New York City certainly seemed to benefit from the multi-millionaire Rudy Giuliani’s mayoral tenure and he has a commendable record of public service. I don’t fault him for expressing his opinion that the President doesn’t love his country. But it seems to me that one nationally known millionaire politician accusing another national millionaire politician of not loving the country is like the pot calling the kettle black. None of the wealthy politicians of either party love their country more than they love their money and their personal success. That explains why President Obama backs the Transpacific Partnership Agreement and why he supports Monsanto.
If it weren’t for Giuliani’s public service record, I could readily believe his claim that the President doesn’t seem to love the United States to be a projection of his own guilt about loving the country less than he loves his $45 million net worth.
This country is supposed to stand for principles like “all men are created equal”, “liberty and justice for all”, and everyone’s inalienable rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Instead of using the Constitution to actualize those principles for all of us, our elected officials can’t agree whether or not the Constitution gives them the authority to do so.
For once the conservatives are correct. The Constitution does not give the Federal Government the general legal authority to enact laws that favor those principles. But rather than fix that, our representatives will continue the argument while millions of citizens, who are the country, continue to be denied the full opportunity to experience those principles. Why? Because the continued deprivation of millions of citizens is more lucrative for the Upper Class, those with the most wealth and power.
Love is a comprehensive concept. To truly love a country one must love all of its citizens. Anything less is selfish and/or self-centered. To love the status quo because it has made one rich and successful should not be confused with love of country.
Nor is love of country a measure of how well one can ignore and deny the nation’s most serious problems. Most politicians don’t seem to get that. It would seem that Giuliani did not ignore New York City’s most serious problems. In fact, he is credited with solving some of them. He did not do that by pretending they did not exist. And yet he criticizes Obama’s refusal to sweep issues under the rug.
If our country’s most serious problems are ever solved, it will be because our federal government has been given the constitutional duty and authority to actualize the principles for which the country is supposed to stand, over the objections of the rich and powerful. If you care enough about your country to be part of the solution to its problems, go to www.pair2.blogspot.com.