The Messages of Ron Paul and Rick Santorum

I think we’re living in a world where the basic definitions concerning our beliefs and who we are in relation to others has shifted and is muddled. For example, what is “left” and what is “Right” politically? We toss these terms round every day, and they flood our media, but what do the mean and how do we distinguish them? It used to be that Right was conservative - fiscally and socially…no welfare, no social programs for the unemployed or illegals (there weren’t many then anyhow), nothing standing in the way of free market economics. That’s slightly exaggerated, but you understand. The Left? It was higher taxes, even if free markets suffered, welfare programs, caring for the illegals, fiscal leniency because money was needed to fund all of this. Again, exaggerated, but on point. Today, everywhere in the world, at least the western world, we see these lines so completely blurred that it is just about impossible to put traditional labels on anyone. The result is that ordinary people don’t know what they believe, or what their elected officials believe or whose side they’re on most of the time. They only know that things are a mess and nobody seems to be able to fix them. The mess in America : taxes are too high, unemployment levels are unacceptable, religion is taboo but seems to be on everyone’s list of hot topics, illegals are treated well one day and booted out the next, poor people have rights but not enough to let them live decent lives, and the vast middle classes are fed up with always having to foot the bill and bear the load alone. Is it any wonder that the world is unstable, that it seems out of control and that all politicians and religious leaders are blamed for it. What we desperately need is a dialogue - not about birth control or how many troops to keep in Afghanistan or whether the rich are paying their fair share of taxes or why everybody wants something form the government. What we need is a dialogue about who we are, what we believe as a people and why we believe it. This is not a political debate at its foundation. It is a societal debate about what made America what she became and how to get it back. I feel sure that this is why Rick Santorum is on a crest of popularity. He is not talking about politics-as-usual stuff. He is talking about concepts… most of the time. Sometimes he gets the concepts mixed up with his own personal religious and moral views, but he is not selling himself as a politician usually would. He is selling the idea that America is broken and that only a fundamental dialogue toward reformation can save her. It is also what makes Ron Paul so interesting and why his disciples are so loyal and unswerving in their support, often saying that they will not vote for anyone else. Ron Paul is selling the idea, just as Santorum is, that America is broken and reform is the only cure. Paul’s difference is that he looks to the Constitution, which is the cornerstone of what and who America is while Santorum looks to moral and religious principles that are not universally acceptable and that do not, and did not, create America’s foundation. But, their goals are honorable and we ought to pay attention to them, especially Ron Paul. That is not to say that they should be elected President. But, somehow, Americans need to focus on their questions and solutions and find the road back. There isn’t much time left and there is no one else on the horizon with the same imperatively fundamental and necessary message.