priorities overrode America first responsibilities. Jobs, decent pay with good working conditions and benefits were no longer the top priority. Control of the media and education using class warfare rhetoric to replace the traditional working class goals of improving the status of the family via education and hard work. Every parent wanted life to be better for their children than it was for them. If you look at the leaders of the Democratic Party today, it will show a clear dramatic move to the left. One of the heroes of the party today is a declared Socialist who is not even registered as a Democrat. It will be a long way back and that journey is not for the faint hearted.

“Carlos, my advice is to begin working this summer as a low-level party volunteer in a role that gives you daily contact with people and party officials. Watch, learn and do not offer much advice to your superiors. Keep good notes, make numerous contacts, pick a catchy subject and use your writing and analytic skills to get published. Once you have established your credibility you can move up the party ladder at the next opportunity. Take advantage of every speaking opportunity. Get comfortable with yourself. You have chosen a hard and nearly thankless path. But it needs done. I don’t think you or anyone will be able to bring the Democratic Party back to the point your parents will recognize it, but you may be part of the task of saving what can be saved to form the foundation of a new party.”

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by Barry Kelly | April 10, 2017 · 9:35 am

The Professor, Syria, and cruise missiles

The Professor liked to walk up the two flights of stairs to his office and adjoining classroom. He had used the elevator for the last month but feeling stronger today he took the stairs. At the top, he had to stop for a few minutes to catch his breath. Certainly, didn’t want to walk into his class until he could say a hearty ‘good morning’ to his honors students.

The students were all seated and talking about the airstrike on a Syrian airport used in a sarin gas attack a few days ago when he entered.

“Well, I see you are all into current affairs. With a little luck and hard work some of you will be part of future discussions and planning that go deciding to use lethal action in support of national subjects.

“Let’s continue with the discussion. Edward, what is your take on the president’s decision?”

“After seeing the images of the gas attack victims, I don’t see how President Trump could continue with his predecessor’s example of non-involvement or leading from behind. Strong words were not going to prevent Assad from committing more atrocities that are clearly war crimes or crimes against humanity. Add to that the fact that Assad and the Russians signed an agreement that guaranteed Syrian stocks of poison gas would be destroyed and a few days ago Russian supplied planes dropped poison gas bombs on civilian targets. That signed agreement turned out to be false and some decisive action had to be taken. Obviously, both the Syrians and Russians knew about the poison gas attack and didn’t believe there would be an American military response. I fully support the cruise missile attack.”

Several hands went up, and the Professor said, “Who wants to present a different argument? Okay Carlos, the floor is yours.”

“I don’t believe the Trump national security team was thinking beyond the mechanics of the airstrike. What happens now? Do they know what the Russians or Syrians will do in response? I don’t think so. Putin is not likely to give up his warm-water sea port at Tartus. Getting an ice-free sea port for their war ships has been a Russian national security objective for a few centuries. He will take more chances to keep Tartus. After all, he believes he is Russia’s latest czar.”

“Whose wants to go next? Alice, you’re up.”

“I want to put this airstrike in a larger context. For eight years, America has perfected the use of words in place of actions. Our military has been severely underfunded. Our traditional allies don’t trust us to break out of our isolation. What’s worse, our enemies no longer respect us. We can be good at the use of diplomacy but without the resolve to use force when necessary, diplomacy is ineffective. North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran do not believe we have the will to use military force. The cruise missile strike last night has changed the rules. Our enemies must reconsider their aggressive actions and our allies can take heart that we now have competent leadership who will protect American national interests. Was it not noted that powerful Sunni Arab leaders came for a visit and went away with new hope for American backing against Iran? Do you not think those fearful of Russian and Chinese aggressive actions now have new hope that America will again be a force for peace?”

The Professor smiled at Alice’s comments then said, “Divide yourselves into two groups, one pro the cruise missile strike and one against. I’ll give you ten minutes to get organized for the team debate. I know from personal experience that people like us can’t function without fresh strong coffee. While you’re sorting yourselves into opposing groups, I’ll arrange for coffee and doughnuts.”

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by Barry Kelly | February 17, 2017 · 1:25 pm

The Professor: Political Opposition or Domestic Enemies?

.So much was happening in the early days of the Trump Administration, the Professor thought, Teaching this class takes almost no preparation. The daily news provides more material than any teacher could produce on their own, and there are so many interpretations. This morning, Alison told me she had a question she wanted me to answer. She is one of the brightest students and should go far after she leaves here. Time to get started.

“Alison, you have a question for us this morning?”

“Yes, I’m concerned with the degree of violence in the anti-President Trump street demonstrations and the incredible opposition the Progressives are putting up against the most mundane of the Administration’s actions in the first month of the Trump Presidency. Everything the Republicans put forward is viciously attacked. First by spinning false messages to alarm the people and followed by using the traditional Senate processing of Presidential appointments to hinder actions of the new administration. My concern is that this official opposition plus the widespread violent street protests are too closely coordinated to be the spontaneous actions of concerned citizens. I’ve read Saul Alinsky’s book, Rules for Radicals. His political blueprint fits what I see happening. Am I reading too much conspiracy into what is happening?”

The Professor stopped his pacing and said, “That question shows you are learning how to think outside the traditional box. The basic belief of those who follow Alinsky is that the struggle to transform America into a socialist society under the direction of an elite group of Progressives is more important than protecting our nation or solving the economic problems we have. The Progressives were startled they lost the election. They expected to win big and continue with President Obama’s destruction of America’s military, economic, and moral leadership in the world. How else can you evaluate his eight years in office? Our military manpower is equal to what it was before WWII, the number of naval warships is well below what most strategists believe is necessary, our warplanes that are capable of actual combat missions depend upon finding spare parts from plane graveyards and museums. Our economic growth is stagnant and the real unemployment rate is well above ten percent. Double or triple that rate in our inner cities. We are no longer the major player in the Middle East or the Far East. Is that a record for any President to be proud of?

“Believers in the Alinsky plan do not abandon it simply because they lost an election. They will continue the fight to bring their brand of socialism to America by attacking the Trump Presidency at every point. Civil Service members of the Obama Administration who believe in Alinsky’s principles will try to remain embedded in the Trump Administration and conduct open and covert opposition to all his policies. I believe President Obama is and continues to be a firm believer in Alinsky’s ‘community organizer’ model to bring about social change.

“For example, take the current uproar over General Flynn’s resignation over his pre-inauguration talks with the Russians and his failure to fully brief the Vice President. This is all part of the Progressive spin to discredit the Trump Presidency by tying his victory to Russian intervention. The Progressives’ end game is to bring about impeachment proceedings against President Trump. Even some Republican Senators are supporting the Progressive agenda.

“Reportedly, this is all based upon highly classified documents some members of the Progressive media have seen that detail General Flynn’s conversations with the Russians. Ask yourself where such documents could have come from? Let’s assume the reports of such documents in the hands of the media unfriendly to the Trump Administration are true. Now where could have they come from? I submit they only could have come from loyal Progressive members of the Obama Administration who have remained embedded in the bureaucracy of one or more of the intelligence agencies. Leaking of these documents is a serious crime and the Sessions Justice Department must find and stop this illegal process. All men and women who are employed to serve the nation take the same oath that includes “protecting the Nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Right now, I believe the greatest danger is from domestic enemies.

“The next class will be devoted to more discussion of Alison’s question. Remember, I am not saying President Trump’s policies should not be questioned by both the media and concerned citizens. Only that activities funded, organized and coordinated by the Progressives must not be allowed to break our laws and covertly attempt to overthrow a duly elected President.”

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