“Divide and rule, the politician cries; Unite
and lead, is watchword of the wise.”
– Johann Goethe
No one will dispute relationships in America’s political
theater are about as cordial as two Roller Derby teams dueling for points in
the final jam on a late night TV show. These skaters are void of mercy since TV
ratings are their bread and butter: The better the show, the more money. It’s
not wining or losing that lures fans each week to the Derby. Its antics and
gimmicks that keep people spellbound. And today’s divided voters think Congress
is putting on a better show than two truculent Roller Derby teams each session.
Bad showmanship has replaced yesteryear’s art of governing.
There is no such thing as an angel in Congress. But the
subterfuge of divide and conquer reached its pinnacle when Donald Trump took
office. The progressives made it their intention to ensure the failure of this
president. This is a personal vendetta since Americans rebelled against the
antics of Barack Obama’s court jesters. Obama used every dictum in Saul
Alinsky’s rulebook to dial our nation’s clock back to the era of Franklin D.
Roosevelt. Obama did not miss a beat blaming his failures on anyone who was not
a progressive. He “gang-governed” like a schoolyard bully. That’s why voters
elected Trump.
“People are fed up with people who are career
politicians who don't stand for anything.”
– Carlos Beruff
It’s a mystery why past conflicts were resolved amicably
while today they are uncivil wars. Why has politics turned into jousting
matches for public servants who were hired to govern? Most theorists agree:
Putting on a show is easier than passing law. Since the new progressive era,
Americans on the right of center have been proselytized that the left side is
too big to fall so it is easier to trade insults than adjudicate. This
emboldens continual theatrics for their loyalists at the expense of governing.
Progressive Americans have replaced nationalism with
separatism and have convinced their flock to set aside internal bickering for
the sake of a united front. This allows them to power broker deals behind
closed doors, out of public sight and out of media pages. This commonality
gives them the numbers to secure electoral and legislative victories while the
center right is trying to find a plan to cut their losses. Since it’s
impossible to present reason to those who prefer feel good politics over real
law, there’s no united leadership for opposition. It’s easier to say, “Well, we
tried our best” than to actually do their best.
“He is short-sighted who looks only on the
path he treads.”
– Kahlil Kibran
William Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage, and
all the men and women merely players.” The script that new-era progressives
follow is as predictable as the plot in a grade C matinee movie. Facts and
figures are irrelevant. The name calling blame-game keeps their opposition on
defense. This ensures victory. The divided right takes this bait and fights
over it like hungry catfish. With too many “wannabe” leaders, you have none.
The best-equipped army will lose every battle without a committed general.
“If the generals don't panic; then the troops
never panic.”
– Shaquille O'Neal
A recent New York Post reporter wrote: “The three tenets
of Obama Left politics were 'Divide and rule, weaken and conquer, hate and
enslave.' The right has not realized this by now.” After allowing two years of continual
ridicule of President Trump by members of his own party, the GOP proved they
learned nothing from Obama’s stratagem. Instead of solidifying their strategy,
they continue to give away the cow with the milk, by fighting a civil war on
every tangible front. And the progressive public promulgation labyrinth uses
every barbaric battle as fuel to propel its anti-Trump machine.
“It takes considerable knowledge to realize
the extent of your own ignorance.”
– Thomas Sowell
Obama is the first former president to publicly castigate
his successor. He commands a gang of 30,000 devotes from a bunker two miles
from the White House. He works behind the scenes to protect his tainted legacy
by sabotaging Trump’s popular “America First” agenda. He oversees a veiled leftist
nonprofit, “Organizing for Action.” They have a growing war chest and over 250
offices across America. This well-funded group recruits young liberal
activists. Their motto is, “We’re not backing down.” Their rostrum is
ObamaCare, race relations, climate change and nothing more. Their limited
platform was adopted from the U.S. Navy.
"Keep it simple, stupid."
– Kelly Johnson
OFA is a 501 nonprofit, so it doesn’t have to disclose
its generous donors. It's raised $40 million since evolving from Obama’s campaign
organization. Armed with Obama’s campaign database, they organized this year’s
bloodbath of Congress. Obama is directly involved in grooming progressive
candidates to protect his legacy by taking the Senate and oval office next
election. Knowing this is a census year, this will enable them to snake
progressive districts to control America for decades.
“We’re going to be in a position we can start
cooking up all kinds of great stuff.”
– Barack Obama
Obama is currently instructing American liberalists how
to marshal the new socialist democracy he couldn’t finish doing when Hillary
lost to Trump. The GOP rolled over last election and watched this take place.
Is the liberal left really gone too far to stop them from rewriting the
Constitution by fiat? The way the center right and GOP are acting, there is no
stopping them unless they clean up their act. It’s impossible for them to
deliver a nation united, until they have a house that is un-divided!
Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers, wrote,
“All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall.” He referenced
the need for camaraderie during the power struggles of 17th century France.
This was a typical swash-buckling, romance and adventure novel, emblematic of
this period. But Dumas’ real goal was to convince his readers that “when one
battles alone, it’s always bad. But when all band together, good things can be
achieved.” He takes great pains to weave this into his plot since criticism of
government back then cost one his head.
“They would have too easy a conquest over
four separate men; whilst four men united make a troop.”
– Alexandre Dumas
Dumas wrote, “Order solves all problems.” Progressives
have zero principles. Their plan is to disrupt those that do. And their success
relies in maintaining the divided right. True leaders build consensuses, not
destroy them. That’s cardinal for quality leadership. Trump was sent to D.C. by
the right of center and independents, not progressives. But as long as his base
is more concerned with leftist criticism than unity, this chaos will dominate
these indulgent masses. And the more they become divided and the longer they
continue to be divided, they will be conquered again and again.
What separates men from animals is the ability to look
outside themselves and abandon personal passions in favor of rationale for
survival. The center right has the ability to turn conflict into strength. It’s
time for legitimate factions to listen to the people who gave them authority to
govern. They were elected to defend the U.S. Constitution and the president’s
agenda, not bow to unpopular, inerudite criticism from the media. The far left
has over-sold their message, but the right can’t find a message to agree upon! Internal
dissention deprives us from a cohesive coalition to expose the myth of their
negative progressivism.
“The end is what you want and the means is
how you get it.”
– Saul Alinsky
In 360 BC, Philip II of Macedon developed the strategy of
maxim divide et impera. He was the first to openly divulge his theory of
gaining power by dividing large groups into fragmented factions that disabled
their power to defend against conquest. It‘s a tactic repeated for centuries by
successful rogue leaders. The right of center coalitions must make a New Year’s
resolution this year to unite under one flag to defend our free market
capitalism – the lifeblood of republicanism.
John Adams wrote: “Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.”
Least we never forget:
“A person who doubts himself is like a man
who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He
makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of
it.”
– Alexandre Dumas
Contributing Columnist William Haupt III is a retired
professional journalist, author, and citizen legislator in California for over
40 years. He got his start working to approve California Proposition 13.