Lode 1-11 (I think)

I think the Lode printed this one. I'm not on campus this semester and the website is down, so they may not have printed this article. Regardless, here it is.

With Lenin's death in 1924 a power struggle began that would eventually give Stalin the premiership in 1941. During a famine in the early 30's, George Bernard Shaw returned from seeing a Russian play to report the good news that the people were overfed. H.G. Wells declared of Stalin that he had “never met a man more candid, fair, and honest.” He also remarked that, “no one is afraid of him and everyone trusts him.” According to some reports, the same Uncle Joe once had fully half of the population of the U.S.S.R. under some sort of surveillance. With conservative estimates of the dead from the purges numbering 1.3 million, it is safe to say that Mr. Shaw and Mr. Wells didn't peg Stalin and his totalitarian regime quite correctly.

The blind faith evidenced by communist sympathizers more than half a century ago is neither a new phenomenon nor an outdated fad. It should be noted that much like playing the Hitler card, it is always a bit disingenuous to compare Stalin to anyone. Yet there is a group of citizens which holds this same slightly irrational faith when it comes to their esteemed leader and the creed he possesses. I am speaking of the Republicans.

In an effort to better fight the war on terror, George W. Bush has allowed the government to listen in on certain Americans who make calls to citizens of foreign lands deemed uncouth by the establishment.

It is not surprising that Bush and his cronies have defended his actions. What is surprising is the reaction by most so-called conservatives. From Rush Limbaugh to Ann Coulter, conservative pundits stumbed all over themselves in an effort to explain why a possible violation of fourth amendment protections is necessary and proper in an effort to defeat that terrible foe: terror. Slightly less surprising is the party rank and file following of party hacks. Once the party of skepticism, especially in regards to a violation of a Constitutional provision or a possible growth in government, the Republicans now answer differently. Though there are some signs of a weaking of faith, for now, when it comes to the War on Terror, the Republicans have let it be known: in Bush we trust.

Make no mistakes about it, the War in Iraq, as part of the War in Terror is a matter of faith. Bush has vowed that we are to sow the seeds of democracy in the Middle East. It seems slightly ironic that in an age where Bush cannot use the bathroom without a cry of foul from the ever-opposing left, I am calling for more skepticism. Yet that is precisely what is needed from what remains of the conservatives in this fair land. The Democrats will continue to oppose Bush at every turn. It is the responsibility of true conservatives to make sure that we are dedicated to actual principles. We need to ensure that the Republicans are not merely the anti-Democrats. With the Bush administration possibly suspendingcivil liberties, we need to start asking some serious questions.

When do we receive our rights back? When will we hand Iraq over to the Iraqi people? Just how many liberties—and which ones—will we have to forfeit in this war? Until we have answers to these and others, you will have to excuse my intolerance for the behavior of the Bush administration. A tenant of conservative idealogy is the tendency to react cautiously. We've heard platitudes about world leaders before, and while Bush is not likely to send dissidents to Siberia, it is always good to recall history which has shown a terrible urge to repeat itself.