Finding the True Progressives

This entry is part 25 of 34 in the series 2010B

Several days ago I asked this question;
who you think could be an agent for the Brotherhood of Light?

The group responded with some interesting observations.

Several mentioned Ron Paul.  Even though I disagree with him about a third of the time I strongly agree with him on the basic principles of freedom and the importance of moving our country back to economic common sense. He has indeed been an agent that has helped move some common sense to the forefront.  I would guess he is a second degree initiate.

I get an even better vibe from his son Rand Paul; however, I haven’t taken in enough about him to have a fully informed opinion.  It will be interesting to see the quality of work he does.

I also get a pretty good vibe from the new House Majority Leader, John Boehner.  Now some would surmise that he couldn’t possibly be a second degree initiate because he cries at the drop of a hat, as does Glenn Beck, but yielding to strong emotional feeling does not mean that one does not have reasonable mastery over the emotions.

Mastery over the emotions is demonstrated by the decisions we make more than how strongly our emotional body feels.  Their are many people who rarely cry who have not mastered their emotions.

As example let us look at an emotional situation that could occur for a politician.

The politician has an opportunity to earmark some money that will build a homeless shelter.  He really wants to help the homeless and knows that such an earmark will bring him a lot of praise through the media and maybe get him invited to parties at Washington.

On the other hand, he uses his reason and determines that much more spending could bankrupt the country and make us all homeless.

Even though he personally helps lots of homeless, and seeing them makes him weep, his mind prevails over emotion and he doesn’t take the earmark.

It is easy to come up with spending projects that pull on the heartstrings and takes the government’s money, but just as families are limited so is the larger family called government.

It would be nice if we could supply warm milk to all the stray cats in the town, but would it make sense to borrow money you cannot pay back to accomplish this deed?  Of course not.

For anyone who wants to be in the light common sense must prevail for following emotion not tempered by reason always leads to disaster.

To judge emotional people like John Boehner or Glenn Beck we must give more weight to their actual decisions than to their surface feelings.  Can they be swimming in a sea of emotion and at the same time see the light clearly enough to make decisions based on reason and common sense?  That is the key.

A politician I definitely see working for the Brotherhood of Light is Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu . His decisions are centered on the plane of the mind tempered by intense feeling.  I think he will accomplish quite a bit before his life is through.

Someone mentioned that they haven’t seen an enlightened Democrat since Robert Kennedy.  I agree that JFK and RFK were indeed agents on the side of light and the likes of these men are missing among the Democrats today. Most of them are working to restrict freedom rather than to expand it. This is a cycle they are going through but Democrat initiates will appear when the cycle changes. There is a liberal president of Brazil that is a present possibility though.

On the present conservative realm we have these possibilities:  Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Ann Coulter & Bobby Jindal.

How would you rate these individuals?

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4 thoughts on “Finding the True Progressives

  1. Larry Woods says,

    Responding to JJ asking our opinions about Louisiana governor Jindal as a possible BOL third level or higher BOL Initiate: Piyush “Bobby” Jindal looks like a fine politician and a very capable governor. His record creating financial success for the state of Louisiana stands second to none. You gotta love it when a guy can turn a state around financially in just two years of sound policies. Also his response to Hurricane Gustav stands in stark contrast to the failed response of the Democrat machine earlier to Hurricane Katrina. His sound financial policies and real-time response to crisis earn him high marks.

    However, he promised to oppose increases in state legislature salaries but then declined to do anything about it as governor until his own party nearly recalled him – then he finally stepped in to keep his promise. I cannot endorse such waffling on a key campaign promise like this.

    He opposes state licensed gay marriage. I imagine that, in Louisiana, he might have to take such a stand or else have no future whatsoever as a politician in that state. Yet this goes against him in a fundamental issue of free agency.

    He supported a plan to lower sales tax while offsetting this with higher income tax. This definitely counts against him since income tax curtails personal freedom more than any other form of taxation.

    Yet he also cut taxes over all six times resulting in a far leaner state budget. This did not stop him from producing a state budget that lives within its means and enjoys very strong success creating a very desirable business climate luring many sound businesses to Louisiana and bringing prosperity to his state during a period where 90% of other states suffer financial decline. So why did he sully his outstanding financial record with support of bigger income tax?

    He staunchly supports Second Amendment rights – good.

    He opposes race-based entitlements. He opposes the unfair “fairness doctrine”. He supports the right to decide for yourself if you wear a motorcycle helmet. All excellent.

    He voted to build the fence between America and Mexico. He generally supports efforts to curtail illegal immigration. Good.

    Jindal supports nuclear power. Good.

    Jindal uses his line-item veto a lot. Other governors used this less than half as much as he. If I were a governor, I would use this power constantly. I give him high marks for this.

    Jindal supported, against heavy opposition, a bill to allow teaching of intelligent design in public schools. Good.

    Jindal opposed the fat-cat bailout bill of 2009. Outstanding.

    Overall I like this guy and I would vote for him. He proved he can win and he governs extremely competent when he does win. Other than a few sticking points, the largest of which stems from his support of income tax over sales tax and his waffle on a key campaign promise, he earns my respect and high praise.

    But is he a high BOL Initiate? Let us compare his record to JJ’s previously posted list of expectations for such:

    (1) He or she would not support the idea of continually spending more money than we have and strapping the next generation with high interest payments. Jindal=yes

    (2) He would support the principle of freedom and thus work to run the country on the lowest possible tax rate giving people freedom to invest their own money. Jindal=ambiguous

    Jindal supporting income tax above sales tax hurts maximum freedom. His opposition to gay marriage hurts freedom. His opposition to abortion fails to recognize personal freedoms. But he did lower taxes significantly overall.

    (3) He would not seek for excessive regulation and quality of laws but only essential ones. Jindal=yes

    (4) He would not use the poor and unemployed to increase his power base but sincerely seek to assist them in ways that will get the willing back into productivity. Jindal=yes

    (5) He would be a true environmentalist. He would not use the environment as a weapon to increase political power or raise taxes but seek to aid the environment in common sense ways. Jindal=yes

    (6) He would not be black and white but willing to use the principle of judgment as situations change. Jindal=yes

    (7) If he is an initiate then he will be working on initiating something new. Jindal=yes

    (8) – added by Larry – A high Initiate would never break a direct promise.

    The case for judging Jindal as a possible high level Initiate prompts me to add this criteria to JJ’s list. Jindal waffled on a firm campaign promise to oppose raising salaries for elected officials. He refused to keep his promise until his own party nearly recalled him and only then did he keep his promise saying he had made a mistake. However, in his defense, his refusal to veto the self-voted legislature salary increase was based upon a principle to let the legislature govern itself. Yet this is an example of Jindal attempting to break a direct promise. JJ teaches that promises from BOL Initiates are held in the very highest sacred honor. A high Initiate would not do this.

    My judgment, based solely upon physical evidence and the stated 8 item criteria and not on any claim of soul contact: Jindal is not a high Initiate. But he still presents one of the highest quality politicians I have seen in a long time and I will vote for him for President or for Vice President if I get the opportunity.

    Your brother,
    Larry Woods

  2. How about Dennis Kucinich on the democrat side? While I disagree with him much of the time he seems willing to go against his party often times and stand with the other side when he believes it is right. Maybe he is a first degree or approaching initiation? One of the things that makes me suspicious of politicians is when they always put party first before reason and logic and the best interest of the people and country. This has caused much harm and led to the current financial crisis with politicians going along afraid to stand on sound principle or fall out of the the graces of the party.

  3. JJ:
    The politician has an opportunity to earmark some money that will build a homeless shelter. He really wants to help the homeless and knows that such an earmark will bring him a lot of praise through the media and maybe get him invited to parties at Washington.
    On the other hand, he uses his reason and determines that much more spending could bankrupt the country and make us all homeless.

    Tom:

    What if a politician creates a homeless shelter, out of his own money and not the govt?

  4. JJ
    Someone mentioned that they haven’t seen an enlightened Democrat since Robert Kennedy. I agree that JFK and RFK were indeed agents on the side of light and the likes of these men are missing among the Democrats today. Most of them are working to restrict freedom rather than to expand it. This is a cycle they are going through but Democrat initiates will appear when the cycle changes. There is a liberal president of Brazil that is a present possibility though.

    Tom:
    Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva The current presdent of Brazil seems to to very popular and enlightend. In a short time a female will take his place Dilma Rousseff . I have been studying the presents and the monarchy of brazil for 3 years now.
    Other popular past leaders include Juscelino Kubitschek, Getúlio Vargas, and Emperor Pedro II.
    They do not have that many popular leaders. Trust me!!!!

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