Freedom-Fighters Forum

By William J. Dell – August 1992

Definitions
The 1979 Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines a Politician and a Statesman as follows:

Politician: 1. a person experienced in the art or science of government; esp: one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government. 2 a: a person engaged in party politics as a profession. b: a person primarily interested in political offices from selfish or other narrow usually short-run interests.

Statesman: 1: one versed in the principles or art of government or in shaping its policies. 2: one who exercises political leadership wisely and without narrow partisanship.

Included here also because of its proximity to the understanding and usage that our Founding Fathers had for the terms are the following definitions found in the 1828 Noah Webster’s First Edition of an American Dictionary of the English Language.

Politician: One versed in the science of government and the art of governing; one skilled in politics. 2. A man of artifice or deep contrivance.

Statesman: A man versed in the arts of government; usually, one eminent for political abilities; a politician. 2. A small landholder. 3. One employed in public affairs.

This Patriarch defines these terms as follows based on his understanding of our God given Constitution and the principles upon which the Founding Father established our country.

POLITICIAN: 1. A rascally person, in or out of elective office, experienced in the art or science of government; especially one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government, who works with artifice and deep contrivance to further the purposes of special interests to the detriment of the state or nation; a Gadianton. 2. A person, in or out of elective office, who exercises political power along party lines and who is primarily interested in politics for selfish or other narrow usually short-run interests. 3. Any elected official who is beholden to the special interest groups that funded his election and maintain him in office and who seeks re-election only to pursue his and their narrow, selfish purposes without regard for what is beneficial concerning the political, economic and social freedom of his state or nation and those who elected him to serve and represent their interests.

STATESMAN: 1. A patriot and citizen, in or out of elective office, with a profound faith in God possessed of personal integrity and versed in the arts of government who works for that which is consistent with Christian principles and is beneficial for preserving the long-term political, economic, and social freedom of his state and nation. 2: A person, in or out of elective office, who exercises political leadership wisely without narrow partisanship, personal selfish desires, or undue influence of special interest groups; such as, Political Action Committees, for the long-term good of the state and nation. 3: An elected official who is not beholden to anyone, other than the voters, for his office and who seeks to serve and represent his state and nation and those who elected him and their best long-term interests without concern for his re-election.

As you can see I have defined Politicians and Statesmen as opposites. I believe that these definitions are consistent with Christian principles. You will also note that I believe there are many Politicians and Statesmen who do not hold elective office. In these days and times, it is not necessary to be elected to influence government. Some of our worst Politicians and best Statesmen have never held a single elected office. The principal question to ask to determine if someone is acting as a Politician or a Statesman is: “Does his actions serve the long-term state or national interest by preserving the citizens freedom or does it move the citizens toward political, economic or social slavery?

This nation is faced with a terrible FOUR TRILLION dollar debt that has enslaved us and our children and grand-children with excessive taxes. We have recently tried in the House of Representatives to pass a bill for a Constitutional Amendment requiring a balance budget. The “Politicians” narrowly defeated this bill AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE CITIZENS and in support of their own selfish ends and the special interests that keep them in power. These “Politicians” would like us to believe that they have the political will to accomplish a balanced budget without this amendment. The record however is very clear and just the opposite. The record show that they CANNOT even use the Graham-Rudman Act to curve their excesses or the excesses of the special interests that keep them in power. These “Politicians” need to remember that this nation became free and independent over the twin issues of oppressive taxation and the unwillingness of “Politicians” to listen to the importuning of the citizens.

Forty-three states have constitutionally mandated balanced budgets and it is time for the nation to adopt a Balanced Budget Amendment also. Regardless of what they say the liberal spending Democrats, who have controlled the Congress for most of forty years, DO NOT have the political will to balance the budget. The reason for this is they would have to cut the purse strings of too many socialistic welfare programs and the programs of the special interests that elected them. They would have to forsake their traditional “Pork Barrel” projects. In a word they would have to become STATESMEN.

However, all of this difficulty that we are now in is not the fault of the Politicians. We, as responsible citizens of this great nation, also need to revive the principles that kept our fore-fathers free. We need to realize that LESS GOVERNMENT IS BETTER GOVERNMENT and that LOCAL GOVERNMENT, CLOSER TO WHERE IT CAN BE OVERSEEN BY CITIZENS, IS BETTER THAN STATE OR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. We should NEVER seek for government to do what we should be doing for ourselves. We, as citizens of this great nation, all need to reflect on the statement of President John F. Kennedy, who said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country”. To that end, we, as responsible citizens, must give up the attitude that any program can be cut as long as it does not affect us. It is time for AMERICANS, all of us, to come together “to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity” by forsaking all vestiges of personal selfishness. We, as a nation, can do this. We, as a nation, MUST DO THIS.

This writer does not mean to suggest that all Federal and State Government is wrong. As I understand the Constitution, the Congress should limit its governing to constitutionally mandated programs dealing with International Affairs, Inter-state Affairs, and guaranteeing equal application of the Constitution to all the citizenry. This was the intent of our Founding Fathers and this is what they wrote into our Divinely inspired U. S. Constitution in the Bill of Rights. The Tenth Amendment of the Bill of Rights states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”. In this regard, the 50 States also need to stop asking the Federal Government for funding to support programs that they should be funding as Intra-state Programs.

Consider the nationally administered welfare program in all its forms. The cost of living, including the cost for rent, utilities, food, etc. varies widely across our country. Each of these items takes a percentage of the mean income of a locale. How then can it be considered reasonable to administer welfare programs nationally? What is a reasonable sum in one location is a pittance in another.

These programs are best served, AND AT LESS EXPENSE, when administered County by County at the State level where the cost of living of each County can be more faithfully considered. I see no problem with paying higher welfare payments to worthy recipients in large cities than we pay to the worthy recipients in rural America who need less to achieve the same standard of living in their locale. If the percentage of the mean is the same and the program is designed to give a hand up and not a hand out so as not to destroy the self-esteem of the recipient, the program would be consistent with Christian principles and the intent of the Founding Fathers.

Additionally, Federal Programs always add a layer of bureaucracy which cost the taxpayers. This is because some Federal Bureaucrat has to administer the program
with a large share of his budget going to pay the administrative cost, including salaries, office space, secretaries, etc., of those needed to administer the program. All this money, Federal administrative costs, could better be used to benefit the recipients of the program in a State taxed welfare program which is locally administered.

There is a loud noise and clamor going around the country to throw the bums out who created this mess. There is also an attitude that says, “Why should I vote? My one vote won’t make a difference anyway. Besides, all we have to choose from is just the lesser of two evils”. This writer has great difficulty understanding how anyone can call themselves a patriot or citizen of this great nation and disenfranchise themselves!

In this great nation of our, we truly get the government we deserve. We are free to choose that government, but so many of us sit on the sidelines and complain, doing nothing. We want someone else to be involved in the process of protecting our freedoms. We want someone else to do something about the graft and corruption in the government. We don’t like the programs and policies of the current Politicians, but all we want to do is complain. Each of us is the first line of defense for our family. Each of us needs to be involved in electing the Statesmen who will correct the problems we face as a nation. Each of us need to be involved in the process of seeking honest men and wise men to run for office, and the good and wise Statesmen in office need to be re-elected. If we fail in this duty of true citizenship, each of us is just as responsible for our nation’s condition as the rascally Politicians who were elected by our not voting! May God grant to each AMERICAN a portion of the spirit of our Founding Fathers and the will to preserve what God through them gave us in this LAND THAT IS CHOICE ABOVE ALL OTHER LANDS.