“For GOP, applying philosophy will be difficult - Daily Oklahoman” plus 1 more |
| For GOP, applying philosophy will be difficult - Daily Oklahoman Posted: 28 Sep 2010 10:05 PM PDT Copyright ©2010. The Associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
All public policy is founded on an underlying philosophy about humanity and the world. Some call it a "worldview," but whatever it is called, everything government does (or does not do) derives from a philosophical foundation on which it is constructed. While the usual suspects have criticized the Republican's "A Pledge to America" document, I find it a refreshing reminder of the founding philosophy that "brought forth on this continent a new nation," in Lincoln's words, 234 years ago. The Republicans might have chosen a word other than "pledge." They could have selected "promise" (a declaration that something will or will not be done), or "covenant" (an agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something specified), or even "assurance" (a positive declaration intended to give confidence). But they chose "pledge" (a solemn promise or agreement to do or refrain from doing something). Pledge is best, because "solemn" is the most serious of words. Not to nitpick, but something is missing from the document. The pledge speaks of what Republicans will and won't do should they regain power and how they will cut this and repeal that, but what about us: the unelected who voted them into office? What's our role? The pledge speaks of having a "responsible, fact-based conversation with the American people about the scale of the fiscal challenges we face, and the urgent action that is required to deal with them." OK, but will this be a one-way conversation, or will we be told what is expected of us? If the people are to have a minimal role in the restructuring of government, if this is just an anti-government agenda, the pledge will not work. The first sentence of that conversation should be "we can't go on like this." Too many Americans have been riding the gravy train called "entitlement" for too long and it is about to derail. Republicans should make weaning them from dependence on government a patriotic duty and the essence of liberty. Focus on those who have overcome poverty and let them serve as examples of what others can do. Let's talk about individuals demonstrating more responsibility for their lives and ensuring their own retirement, with Social Security returning to the insurance program it was designed to be: a safety net, not a hammock. Get serious about reforming Social Security and Medicare so that younger workers can save and invest their own money and have it with interest and dividends when they need it. Older workers and retirees would continue on the current system. Unhealthy relationship Specifics on reforming Social Security and Medicare were left out of the pledge because Republicans know Democrats aren't serious about taming these twin monsters. Democrats would rather use these issues to demonize the GOP than offer practical solutions to amend them. Since the New Deal, there has been an unhealthy relationship between government and the people that has harmed both. But like illegal drugs, there would be little supply if the demand were not high. The idea that people are incapable of taking care of themselves and their immediate families would have been foreign to our Founding Fathers. What too many lack is not resources, but motivation. Perhaps no one in modern times articulated the conservative philosophy about government and its rightful place better than Ronald Reagan, who said in a 1964 speech endorsing GOP presidential candidate Barry Goldwater: "This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves." Philosophy is easier to express than to apply. Republicans, should they win back Congress this year and the White House in 2012, will face enormous opposition from entrenched interests that will test more than the strength of their philosophy. It will test the strength of their character. News Photo Galleriesview allThis entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Georgia football: UGA athletics director Greg McGarity changes schedule philosophy - Ledger-Enquirer Posted: 29 Sep 2010 11:02 PM PDT ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia wide receiver Tavarres King played at Oklahoma State last year. He will go to Colorado in two days. He sat out when his team went to Arizona State two years ago. "I love traveling and going places and seeing things. I'm excited to see that buffalo," King said, referring to Colorado's famous mascot. But thanks to a move this week by Georgia, signaling a change in philosophy, this trip will be the final one scheduled out West for the foreseeable future. Greg McGarity, in his first month as the athletics director at Georgia, made known his first break with his predecessor by agreeing to cancel a series with Oregon. Previous AD Damon Evans had scheduled the games for 2015-16, as part of his effort to brand Georgia nationally. But McGarity prefers a more local strategy. The result will be less exotic games and a softer non-conference schedule — but in McGarity's mind, a better chance for the Bulldogs to reach their ultimate goal. "There is no RPI in football," McGarity said, referring to the all-important stat that ranks men's basketball teams for the NCAA tournament. "At the end of the day if Georgia is 8-0 (in the SEC) and beats Georgia Tech, chances are they're going to play for the national championship." That fits with the strategy at Florida, where McGarity spent the past 18 years. The Gators have their year-end rivalry game with Florida State, much like Georgia has Georgia Tech. Otherwise, Florida tends to have an easier schedule, allowing it more home games. The aim of Georgia's new strategy is to have seven home games per year and perhaps more during the years the game against Georgia Tech is in Athens. The Bulldogs are locked into having only six home games in three of the next six years, because of contracts with Clemson and Louisville. But those are close enough that travel isn't an issue. "Every now and then, I think it's important to play a rival, like Clemson. I think that's a great series," McGarity said. "But you don't do that every year. I think you pick and choose. And every now and then, you can get by with six home games. But that should really only be one time in a decade." Coach Mark Richt is on board with the change in thinking. At first, according to Richt, he liked the idea of the Western trips, which he called "an administrative decision." But Richt said he changed his mind after the first one, to Arizona State, when he saw the effect the travel had on his staff and players. For instance, the Bulldogs are expected to arrive back in Athens on Sunday around dawn. Then they have to immediately begin preparations for next week's game against Tennessee. "It sounds like a good idea," Richt said of the cross-country games. "And it's kind of romantic, I guess. Boy, wouldn't it be great to do that? I'm sure the fans have enjoyed it. It is tough on your team, your players and coaches." Where McGarity and Richt may differ a bit is the Florida-Georgia game. Richt never has said he is against having the game in Jacksonville, Fla. But he has several times during his decade as the Bulldogs' coach said he wouldn't mind having the game in Georgia. McGarity, who as an Athens native and Georgia graduate has seen both sides of the rivalry, prefers it remain in Jacksonville. "If the city had not responded with all the desires and all the wants that each school has asked for, it might be a different story," McGarity said. "But what they have done is to create a Super Bowl stadium — the amenities that are there. There are just so many deep-seated traditions for the south Georgia Bulldogs, it's something that would be very, very difficult to pull away from." Whether they consider Jacksonville to be a neutral site, Richt and McGarity agree on the goal of having as many home games as possible. So it seems Georgia will schedule Georgia Tech every year and occasionally a team such as Clemson, and otherwise the most challenging games will be in the SEC. "I think, over the long haul, if you really looked at the schedules of teams that advanced from BCS conferences, they're playing schedules that probably have one difficult non-conference opponent," McGarity said. "Then maybe, every now and then, have one other difficult (game). Now, granted, maybe the games aren't as exciting, but, at the end of the day, if you're trying to make it to Atlanta, you want to create the best schedule that allows you to get to Atlanta." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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