When it comes to politics, yes, there were simpler times.  Not simple, mind you.  Politics has never been simple or easy.  But in comparison to today, they were a bit simpler.

One could pretty much count on what was going to transpire before, during & after an election.  Both sides had their pre determined vitriolic rhetoric & accusations against each other.  Maybe a touch of scandal dealing with sex, money, favors or a combination.  Nothing that really shocked or scandalized any one.  But times have genuinely changed for the worse I think, but definitely more complicated.

In recent years, we’ve had a few more elements to add to the political mixing bowl, namely, religion & super secrecy, although not necessarily together or in that order. Depending on how one looks at it, one can feel the range from ludicrous conspiracy theory up to & including abject horror.  In case no one remembers, there have been stories concerning our political leaders being involved with secretive groups like the Masons or the Skull & Bones society.  Some concern broke out but nothing, as yet, has been produced. 

Then came the unholy alliance with Bush & Co. pandering to Christian evangelicals.  That brought a win for conservatives in the form of a Republican majority rule & two more conservative activist Supreme Court judges.  It was pretty much a loss for the rest of us. But a recent story in Time, brought up a very secretive group, the Council for National Policy, the latest in a number of stories about that group in recent years.  It has often been called “the most influential political group you never heard of.”  They have their own web site & you can google them.  You’ll get the full range of descriptions of the group from “innocuous,” “boring white bread,” to “secret society,” and a secret faction bent on, “conservative theocratic rule.”  It’s there for all to see, so you can make your own decision .

What’s really interesting, is the founder of the group, Tim LaHaye & some of its members, including Vice President Dick Cheney. I won’t go into the details here because you can read them for yourselves.  The question I ask is, “Why the super secrecy?”

If I were anything but an extreme right leaning Republican, I would be worried & start asking questions.  Just like Democrats, Republicans have a party leadership, conventions, press conferences etc. where party objectives are outlined, formed, distributed to party members & eventually brought to the general public.  Nothing new there.  That’s the way it’s always been & should be.  So if party objectives are made up behind closed doors, which is also nothing new, and presented to the general public after formulation, what is the need for super secrecy?  What aren’t they telling us & why?”  Even if I were a Republican, I would still be concerned.

As I said, you can run the gamut of reactions on this one, but it deserves a closer look.  JATFUR.

Doubt is the first step towards knowledge.  Acquiring knowledge is the next step to a higher intellect.

RichK