Tit for Tat?

What a policy!

Revenge is sweet, but a smoothly operating 

government so much more rewarding.

By: Bill Schoettler

August 22, 2022

When my younger brother and I were riding in the backseat of the family sedan, back in the 1940s, our parents had to physically separate us because we would get into fights. Each one would be banned to a corner. To this day I remain amazed at the patience and tolerance of my parents who managed to maintain their love for us despite our efforts to disrupt family trips. 

I see the same type of conduct today, both real and threatened, between the two political parties. Way back when my brother and I were fighting, the turmoil disrupted the family journey, distracted whoever was driving, sometimes required a complete cessation of the trip to deal with the fighting, certainly was distressful to my parents, and, of course, never really settled anything between us two kids. Time, years, in fact, took care of the problem and the two of us get along quite nicely at present.

For the past few years, the Democratic Party has been attacking the Republican Party, publicly and privately, with energy and dedication that is almost embarrassing. In 2016 Donald Trump, a Republican, was elected President, beating the Democratic candidate. From before the election, when there was the usual give-and-take of political fighting, to the present time (after the next Democratic candidate prevailed over Trump in the 2020 election) the Democrats have maintained a steady campaign of attack and accusations and blaming (for everything from white supremacy to causing climate change) Trump, all his iterations and all his followers; Donald Trump the individual, Trump the presumed standard bearer of the Republican Party, all those who voted for Trump in the past two national elections and all who profess to support Trump at present and anyone who dares claim adherence to the Republican Party. 

Trump won the 2016 election through the Electoral College. The Dems want to abolish the electoral college and let a simple majority of voters elect the President (the number of voters in the major coastal cities of this country is sufficient to make an electing majority). Trump, during his Presidency, appointed two Justices to the US Supreme Court. This made the majority of Justices, appointees of Republican Presidents. The Dems want to increase the number of Justices to at least 11, permitting the current sitting US President the opportunity to appoint two Justices…thus making the majority of Justices Democrat appointees. Federal law specifies a process for potential immigrants to become citizens but the Democrat Administration of President Biden has virtually opened the southern border and allowed roughly three million immigrants to enter the country, has bussed, flown, and otherwise transferred these undocumented (and illegal entrants) people to many cities where Republican voters predominate. The further plan is apparently to give “amnesty” (i.e., an excuse for otherwise illegal entry into our country) and voting privileges to these immigrants who, so the assumption goes, will be so grateful [for being admitted to and canonized as citizens of the USA] they will vote Democrat.

During Trump’s Presidency the Democrats devoted much time and energy to marginally voting to impeach him and after he was voted out of office have continued to spend much time and energy (and money) on the so-called Jan-6 investigation in the so-far vain hopes of finding that scintilla of evidence that will forever bury him from again holding office. 

As we contemplate the current political climate (“current”meaning now as we are a little more than two months away from the mid-term elections and what looks like an ultimate Republican control of Congress) we are hearing promises, threats, statements of intention from Republicans that PAY-BACK IS COMING, that [presumably] when Republicans take over Congress they will begin a campaign of retribution, of revenge, of tit-for-tat. 

We are hearing “promises” that miscreants in the current Democrat Administration will be investigated, will be impeached, will not merely be thwarted in their evil ways but will be somehow punished for their multiple transgressions against the traditional concepts of good governance and [sorry, couldn’t resist using this word] polite politics!

While such “threats” might all be well and good, they do not ring true when considering the concepts of good government. Unquestionably the Democrats wasted millions of dollars and months attacking (and continuing to attack) Trump. Now we are hearing the Republicans promising to do the same thing all over again…only this time against selected Democrat demons. How is this going to serve the country?

The Democrats or at least this Democrat Administration has passed laws, issued executive orders, and directed the FBI and other government agencies to ignore (and attack) Constitutional directives of free speech, freedom of assembly, independence of the Judiciary, the Second Amendment as well as many of the traditional and customary (and effective) policies concerning voting and political practices and parliamentary maneuverings. 

So now a potential Republican-controlled Congress will have the opportunity to right those wrongs, correct the misdirection this country has taken over the past almost two years, resurrect those governing principles that brought America to its greatness, and move the country in the direction the vast majority of honest American voters would like to see. 

Now, assuming the predictions are accurate and come to pass, the Republican-controlled Congress can re-direct the miserably-conceived laws that have brought America to its knees and bring back the energy and focus of good government that we sorely lack at present. 

I would be sorely disappointed to hear news broadcast and read editorials about how national Republican office-holders spin their wheels investigating and castigating former government administrators…instead of reading and hearing stories about inspiring legislation, about growing public belief in the integrity of elected representatives, about a growing reputation of our system of government and the positive and productive actions to overhaul the military mismanagement and failing national education programs and other current ills.

The present conduct of this Administration has opened the door to multiple avenues of legitimate criticism (i.e. in fields of rising crime, loss of the effectiveness of law enforcement, energy dissipation, misdirection of education, and a host of other ailments) as well as the multiple opportunities for future realignment of purpose. Let us witness a concerted national effort to re-direct past misdirections and to bring back our national pride, the reverence for tradition, and the God-given values that have helped the Nation achieve its past glories.