American Republic Online

Watching the President's State of the Union address, I observed a couple of things that I'd like to mention.  First, he proposed a new tax deduction for individuals who buy their own health insurance.  Great idea!  It's about time individuals were able to take advantage of the same benefits that corporations have.  (Of course the Fair Tax would solve all the tax headaches, but that's another post.)  The Democrats did not like this idea apparently, as they did not clap.  And why would they?  Their plan is to make people more dependent on the government, not less.  Side note: you do realize that if Senator Clinton brings back Hillarycare we would be confronted with such ideas as making it illegal to pay for the doctor of your choice.  Seriously.  That was one of the parts of her health reform.  People want more access to healthcare that is cheaper for them.  However, are we willing to pay the price in terms of liberty?  Listen to the rhetoric: "right to healthcare."  Right?  Where is that written?  What's next?

Second, after the address George Stephanopoulos reminded us that a poll reports that 70% of the American public disapprove of the direction the country is heading.  Only the media would attribute this to the President.  Partly because they dislike Bush.  I disapprove of the the direction we are heading, but it has very little to do with the President.  Every day people are more and more willing to cede more of their liberty to a governing class.  It's a similar situation with Iraq: yes, people are disappointed with the job we doing over there, but how many would have rather we bombed the entire country into oblivion?  More than a few I suspect, but they are apart of the "disappointed class."  However, the media lumps them together and uses it to say that people hate the President. 

The media also does this out of the view in which they hold the office of the President.  Why else would we have polls that ask if the President should do more about high gas prices?  Does the President really have a lever in the Oval Office with which he can lower the price of oil?  Or change the unemployment rate?  Or any of a number of things?  Why is the focus on the federal government?  Why are they ones we look to whenever something isn't happening as we wish?  Will I stop asking rhetorical questions? (I doubt it.)