The Price of Power

There is an oft repeated maxim that applies especially to the republican Party of today: Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Disgusted with the scandal-ridden Clinton presidency and his inept and illiberal governance, the republicans, hellbent on snatching executive control, nominated George W. Bush. They could have picked a genuine conservative—Steve Forbes comes to mind, as does Buchanan, who was so ungratefully snubbed in '96—but that would have risked offending moderate voters who, bereft of principles, sway with the wind. Winning was, in the words of Lombardi, the only thing.

The republicans achieved victory; but in their pursuit of the ring of power, the party became like the soulless wraiths. For the one ring of power can no more be used to defend Gondor than governmental authority can be wielded by modern republicans without manifesting itself in autocratic fashion. History will one day proclaim Bush as either a useful idiot or a willful participant in the destruction of the republic, but whether Bush was drawn to the power before or after his attainment thereof makes no difference. Once in possession of the ring, all shards of conservatism were displaced; Bush spent as Johnson could only dream; he marched further for the god Democracy than Wilson would have dared. The ring, it seemed, had a mind of its own.

As the facade of transformation was slowly being enacted, we, the remnant of believers, were told that September 11th necessitated urgent actions. Bush would return to conservatism in due time. The American people continued to give in to the demands of Bush, believing, or perhaps only hoping, that the seed of conservatism was planted deeply within their leader, and if given full power, he would be apt to use it more prudently and wisely. All but the most irascible of dissidents gave Bush the benefit of the doubt, and conservatives turned out en masse to re-elect their president.

With the defeat of John Kerry, Bush saw every branch of government in Republican control. Then a strange thing happened, or, more accurately and just as incredibly, things stayed exactly the same. No longer could the evil senate democrats take the blame for foiling the benevolent plans of Bush and his chums; with power comes responsibility, and with absolute power, excuses for inaction are as pitiful as the hapless opposition's pleas for mercy. Bush wasn't a conservative at all; in the words of Tolkien "they were all of them, deceived."

Bush is not doubt wishing he could take his wish back. The jig is up and even the most loyal sheep are becoming suspicious of their shepherd. Yet unlike poor Frodo, who was compelled to scale Mount Doom to destroy the wretched ring, Bush's salvation lies along an easier path. Most conservatives forgive easily enough, so long as the sins are of omission rather than commission. Bush's father lost because he reneged on his vow that there would be "no new taxes". Despite the younger Bush's failure to cut spending, his moderate tax cuts were enough to earn the favor of a majority in the electoral college. But the tax cuts are an old memory, as this year the fed collected the second most money of all time in taxes; and support is dwindling for a war which was never fought upon conservative principles to begin with and good news on the Iraq front continues to be slow in forthcoming.

Yet illegal immigration is a very important issue to many Americans, especially among what is still left of Bush's shrinking base. Tonight, Bush had a chance to win back the support of his base and ensure that, though they may take a much deserved pounding in the house and senate elections, his party would retain control in one or both houses. By taking a firm stance against illegal immigration and offering a proposal to abate the crisis, Bush could reclaim the moniker of conservative in the eyes of many of his constituents. Tonight, Bush blew it in a big way.

The issue is much more simple than it is purported to be. The reason illegal immigrants come to this country is not because they love baseball, freedom and apple pie. Baseball is booming regions southward; we're not nearly that free—though I suppose if one hails from a totalitarian realm, things seem not so bad in the USA—and apple pie, while delicious, has seldom tempted man to leave hearth and home. Illegals come here because it is profitable to do so. It is better to work here, earning wages Americans would never deign labor at, than to dwell in the wretched poverty from whence they came. Thus, if it is no longer profitable to move here, illegals will cease to move here. By the simple imposition of exorbitant fines upon those employing illegals, the incentive for hiring them will be relieved, and the unfortunate lawbreakers will soon find themselves without a source of income. So long as we can simultaneously prevent illegals from receiving welfare, many will migrate home all by themselves, rendering deportation extraneous.

Being a plutocrat, Bush did not crack down on his corporate friends. Instead, he offered platitudes, hoping to mollify his base without angering the more sizable part of the country which already fervently dislikes him and his policies. He failed to offer any real permanent solutions, although he did advocate more federal spending. The debt will grow, but the problem will not be solved—nor is it intended to be. The issue of illegal immigration will be vociferously debated until November, and neither party will budge. If legislation is enacted, representatives might be held culpable, and divisive stands make it tough to get re-elected. It's better to stick with spending money, for the children of course, and lavishly lace appropriations bills with pork.

To borrow another analogy from Tolkien, the neo-cons have the genuine conservatives under a deep spell, just as Wormtongue controlled the Theoden King. I have been waiting for a long time for my idealogical brethren to wake from their sleep, with or without the metaphorical Gandalf's help. Hope yet remains, but whether the conservatives rejoin the battle in time to prevent the death of the republic remains to be determined. The republicans have authored their own defeat by trading principle for power, and what they most fear is all but inevitable. The hours grow ever darker; a new shadow rises in the east; and the one ring of power shall soon pass to Hillary.