Christian Democrats in the United States
Global Issues - Free TradeThe reality of world trade and the benefits of personal freedom of choice in economics cannot be denied. We object that U.S. jobs have been exported overseas when done so as a means to exploit labor of the poor. The only way to make the U.S. competitive again in its exports is to level the playing field around the world. This doesn't mean sacrificing our standards for workers. It means exporting our standards for workers. If free trade means fair trade, U.S. workers have a fair chance.
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Friday, September 4, 2009
10:56 AM
The congress of Honduras, legally elected representatives, removed their President Manuel Zelaya, because of his communist/populist manipulation of vocal protestors to agitate for removal of his term limits. We say this was good too.
So, for the same reasons, the U.S. must encourage Columbian President Álvaro Uribe to step down and not seek to remove his term limits.
Even though Uribe's goals coincide with U.S. interests, we cannot continue policies of supporting one strong man over another. We must support other democratic republics, like ours, in which individuals are free to seek both profit and justice.
Executive offices of governments become stagnant and withdrawn over time if the same person leads. Alliances form within the organization, which suppress dissent and alternative ideas. Because alternative ideas are suppressed, and reality changes, any stagnant government cannot keep pace with the natural progress of peoples' culture and intellect. Because alternative ideas are not tolerated, ultimately arguments are settled by use of violence, which is to say, the arguers never reach a shared conclusion, but one or the other chooses to change the subject to the bullet or the cell.
If the U.S.-based or multi-national corporate interests think that Uribe is the only person in Columbia who can lead the country, then they are more stupid than we thought. Surely there is another in Columbia who can lead with strength and honor. And, honor requires the toleration of other opinions.
What Columbia cannot tolerate is an independent army of cocaine-funded and fueled terrorists who consider themselves immune to justice for their actions. This is true whether or not you believe that the source of addiction is the problem, not the supply, or whether you believe free people in an open society should have the liberty to use drugs like a mature adult without the a priori suspicion that they will cause damage or harm to others or their property. The cartels are murdering terrorists who only care about themselves, and believe they can murder, enslave and rob people without any repercussions. No government can remain stable under that constant threat.
Similarly, to remain stable, any government in Columbia must have regard for those principles that are disregarded by the narco-terrorists. Soldiers must be kept in line, and disciplined. If the soldiers are worse to the common people than the terrorists are, the people will choose the terrorists, and Columbia will be lost to anarchy, no matter how much support, training or money the U.S. pours in. War is not a solution. Everyone loses a war.
The most important principle that any modern government can follow, is to stay by the side of the common people, fighting for their lives, for their freedom, for their livelihoods. If government constantly fights for them, working for justice to right the wrongs people do to each other, working for freedom for education and religion side by side, then no cartel of smugglers can bring it down.
To be close to the people, people leading the government must hand over power to successors, who may have different approaches or opinions, but value the continuity of the nation.
The people's power to overthrow their government is very real, and it is always real, no matter how much force a government might inflict on us. No matter how much a government's officials deny that reality, the people can and will rise up at a moment's notice, and our sheer numbers would overwhelm any army.
That's why democracy works. The people are constantly reminded of our power, so we don't forget about it and let it languish. If the people use our power in little bits every now and again, bringing grievances to court to be resolved fairly, freely speaking our minds in public meetings, and voting for officials, then we don't have to use it all at once. Democracy works because it's the way people work: it embraces the reality of change, it channels change positively in small increments instead of forcing it to happen negatively, all at once.
It is inevitable that any long-term executive officer will use the government's bureaucracy to gain an unfair advantage in elections. It always happens. It must be avoided, because the consequences are disastrous. It doesn't matter what side of the "fence" the leader sits on, the results are always the same.
The duly elected representatives of Honduras ousted their leader to stop that dangerous tendency of power seekers to hold onto power. The duly elected representatives of Venezuela denied their leader's aspiration to become a dictator. The U.S. State Department must apply its principles and policies consistently in the case of President Uribe in Columbia. The safety of the People cannot be guaranteed by any single person. Any single person holding power for too long endangers the safety of the People.
US should encourage transition of power in Columbia
We say that it is good the Venezuelan legislature did not approve the petition of President Hugo Chavez to remove his term limits.The congress of Honduras, legally elected representatives, removed their President Manuel Zelaya, because of his communist/populist manipulation of vocal protestors to agitate for removal of his term limits. We say this was good too.
So, for the same reasons, the U.S. must encourage Columbian President Álvaro Uribe to step down and not seek to remove his term limits.
Even though Uribe's goals coincide with U.S. interests, we cannot continue policies of supporting one strong man over another. We must support other democratic republics, like ours, in which individuals are free to seek both profit and justice.
Executive offices of governments become stagnant and withdrawn over time if the same person leads. Alliances form within the organization, which suppress dissent and alternative ideas. Because alternative ideas are suppressed, and reality changes, any stagnant government cannot keep pace with the natural progress of peoples' culture and intellect. Because alternative ideas are not tolerated, ultimately arguments are settled by use of violence, which is to say, the arguers never reach a shared conclusion, but one or the other chooses to change the subject to the bullet or the cell.
If the U.S.-based or multi-national corporate interests think that Uribe is the only person in Columbia who can lead the country, then they are more stupid than we thought. Surely there is another in Columbia who can lead with strength and honor. And, honor requires the toleration of other opinions.
What Columbia cannot tolerate is an independent army of cocaine-funded and fueled terrorists who consider themselves immune to justice for their actions. This is true whether or not you believe that the source of addiction is the problem, not the supply, or whether you believe free people in an open society should have the liberty to use drugs like a mature adult without the a priori suspicion that they will cause damage or harm to others or their property. The cartels are murdering terrorists who only care about themselves, and believe they can murder, enslave and rob people without any repercussions. No government can remain stable under that constant threat.
Similarly, to remain stable, any government in Columbia must have regard for those principles that are disregarded by the narco-terrorists. Soldiers must be kept in line, and disciplined. If the soldiers are worse to the common people than the terrorists are, the people will choose the terrorists, and Columbia will be lost to anarchy, no matter how much support, training or money the U.S. pours in. War is not a solution. Everyone loses a war.
The most important principle that any modern government can follow, is to stay by the side of the common people, fighting for their lives, for their freedom, for their livelihoods. If government constantly fights for them, working for justice to right the wrongs people do to each other, working for freedom for education and religion side by side, then no cartel of smugglers can bring it down.
To be close to the people, people leading the government must hand over power to successors, who may have different approaches or opinions, but value the continuity of the nation.
The people's power to overthrow their government is very real, and it is always real, no matter how much force a government might inflict on us. No matter how much a government's officials deny that reality, the people can and will rise up at a moment's notice, and our sheer numbers would overwhelm any army.
That's why democracy works. The people are constantly reminded of our power, so we don't forget about it and let it languish. If the people use our power in little bits every now and again, bringing grievances to court to be resolved fairly, freely speaking our minds in public meetings, and voting for officials, then we don't have to use it all at once. Democracy works because it's the way people work: it embraces the reality of change, it channels change positively in small increments instead of forcing it to happen negatively, all at once.
It is inevitable that any long-term executive officer will use the government's bureaucracy to gain an unfair advantage in elections. It always happens. It must be avoided, because the consequences are disastrous. It doesn't matter what side of the "fence" the leader sits on, the results are always the same.
The duly elected representatives of Honduras ousted their leader to stop that dangerous tendency of power seekers to hold onto power. The duly elected representatives of Venezuela denied their leader's aspiration to become a dictator. The U.S. State Department must apply its principles and policies consistently in the case of President Uribe in Columbia. The safety of the People cannot be guaranteed by any single person. Any single person holding power for too long endangers the safety of the People.
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