Peace and Prosperity with GOP (Vol. 54, Issue 2)

Too many of us have lost sight of the wonderous goal for which this country was founded: freedom. By freedom, I not only mean freedom from foreign intrusion, but freedom to do what I please, provided it does not damage the nation. Freedom of opportunity was and still is the most unique aspect of the United States of America. With this freedom of opportunity comes the freedom to grow, to expand. Thus, progress becomes the result of natural ambition. Now it may seem trite to say that the Republican party stands for this freedom of opportunity, while the Democrats somehow stand against it, but in many respects, such is the case.

The Republicans want to see the country return to the way it used to be — a country run by the people, not by the Federal government. The Bill of Rights was written to limit the Federal government, to preserve the energy and ambition of the states. The Democrats want Washington to run too many details of the country’s life. For example, the Republicans are dedicated to the idea of freedom to education. It is unjust that merely because you are white or Jewish, a school will not accept you once they have filled their quota for white students. The Republican Platform calls for the abolition of quotas.

The greatest danger faced by the Republicans in this election is that the voters will take for granted the achievements of the last eight years and look only to the shortcomings and the areas left open for improvement. Once the “biggies” are out of the way, these being peace and prosperity, we all focus on other issues. I will not belittle the importance of education, assistance to the poor, child care, or the environment. But we must not overlook the fruits of the Reagan agenda: family income is up 9.1% since 1981; unemployment is at its lowest level in fourteen years; productivity is rising; industrial output is increasing, Ronald Reagan turned the country around, despite the almost daily predictions that his plan would fail. It has not yet, and this fact both disturbs and baffles the skeptics. Everyone claims that taxes must go up; the next President will have to raise taxes. But what do you think they said to Ronald Reagan? Yet, he has remained true to his word.

The next President will have the opportunity to appoint several important Supreme Court judges. Many see this as cause for alarm, should the Republicans stay in office, unaware that under the dominance of liberal judges, the court has backed itself into such a comer on the issue of private rights that they would be hard pressed to even outlaw incest (see Eisenstadt vs. Baird).

There have been areas where the Reagan Presidency has fallen short. But the benefit of an election is that it forces the candidates to address those areas of weakness. Thus, George Bush has concentrated on such issues as the environment, education, drugs, and child care more than his predecessor has. Combine this with the already strong, Republican policies which have led us into peace and prosperity and you should have an unbeatable combination.

Foreign policy cannot be overlooked in a day and age where strategic weapons are spreading across the globe almost as quickly as communism does. In this area, the Republicans hold all the cards. Reagan held tough on SDI and suddenly the Russians were at the table, willing to talk. The result was the monumental INF treaty. Still, the Russians have demonstrated no change in the size or intentions of their armed forces. Communism is trying desperately to spread throughout Central America; only a strong foreign policy will deter it.

Finally, we turn towards Israel. This Republican Platform is the most pro-Israel one ever. It recognizes that the foundation of U.S. Middle East policy should be the moral and strategic relationship with Israel; opposes creation of an independent Palestinian State; calls for specific steps to institutionalize the strategic partnership with Israel, among which is the Arrow project: a new anti-missle defense system.

The party that brought you peace and prosperity is now poised to improve the weak and troubled areas in American life They will not do it by handing money through corrupt bureaucratic agencies; they will do it the old fashioned way, by giving the freedom back to you.