The Politics of Change

There's been much ballyhoo on the left over the need for "change" in Washington. Senators Obama and Clinton are turning blue in the face through their attempts to convince voters that they, not the others, represent real change. But change as a catch phrase is a shallow thing. There certainly are things that should be fixed. But the remedy more often than not lies in extracting the talons of an over-reaching government in those things left best to the private sphere. Health care, education and the illegal immigration fiasco come to mind. But back to the Democrats: Within the context of the leading liberal patois, "change" from what exactly? If the war on terror is a prime concern for Americans, well, we are nearing the seven year anniversary since we were attacked and, since then, our homeland has been secure. Clearly someone's doing something right on that front. Or, is our impressive homeland security streak merely happenstance? As a matter of fact, no. Several terror plots have been ruptured before execution precisely because of the administration's bold authorization of fine-tuned methods for intercepting al-Qaida communiques. Somewhat ironically, liberals go into conniptions whenever talk of renewing the Patriot Act or broadening it's reach surfaces, yet it is this very law that has secured their liberty to behave so foolishly in the first place, mainly, in that they are safe and free to caterwaul at all. Being blown to bits by a suicide bomber will abruptly end future plans for taking to the street to decry "abuses" of the state. So then let's talk about "change" in the execution of the war on terror? Do we want to change our policy of successfully aborting extravagant terror schemes? Rational minds should know the answer. Our endeavor in Iraq is succeeding brilliantly, thanks to the magnificent performance of our troops and the peerless leadership of Gen. Petraeus. Should we "change" our policy there so as to undercut our substantial, costly gains, or "change" our policy by caving to the very wishes of those who are trying to break our will?