Walks the walk

Dear Editor,

Dick Trail's column of Aug. 10 ("Glamour beats gritty in bid for tax dollars") inspired some thought on my part. Not so much about sales taxes, glamour vs. grit, or media personalities, but about the nature of the modern American political machine, and its workings.

Taxation is the fueling station for that machine, and taxpayer dollars are the fuel itself. With those dollars, politicians pursue their projects, some of which are absolutely essential, and some of which serve mainly to impress the taxpayers so that they won't mind paying even more.

The more fuel the machine consumes, the larger it becomes, the faster it runs, and the more spectacles it produces for our viewing pleasure.

The machine constantly finds new ways to make itself indispensable. It does this by striving to provide services which are essential, or at least viewed as essential. The more of your life that is provided by the machine, the more dependent upon and beholden to it you will be. And the greater the percentage of your own "fuel" you are required to provide the machine, the more likely you are to require its services.

Even the most cursory review of American history will reveal the relentless, geometric growth of the size, scope, and expense of government at all levels.

Politicians talk about this, but almost entirely by way of blaming their opponents. Republicans criticize Democrats for "taxing and spending." Democrats criticize Republicans for "borrowing and spending." Meanwhile, none of them do anything substantial about the common denominator: spending. They have all become simply cogs in the machine.

There is a Presidential candidate I'd urge you to study. His name is Ron Paul. Dr. Paul has served as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the 14th district of Texas, for a total of 19 years, beginning in 1976.

He appears to be the ONLY Presidential candidate who truly believes in limited government. His record speaks for itself, showing that he walks the walk, rather than simply talking the talk. He has something to offer nearly everyone.

For the conservatives, he wants to drastically reduce taxes. He strongly opposes gun control. He wants to strengthen our borders. He was one of only FOUR members of the House to support Ronald Reagan's candidacy in 1976.

For the liberals, he wants to reduce government intrusion into citizens' private lives, and he opposes the war in Iraq. If this combination of positions appears contradictory, it's because Dr. Paul does not view the issues from a contemporary "conservative/liberal" viewpoint, but from the viewpoint of the Founding Fathers, and their vision for America. I personally disagree with some of Dr. Paul's positions, but I have great respect for the method by which he reached his conclusions.

I'm not asking you to blindly follow anyone. I'm simply urging you to do your own research, and decide for yourself. I ask you to seek out the information, because it WON'T be force-fed to you by the mainstream media, who rarely even MENTION Dr. Paul (except to dismiss or ridicule him).

If you decide him to be a candidate worthy of your support, tell a friend. I just did.

Owen J. McPhillips

McCook