I Cogitate

I know it's become quite fashionable to bash the mainstream media. The incoming ordance is lobbed from both sides of the political spectrum.

I'll try not to bash here but I'm waiting for the mainstream media to cover what is becoming the most compelling political story of 2005--that of the takeover of the Republican Party by far right evangelical extremists.

Look at Justice Sunday. Absorb the character assassination of the American judiciary. Note Bill Frist threatening to invoke the 'nuclear option' and disregard any ethics he previously tentatively possessed to do the bidding of Mullahs Dobson, Falwell, Robertson. Then there's President Bush's initial call to totally recast Social Security, which luckily was a non-starter.

This ain't your father's Republican party.

Do you recall this 1972 quote by Mr. Republican Barry Goldwater:

"The religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in public policy... To retreat from that separation would violate the principles of conservatism..."

Place Goldwater on the political spectrum today on the basis of this quote and he would come off as leftwing secularist heathen.

The Party calls for the United States monetary system to be returned to the gold standard. Since the Federal Reserve System is a private corporation, has no reserves, and is not subject to taxation or audit, we call on Congress to abolish this institution and reassume its authority, enumerated by Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, for the coinage of money.
   
Short Translation: The United States should return to the gold standard and abolish the Federal Reserve.


Congress should be urged to exercise its authority under Article III, Sections 1 and 2 of the United States Constitution, and should withhold appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in such cases involving abortion, religious freedom, and all rights guaranteed under the Bill of Rights.

Short Translation: The Supreme Court should not be allowed to decide the constitutionality of laws regarding abortion, religion, or anything else related to the Bill of Rights. In these areas, Congress should be allowed to pass any laws it wishes.


Our Party pledges to do everything within its power to restore the original intent of the First Amendment of the United States and the concept of the separation of Church and State and dispel the myth of the separation of Church and State.

Short Translation: We should completely do away with separation of church and state.


The party opposes the decriminalization of sodomy....We publicly rebuke judges Chief Justice Murphy and John Anderson, who ruled that the 100 year-old Texas sodomy law is unconstitutional, and ask that all members of the Republican Party of Texas oppose their re-election.

Short Translation: Gay sex should be a criminal offense.


The Party affirms its support for a human life amendment to the Constitution and we endorse making clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection applies to unborn children.

Short Translation: All abortion of all kinds should be permanently outlawed by constitutional amendment.


No homosexual or any individual convicted of child abuse or molestation should have the right to custody or adoption of a minor child, and that visitation with minor children by such persons should be limited to supervised periods.
   
Short Translation: Gays should be treated like child molesters and should not be allowed to visit children unsupervised.


The Party believes that scientific topics, such as the question of universe and life origins and environmental theories, should not be constrained to one opinion or viewpoint. We support the teaching equally of scientific strengths and weaknesses of all scientific theories--as Texas now requires (but has yet to enforce) in public school science course standards. We urge revising all environmental education standards to require this also. We support individual teachers’ right to teach creation science in Texas public schools.
  
Short Translation: The Biblical story of creation should be taught in science classes.


The Party supports an orderly transition to a system of private pensions based on the concept of individual retirement accounts, and gradually phasing out the Social Security tax.
  
Short Translation: Social Security should be abolished.


We urge that the IRS be abolished and the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution be repealed. A constitutional tax, collected and controlled by the States, must generate sufficient revenue for the legitimate tasks of the national government.

Short Translation: The federal income tax should be abolished.


The Party believes the minimum wage law should be repealed.

Short Translation: The federal minimum wage should be abolished.


We further support the abolition of federal agencies involved in activities not delegated to the federal government under the original intent of the Constitution including, but not limited to, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the position of Surgeon General, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Education, Commerce and Labor.

Short Translation: The EPA, HUD, HHS, the Department of Education, and several other federal agencies should be eliminated. Since these departments supervise all federal welfare programs for the poor and sick, they are presumably advocating the complete abolishment of the federal welfare state.


The Party believes it is in the best interest of the citizens of the United States that we immediately rescind our membership in, as well as all financial and military contributions to, the United Nations.

Short Translation: Get the United States out of the UN.


The Party urges Congress to support HJR 77, the Panama and America Security Act, which declare the Carter-Torrijos Treaty null and void. We support re-establishing United States control over the Canal in order to retain our military bases in Panama, to preserve our right to transit through the Canal, and to prevent the establishment of Chinese missile bases in Panama.

Short Translation: Take back the Panama Canal.This plank remains in the 2002 platform. Since Panama presumably would object to this, they appear to be endorsing military action to retake the canal zone.


Any person filing as a Republican candidate for a public or Party office shall be provided a current copy of the Party platform at the time of filing. The candidate shall be asked to read and initial each page of the platform and sign a statement affirming he/she has read the entire platform.

Short Translation: We are dead serious about all this.

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