The Great Divide in America

The American Civil War was fought over economics not slavery contrary to popular belief. The Northern industrialized states fought a war with the Southern agrarian states because of a very different vision for America. Business in the North favored high tariffs to protect developing American industry from European competitors that were more efficient. When those tariffs were imposed against European manufactured goods entering the United States, European countries passed reciprocal tariffs against Southern raw materials going to Europe making the South less competitive on world markets.

Slavery was not the main cause of the Civil War. In fact, prior to the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, who was not a radical abolitionist, was content to allow slavery to exist in the states where it was currently in place thinking it would die out naturually over time. Lincoln was, however, opposed to the expansion of slavery into the new territories and states admitted to the union. Lincoln even proposed paying Southerners for their slaves so that they could be sent back to Africa. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 to end slavery in the heat of the Civil War not just as a moral imperative; but because he hoped it would cause a slave revolt to end the war sooner. That did not happen and it took two more years before the war was finally ended in 1865 as a result of General Ulysses S. Grant's scorched earth plan, burning city after city, as Grant marched through the South.

In any case, the Civil War was the culmination of a Great Divide that actually began right at the founding of our nation with various "compromises" put in place by our Founders and later politicians. Today, we face another Great Divide in America that began with Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society; the beginnings of the Welfare State. President Obama and the Democrats Socialists who control Congress believe in Big Government control of our lives and every facet of the economy, high taxation, redistribution of income, minority rights at the expense of the majority, broad interpretation of the Constitution to facilitate social engineering, a weak national defense as part of a global world view, left wing social policy, politicians for life and unsustainable deficit spending. Conservatives believe in limited government, free market capitalism, balanced budgets, term limits, low taxation to allow for the growth of the private sector, a progressive income tax where all pay their fair share, equal protection under the law to protect the civil rights of all Americans, a strong national defense where America is viewed as a world leader, strict interpretation of the Constitution and family values. The Great Divide that exists today is even wider than the divide that existed during the Civil War, which has ominous implications.

40% of voters are left wing Democrat Socialists. 40% of voters are solid right wing Conservatives. 20% of voters have no strong beliefs at all. These independent, swing voters are the squishy middle that do not keep up with government policy or the news. They have a very superficial knowledge of the workings of our government and vote for candidates based on emotional appeal rather than conviction or facts. In any case, the Great Divide between Democrat Socialists and Conservatives does not allow for bi-partisanship or compromise because Democrat Socialists and Conservatives share no common ground, principles or values. President Obama's Socialist vision for America is viewed as a clear and present danger to the United States by Conservatives. As such, Conservatives will never accept Obama's Socialist schemes. Hence, last summer, we saw Tea Bag Protests with Conservatives in the street like nothing I have ever seen in my life time, except the protests primarily by young people and the academic left during the Vietnam War. Conservatives are standing up and saying HELL NO to Obama's Socialist Schemes and Deficit spending that will bankrupt our country.

There is a Great Divide in America. We are experiencing irreconcilable differences. If this was a marriage, it would end in divorce; hence the reason some states are again talking of "secession". The Red States have little in common with the Blue States. Democrat Socialists and Conservatives do not share the same values or governing principles, which is the reason politics in America has become war without guns. Conservatives will not tolerate Obama's Socialist schemes because they will lead to less freedom, the bankruptcy of the United States, the collapse of the US Dollar, high interest rates and inflation, slow or no growth, continued high unemployment and in general a lower standard of living for our people. How can there be any compromise related to this picture? Conservatives are organizing to fight, fight, fight President Obama and the Democrat Socialists that control Congress on every front. The United States is a center right country. The elections of 2010 and 2012 are absolutely critical to taking back our country to provide prosperity, freedom and economic security for all our people, even Obama's Peeps who will otherwise become enslaved by Obama's Socialist schemes. Obama's vision for America is clearly not our vision for America. So, we must stand up and JUST SAY NO.