Oil’s not well in upcoming elections

By Henry Lamb

Six months from now, America will choose the people who will make the laws that govern all of us. Aside from a few third party candidates, the choices will be between “R” and “D” – Republican or Democrat.

Voters should look further and choose between “C” and “S” – Constitutionalists or Socialists.

A Constitutionalist believes that Americans are inherently free, and that government’s first responsibility is to protect that freedom. Socialists, on the other hand, believe that government’s first responsibility is to manage the affairs of its citizens to insure social and economic equity.

Both Constitutionalists and Socialists in Congress agree that America should reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Their differences appear in their proposals to achieve the common objective.

Daschle Democrats want to increase mileage requirements on automobiles to reduce the amount of oil consumed, and subsidize non-oil energy sources. These people are not even fazed by the fact that a mandatory increase in mileage standards forces people to buy smaller, lighter, less safe vehicles than they want. These people are oblivious to the fact that highway deaths increase in direct correlation to the reduced size and weight of vehicles. These people are quite willing to remove the freedom of choice from people in order to manage the affairs of their citizens.

Daschle Democrats have no problem forcing people to pay higher costs for non-oil energy sources, thereby removing the inherent freedom of choice provided by a free market.

A Constitutionalist would not even consider these options if there were any other. And, of course, there are several other options – including using the energy resources in our own land.

A Constitutionalist recognizes that in America, people should be free to live wherever they choose. Many in Congress reject this idea and camouflage their socialist management plans behind words such as “urban boundaries,” “smart growth,” “open space” and “urban sprawl.” Both Democrats and Republicans are sponsoring legislation (S975 and HR1433) that uses tax dollars to bribe local governments to restrict the freedom of people to live wherever they choose.
These people have no reluctance to manage the affairs of their citizens, even to dictating where they may or may not live.

A Constitutionalist embraces the idea that land ownership includes the right to use the land and the right to exclude others and that government ownership of land should be limited to what is authorized in Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution. Socialists believe that government should own or manage all sources of production.

Both Republicans and Democrats support HR701, which proposes to use tax dollars to purchase land from private owners who are often forced to become “willing” sellers, in order to manage the land the way government wants it managed.

A Constitutionalist believes that no sovereign power on earth is greater than the government of the United States. Both Republicans and Democrats have agreed to conform our laws to the Dictates of the World Trade Organization, or pay financial penalties authorized by the WTO.
Some members of both parties believe the U.S. should give the U.N. authority over our energy policy by submitting to the Kyoto Protocol. Some members of both parties believe we should submit U.S. citizens to the U.N.’s International Criminal Court and allow the U.N. to impose global taxes. People who hold such views reject the U.S. Constitution by their deeds, regardless of the spin they use to justify their actions.

A Constitutionalist would be embarrassed and ashamed to see his name on a list posted on the website of the Democratic Socialists of America as the strongest supporters of their agenda.

If the Socialists in the United States want to transform America into a socialist state, then they should openly propose that we change our form of government, debate the proposal widely, and attempt to amend the Constitution accordingly. They know Americans would reject such a proposal, so instead, they hide socialist policies behind high-sounding titles such as the “Conservation and Reinvestment Act” (HR701) and the “Community Character Act” (S975).

As we approach the mid-term election, voters should look well beyond the “R” and “D” and insist on knowing the “C” and “S” propensities of incumbents and other candidates. This country is suffering under the heavy load of “S” that has been imposed by the Clinton-Gore administration. We need lawmakers who believe in, and uphold the Constitution of the United States.