I cast my first vote in 1969. I have voted in every election since, local, state and federal. I have always been a registered Independent. I prided myself in voting for the person and policy, not the party.
Last week, I changed my registration to Republican.
This was not prompted by the circus happening in our Congress. It was not because of the increasingly disturbing rhetoric coming from the “squad” of radically left-leaning junior members of Congress. It was not because of the radical promised policies put forth by the Democratic candidates that can neither be realistically financed, or that they even mean to keep. It was not even because of the idiotic statement by Hillary Clinton that Tulsi Gabbard was some kind of Russian plant!
The tipping point was the Sept. 11 diatribe by Gary Hooser. His whining about his own Democratic party here in Hawaii being too “corporate” and “centrist” convinced me that the increasingly radical “progressives” are a danger to our republic.
The idea that a legislator should balance the needs of the people with the corporate interests that provide the jobs, taxes and livelihood of those people seems abhorrent to him.
As an avowed “progressive,” he and his ilk believe that the system should be slashed and burned to the ground, and then hope that it will rise from the ashes like a Phoenix, perfect in their image of a great society. They have no care about the damage such acts do to the people, their lives or the country, as long as society is molded in their view of the “perfect world.”
They have become increasingly vocal and violent in their need to suppress the right of anyone to express dissenting opinions. Yet, when they have the chance to make meaningful change, they offer nothing of worth.
Mr. Hooser ran the Democratic Senate, yet accomplished none of the changes he is so eager for others to make. His hatred of the corporate farms is legendary, and he would love to see them destroyed and out of Hawaii. Does he care about the jobs lost, the homes that they live in or the taxes they pay? No, his way or the highway is the attitude.
His article is a sort of call to arms to the hoped-for army of progressive candidates that will campaign to “put the people and planet first” and strive for “economic, environmental and social justice.” Hopefully, they will not prevail. We need the “centrists” who weigh all the costs of their actions. They can be environmentally friendly, socially aware and yet not tear down our society and destroy the hopes and dreams of our people. Such radicalism has failed worldwide throughout history. It must not be allowed to repeat itself here.
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Barry Dittler is a resident of Wailua.
Well said Barry.
Glad you are seeking and speaking the truth!
We are in grave danger in the shadow of these towering ‘progressives’ who promise fair weather, affordable housing, and free health care to all…without negative tradeoffs.
The notion that they have the answer and the rest of us are just too stupid, racist, and selfish to understand is tiresome. The condescension is as thick as mud.
Thanks for shining some honesty on the situation and taking action to nudge them out of leadership.
Saving our Republic from the this insanity requires each of us to speak our minds to demonstrate we don’t all goose-step to their loony tune…moreover, we must merge our vote to get them out of office.
Hawaii borders on third world level living conditions due to decades of DNC rule at the county and State levels. The citizens of Hawaii literally have nothing to lose if they start electing centrists and conservative problem solvers.
Unfortunately, The USA has become host to a new “lying culture.” It is fashionable to lie. It is required in many instances. We lie continuously, and are lied to. We always know when a political leader is lying to us now…his/her lips are moving.
So you switched to Republican because of a Gary Hooser Op Ed? If that is your real reason, then that’s pretty sad. I would venture a guess that a more realistic reason you switched is that you have been watching Fox news and have bought into the fear mongering they spew. You are concerned that “Progressives” will take over the country and it will lead to you paying more taxes. I’m an ABT: Anybody But Trump kind of voter. No candidate the Dems happen to eventually nominate could ever come close to being as dangerous, divisive, corrupt or destructive as Trump has been and continues to be. The current GOP regime insists on trying to drag all of us back to the 1950’s. Keep the faith and don’t become another sheep. Think, analyze, and keep an open mind. We will overcome this nightmare.
Bernie, Bernie, Bernie…
Hey Barry, take a look at what unfettered capitalism has done to our society, our place in the world, and the only planet you will get to live on. Corporate control of our laws and our economy has resulted in short-term profit making in lieu of long-term life-on-earth management.
You laud “jobs, taxes and livelihood of those people” that you ascribe to corporate interests. You are talking about “get in line, work for the corporation, and keep your head down and voice quiet” jobs and no taxes collected from the likes of Amazon. Corporations are not people, and they should not be considered as such, from the local courts all the way up to the Supreme Court.
And as far as corporate “farms” on Kauai, take your head out from below the sand. They farm nothing of value. They defy requests to declare how much “seed” they actually create and export. These outfits are nothing but pesticide and herbicide development and testing stations, polluting our environment and poisoning our residents with regard only for their bottom line and the pocketbooks of their shareholders.
Why don’t you move from Wailua to Kekaha or Waimea and see how you feel about being surrounded by the testing fields?
Apparently the author of today’s Guest Article is unaware, or doesn’t care, that the far right under Trump is “vocal and violent” as witnessed by the entire country when Trump encouraged violence at several of his rallies. And of course Trump’s reference to ”good people’ on both sides of the white nationalist movement and those in opposition.
The writer mentioned “centrists” and corporations as if, were we not to have centrists, we would have fewer jobs, which is more than a stretch. I hate to point this out to him but corporate interests are now controlling public policy and calling the shots through the GOP and especially through Trump, thanks to unlimited money allowed into our elections since Citizens United was passed by the right wing of the SCOTUS.
The US has the widest income disparity of the industrialized nations and it’s growing, while the corporate interests lobby Congress to stop discussion of raising the minimum wage.
Corporate interests have made sure our environmental regs are being rolled back for their bottom line and the GOP is happy to oblige while our health, our National Parks, our wilderness roadless areas, and our endangered species suffer. We have one earth.
As far as his derogatory statement “radically left-leaning junior members of Congress” statement goes, these are our young voices standing up for democratic socialist issues.
Democratic Socialist countries abound in the first world and with far less income inequality than we have. Yes they have corporations and yes they have small businesses and yes they own their homes. They have almost free higher education, better medical etc. But the centrists and and the GOP want to scare the pants off you saying the opposite and pointing to Venezuela’s socialist dictatorship instead of Europe (especially Scandinavia), Australia, New Zealand, etc.
Well said mr. Dittler. “BRAVO”.
James, Kauiaboy and Paulot,
First James, I get my news from the internet, BBC, Fox and others. I am simply saying that there needs to be balance in every decision. I am advocating for every working person in Kauai. If you drive the business’s away, the jobs are lost. I am not saying that there doesn’t need to be regulations that protect the people, land and environment. I am simply saying that you need to approach each issue with a balance that protects the people and still allows the business to exist. Do you think a 95% corporate tax will allow any business to exist? I am preaching moderation rather than radicalism. Open minded, calculated actions versus shotgun policies. A destructive policy is no policy if it destroys the people that they are trying to protect.
Barry Dittler
There has been far more anger, violence and hatred from the progressives opposed to Trump than from his supporters. As someone who has voted all three major parties, I support our President. Not because of all of his policies but I certainly support them as opposed to the extreme views of his opponents. Having seen how socialism destroyed countries like Hungary and Crotia among many many others I would suggest those in support of socialism visit these places first that had to have bloody revolts to regain their rights. Visit them, talk to residents who survived and then go vote socialism. Don’t be lead by the blind who themselves do not know what they espouse.