Where do we go from here? A look at Obama agenda

Little by little, President Obama is revealing his agenda for the United States of America and we might not like the outcome. Let’s first explore some of his most recent stealth revelations presented in his second inaugural speech.

He cleverly began by speaking of the Constitution and quoted, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” However, he immediately followed this with a qualifying statement: “Today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.”

What does he mean by, “To bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time”? We can perhaps look at some of his own words for some clarification when he says, “The Constitution is not a static but rather a living document, and must be read in the context of an ever-changing world.”

Next look at the phrase, “These truths may be self-evident, [but] they have never been self-executing; ... while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.” “His people” becomes the government. These truths cannot be realized without the help of the government. Collectivism becomes necessary in this day and age as he reveals in the next passage.

The president continues by saying because of the changing times and all the new challenges individuals face we must rely on collective action. Individuals on their own cannot survive. This is reminiscent of the president’s words, “If you are successful, you didn’t get there on your own. If you are successful, someone along the way gave you some help. If you have a successful business, you didn’t build that.” It also brings to mind how this fits with the president’s belief that redistribution of wealth is necessary for the good of all. Again, collectivism is necessary for success in today’s world.

Collectivism was prevalent when the president utilized taxpayer money to bail out the auto industry. This could have been accomplished through regular bankruptcy channels but he felt collectively the government could do a better job. Since the president doesn’t seem to believe companies should succeed or fail on their own merits, he has expressed his desire to “do the same thing with manufacturing jobs, not just in the auto industry, but in every industry.” Taken to extreme as it was in the Soviet Union for example, 90 percent of agricultural land was “collectivized” as rural households entered collective farms with their land, livestock, and other assets.

In a 2001 interview, then Illinois Sen. Barack Obama expressed his consternation regarding the constraints “placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution…” He said, “Generally the Constitution says what the federal government can’t do to you, but doesn’t say what the government must do on your behalf.” In other words, the president would prefer a different kind of Constitution that does not prohibit him from doing what he believes is best.

This has been made clear by the fact that former regulatory czar Cass Sunstein just penned an op-ed stating that the president “wants a second Bill of Rights to function alongside the existing one.” Such a model could be the South African Bill of Rights, which says, “The state must respect, protect, promote and fulfill the rights.” It declares what the state must do on the behalf of the population. For example, the South African Bill of Rights mandates a national health service be established by the government. See how this would eliminate one of Obama’s concerns about limitations in our own Constitution? One interesting fact is that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg has expressed great respect for the South African Constitution.

All this is a departure from the beliefs of the Founding Fathers. As Hillsdale College explains, “They believed the way to help those who are behind is to create a society where everyone, using their God-given talents, could sell their labor or create a business on equal terms. Those who established a business would be able to hire the rest and provide wages, goods, and services that we all need.” This is far from any collectivist or progressive ideology.

Still is a resident of Kalispell.