I was impressed by Bush’s propaganda campaign that launched the Iraq War. At first he spoke against terror, and then he spoke against Saddam’s WMD. Eventually, he distilled the whole campaign into 3 words: Arsenal of Terror. Fantastic propaganda that spoke volumes and united all his themes to their evil ends.
It was then that I realized how important themes and messages are. They take a great deal of thought.
What is Paul really after? Sure, restoration of values, non-intervention, a freer America, lower taxes, smaller government, etc. But these do not encapsulate the whole theme as New Frontier did, say. And some of them do not sound positive. A theme should be positive. Paul wants to bring back the traditional and unrealized old America. He wants to see realized the American potential. Kind of a New Old America. But that’s confusing.
At this point, the theme may as well be a New America, because we’ve had the existing one for so long and it’s so pervasive that it’s now the Old America, and it’s a Failing America. Only a New America can save us from becoming part of a Failing America. A New America has the ring of redemption.
Tie the 20th century roster of politicians now running for office to the Failing America. America needs a New America led by a new kind of leader with new policies.
One speech can turn this around! Martin Luther King made one speech. That is all that it takes. One speech. One speech that means what it says and says what it means, and that has real content that tells a true story and appeals. It might include such as the following:
A Failing America has to build 1,000 mile walls that even then fail to keep out migrants. A New America finds a way to welcome and integrate its immigrants properly.
A Failing America grants instant welfare and licensing privileges to immigrants who do not speak the language and do not know the Constitution. A New America demands respect for its proper laws and does not reward with instant welfare and education.
A Failing America looks for trouble spots and foments troubles. A New America avoids trouble spots, stays neutral, and does not take sides in the domestic squabbles and politics of others.
A Failing America expends its blood and treasure in failed Utopian attempts to create democracies everywhere in the world when it cannot even take care of its own problems at home. A New America will not intervene in the foreign affairs of other nations.
A Failing America debauches its currency. A New America places its money on a sound basis.
A Failed America provokes a credit crisis, with excessive bad loans and debts. A New America places its banking system on a sound moral and legal basis that prevents Wall Street and major bankers from pushing loans on people who should not have them.
I claim no expertise in formulating the exact verbal content of these contrasts. They are off the top of my head.
This list can be expanded almost indefinitely to contrast the Failing America of the past and the New America that we hope to see.
The main idea is to aim for and have such a cogent vision and speech.
Sure, it is neither a minarchistic libertarian vision nor an anarchist vision. It is a political vision tied to where we are now and where we realistically may move to as a sensible step in those directions.
1:27 pm on January 4, 2008 Email Michael S. Rozeff
