Sam Weaver
Lead, Mr. President! LEAD!
By Sam Weaver
Without the principled, devoted and astounding leadership of George Washington, the United States of America would never have become a nation. In their day, most of America’s Founders were “extremists.” Less than a third of the American colonists in 1775 supported war with Great Britain. Picking a fight with what was then the greatest political/military power on Earth was, understandably, a radical and “extremist” proposition. George Washington’s vision of liberty represented the minority. His leadership—first as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and later as America’s first president—unified the people and set the tone for the American Republic.
The phenomenal leadership of General George Washington—with reliance upon Divine Providence and some crucial help from America’s erstwhile friends, the French—brought victory in the Revolutionary War. The United States of America was born. She was an infant nation, wrought with many competing factions all having diverse compelling interests. These factions threatened to rip the newborn nation apart at the seams.
Who did the people of this budding nation elect as their first president? Thank God, they chose a proven leader—George Washington! Washington’s principled, devoted and amazing leadership—with reliance upon Divine Providence—established the high standard of American leadership for decades to come. Under the guidance of President Washington, the “several states” truly became the United States of America.
After only two terms, President Washington graciously stepped down. Sure, there were goals not yet fully realized and many things left undone; but President Washington had faith in the American people (and in their God!) to elect new and capable leaders to replace him. Political gurus around the world gasped. “How could this man willingly give up so much power without a fight?” they wondered. There was even a vocal minority among the American electorate calling for Washington to become king. So why did President Washington leave office after only eight years? The answer is very simple. Washington placed principle—namely: his deeply held Judeo-Christian principles and his reverence for liberty—far above political power. He wanted no part of any monarchy or imperial presidency. This, in a nutshell, is the original standard of American leadership.
It is not just a tragedy, it is an outright crime that neither the message nor the standard of America’s first president is taught in today’s American public schools! How many public school students in twenty-first century America can even name the Father of their Country? Even many of the relative few who correctly cite George Washington as the deserving recipient of this honor cannot competently explain why “The Father of Our Country” was given that moniker.
George Washington is known by history as “The Father of Our Country” because he epitomized—he established—both the standard and the meaning of American leadership. He did not “lead” by consensus. He led by principle. Washington had faith in the will of the people and he listened to the voice of the people; but his faith in the Word and his understanding of the Will of Divine Providence was his ultimate guide! He had a vision for the new nation. His vision was rooted in an absolute love and understanding of the true meaning of individual liberty! Truth and principle was far greater cherished by the Father of our Country than any degree of political power. It is a tremendous shame that far too many modern Americans have forgotten this.
Too many Americans today neglect Washington’s example of leadership and focus on the “new,” “progressive,” and “innovative” model of Franklin D. Roosevelt. “FDR’s leadership brought the U. S. through both the Great Depression and World War II.” This statement reflects one of those “historical” myths that have a foundation in some tiny degree of truth. It would take a well-researched and well-documented book to fully expose this myth. (There are a few books, even a very recent one, that come quite close. This is one of several books that I hope to write before the Lord takes me home!)
In today’s relativistic America, FDR’s example of “leadership” has become the new paradigm. We have forgotten that FDR’s model was largely based upon a craven desire for maintaining political power. FDR’s unprecedented four-term presidency became a virtual “dictatorship for life.” FDR’s example of “leadership” turned the ideal set forth by the Father of our Country on its head. Two measly terms were not enough for Franklin Delano Roosevelt!
In arrogantly ignoring not only George Washington’s example of what had become the traditional two-term presidency, but also in placing power politics ahead of both personal conviction and religious (even established American) ideals and principles, FDR set a new standard and a new character of presidential “leadership” in twentieth-century America. Political power achieved via “consensus” (i. e., at least a perceived will of the whole people) and for the purpose of “domestic policy” (i. e., distributing largess to constituents) became the new measure of “presidential ‘leadership.’”
Throughout America’s short (227-year) history, many strong presidents have faced serious threats to national liberty and to national security. James Monroe, the fifth president of the U. S., set a precedent for American presidential leadership with his “Monroe Doctrine” as stated in a message that he delivered to Congress in December of 1823. Since then, several principled American presidents have established foreign policy through solid leadership during trying times. Who can forget the Truman Doctrine or the Reagan Doctrine?
In perilous times, great leaders observe, contemplate and analyze threats against the liberty, safety and prosperity of their constituents. They make bold and decisive statements and set (foreign) policy according to both deeply held principles and a solid vision of what is best for the overall liberty, security and prosperity of the whole people. In times of danger, true leaders must lead! To surrender these core principles and this vision to immoral, uneducated or uninformed “consensus” would be to invite invasion, defeat and/or chaos. To “lead” by consensus could spell doom. True leadership often requires ignoring the “will of the people”—be it real or perceived—and acting upon reason, vision and deeply-held ideals.
Every informed American is familiar with the “Bush Doctrine.” The Bush Doctrine is every bit as legitimate and binding as the Monroe Doctrine, the Truman Doctrine, or the Reagan Doctrine. The Bush Doctrine basically asserts that it is henceforth (after 9/11/01) the policy of the United States of America to annihilate terrorism and terrorists and every state that funds, trains and/or harbors terrorists.
The relativistic world at-large sees this statement as the epitome of Yankee arrogance and hegemony. Unfortunately, the relativistic world at-large includes many unprincipled and misinformed American voters, celebrities and wannabe presidential candidates. Great Britain’s prime minister, Tony Blair, is one of the few foreign leaders who truly understands not only the dire threat of radical Islamic terrorism and not only the urgent need to utterly destroy this threat, but also the consequences of appeasing or ignoring this horrible menace to the very concept of liberty. Thank Divine Providence for the Right Honourable Mr. Blair!
Perilous times call for leadership. The terrible events of September 11, 2001, graphically showed the entire civilized world that we are all living in perilous times. President Bush exhibited near Washingtonian leadership in the immediate aftermath of that evil day.
Almost two years after that day of infamy, there are nine presidential candidates and a largely “Rooseveltian” press (both electronic and print) that only understand “leadership” in terms of political power, consensus and/or domestic policy. The nine “dwarfs” look for any proverbial chink in the president’s armor and rely upon their willing accomplices in the media to help them penetrate even the slightest vulnerability.
In perilous times, reliance upon consensus begets ruin. To yield to, or to assuage those who adhere to the FDR model of “leadership” is an invitation for disaster. Success can only be achieved via the authenticated Washingtonian model of true leadership. The American Ideal will prosper in peace only when We the People, guided by our leaders and our God, reject out-of-hand the notion of Rooseveltian “leadership” and return to the first and founding principles of George Washington.
President Bush is not exerting true leadership when he lets Ted Kennedy draft education and prescription drug legislation! He is true to neither his word nor his God when he refuses to allow Israel to follow the full context of the Bush Doctrine! President Bush does neither his God nor his country (not to mention himself!) any favor when he attempts to lead by consensus and neglects both his first principles and his clear vision!
Mr. President, please forgo the “leadership” model of Hegel and FDR! DO NOT place consensus, “domestic policy” and/or power politics above vision and principle! Lead, Mr. President! LEAD!!
Have the guts, Mr. President, to write off that one-third of the people who cannot bring themselves to an understanding of both the vision and the principle of American liberty. This one-third has existed from the very beginning and they will always be among us! They are the naysayers and the doom-and-gloomers. They favor some form or degree of either license or tyranny over liberty. They have very little faith and no clear vision. They will never grasp the true meaning of American (Judeo-Christian) liberty! Listen, Mr. President, to that one-third who cherish and exalt liberty and who love everything for which America stands. Your thought, word and deed—expressed and acted upon loudly, concisely and often—will draw the middle third to your deeply held ideals!
But never forget, Mr. President that in this modern, electronic world of short sound bytes and even shorter attention spans, your word is vital! Communicate your message—your principles and your focused vision—to the people! Never be ashamed or intimidated! Speak out and speak out often! As long as you abandon the Hegelian, Rooseveltian standard and embrace the Washingtonian criterion of leadership, those who really count will hear you and will accept you!
© Sam Weaver
Without the principled, devoted and astounding leadership of George Washington, the United States of America would never have become a nation. In their day, most of America’s Founders were “extremists.” Less than a third of the American colonists in 1775 supported war with Great Britain. Picking a fight with what was then the greatest political/military power on Earth was, understandably, a radical and “extremist” proposition. George Washington’s vision of liberty represented the minority. His leadership—first as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and later as America’s first president—unified the people and set the tone for the American Republic.
The phenomenal leadership of General George Washington—with reliance upon Divine Providence and some crucial help from America’s erstwhile friends, the French—brought victory in the Revolutionary War. The United States of America was born. She was an infant nation, wrought with many competing factions all having diverse compelling interests. These factions threatened to rip the newborn nation apart at the seams.
Who did the people of this budding nation elect as their first president? Thank God, they chose a proven leader—George Washington! Washington’s principled, devoted and amazing leadership—with reliance upon Divine Providence—established the high standard of American leadership for decades to come. Under the guidance of President Washington, the “several states” truly became the United States of America.
After only two terms, President Washington graciously stepped down. Sure, there were goals not yet fully realized and many things left undone; but President Washington had faith in the American people (and in their God!) to elect new and capable leaders to replace him. Political gurus around the world gasped. “How could this man willingly give up so much power without a fight?” they wondered. There was even a vocal minority among the American electorate calling for Washington to become king. So why did President Washington leave office after only eight years? The answer is very simple. Washington placed principle—namely: his deeply held Judeo-Christian principles and his reverence for liberty—far above political power. He wanted no part of any monarchy or imperial presidency. This, in a nutshell, is the original standard of American leadership.
It is not just a tragedy, it is an outright crime that neither the message nor the standard of America’s first president is taught in today’s American public schools! How many public school students in twenty-first century America can even name the Father of their Country? Even many of the relative few who correctly cite George Washington as the deserving recipient of this honor cannot competently explain why “The Father of Our Country” was given that moniker.
George Washington is known by history as “The Father of Our Country” because he epitomized—he established—both the standard and the meaning of American leadership. He did not “lead” by consensus. He led by principle. Washington had faith in the will of the people and he listened to the voice of the people; but his faith in the Word and his understanding of the Will of Divine Providence was his ultimate guide! He had a vision for the new nation. His vision was rooted in an absolute love and understanding of the true meaning of individual liberty! Truth and principle was far greater cherished by the Father of our Country than any degree of political power. It is a tremendous shame that far too many modern Americans have forgotten this.
Too many Americans today neglect Washington’s example of leadership and focus on the “new,” “progressive,” and “innovative” model of Franklin D. Roosevelt. “FDR’s leadership brought the U. S. through both the Great Depression and World War II.” This statement reflects one of those “historical” myths that have a foundation in some tiny degree of truth. It would take a well-researched and well-documented book to fully expose this myth. (There are a few books, even a very recent one, that come quite close. This is one of several books that I hope to write before the Lord takes me home!)
In today’s relativistic America, FDR’s example of “leadership” has become the new paradigm. We have forgotten that FDR’s model was largely based upon a craven desire for maintaining political power. FDR’s unprecedented four-term presidency became a virtual “dictatorship for life.” FDR’s example of “leadership” turned the ideal set forth by the Father of our Country on its head. Two measly terms were not enough for Franklin Delano Roosevelt!
In arrogantly ignoring not only George Washington’s example of what had become the traditional two-term presidency, but also in placing power politics ahead of both personal conviction and religious (even established American) ideals and principles, FDR set a new standard and a new character of presidential “leadership” in twentieth-century America. Political power achieved via “consensus” (i. e., at least a perceived will of the whole people) and for the purpose of “domestic policy” (i. e., distributing largess to constituents) became the new measure of “presidential ‘leadership.’”
Throughout America’s short (227-year) history, many strong presidents have faced serious threats to national liberty and to national security. James Monroe, the fifth president of the U. S., set a precedent for American presidential leadership with his “Monroe Doctrine” as stated in a message that he delivered to Congress in December of 1823. Since then, several principled American presidents have established foreign policy through solid leadership during trying times. Who can forget the Truman Doctrine or the Reagan Doctrine?
In perilous times, great leaders observe, contemplate and analyze threats against the liberty, safety and prosperity of their constituents. They make bold and decisive statements and set (foreign) policy according to both deeply held principles and a solid vision of what is best for the overall liberty, security and prosperity of the whole people. In times of danger, true leaders must lead! To surrender these core principles and this vision to immoral, uneducated or uninformed “consensus” would be to invite invasion, defeat and/or chaos. To “lead” by consensus could spell doom. True leadership often requires ignoring the “will of the people”—be it real or perceived—and acting upon reason, vision and deeply-held ideals.
Every informed American is familiar with the “Bush Doctrine.” The Bush Doctrine is every bit as legitimate and binding as the Monroe Doctrine, the Truman Doctrine, or the Reagan Doctrine. The Bush Doctrine basically asserts that it is henceforth (after 9/11/01) the policy of the United States of America to annihilate terrorism and terrorists and every state that funds, trains and/or harbors terrorists.
The relativistic world at-large sees this statement as the epitome of Yankee arrogance and hegemony. Unfortunately, the relativistic world at-large includes many unprincipled and misinformed American voters, celebrities and wannabe presidential candidates. Great Britain’s prime minister, Tony Blair, is one of the few foreign leaders who truly understands not only the dire threat of radical Islamic terrorism and not only the urgent need to utterly destroy this threat, but also the consequences of appeasing or ignoring this horrible menace to the very concept of liberty. Thank Divine Providence for the Right Honourable Mr. Blair!
Perilous times call for leadership. The terrible events of September 11, 2001, graphically showed the entire civilized world that we are all living in perilous times. President Bush exhibited near Washingtonian leadership in the immediate aftermath of that evil day.
Almost two years after that day of infamy, there are nine presidential candidates and a largely “Rooseveltian” press (both electronic and print) that only understand “leadership” in terms of political power, consensus and/or domestic policy. The nine “dwarfs” look for any proverbial chink in the president’s armor and rely upon their willing accomplices in the media to help them penetrate even the slightest vulnerability.
In perilous times, reliance upon consensus begets ruin. To yield to, or to assuage those who adhere to the FDR model of “leadership” is an invitation for disaster. Success can only be achieved via the authenticated Washingtonian model of true leadership. The American Ideal will prosper in peace only when We the People, guided by our leaders and our God, reject out-of-hand the notion of Rooseveltian “leadership” and return to the first and founding principles of George Washington.
President Bush is not exerting true leadership when he lets Ted Kennedy draft education and prescription drug legislation! He is true to neither his word nor his God when he refuses to allow Israel to follow the full context of the Bush Doctrine! President Bush does neither his God nor his country (not to mention himself!) any favor when he attempts to lead by consensus and neglects both his first principles and his clear vision!
Mr. President, please forgo the “leadership” model of Hegel and FDR! DO NOT place consensus, “domestic policy” and/or power politics above vision and principle! Lead, Mr. President! LEAD!!
Have the guts, Mr. President, to write off that one-third of the people who cannot bring themselves to an understanding of both the vision and the principle of American liberty. This one-third has existed from the very beginning and they will always be among us! They are the naysayers and the doom-and-gloomers. They favor some form or degree of either license or tyranny over liberty. They have very little faith and no clear vision. They will never grasp the true meaning of American (Judeo-Christian) liberty! Listen, Mr. President, to that one-third who cherish and exalt liberty and who love everything for which America stands. Your thought, word and deed—expressed and acted upon loudly, concisely and often—will draw the middle third to your deeply held ideals!
But never forget, Mr. President that in this modern, electronic world of short sound bytes and even shorter attention spans, your word is vital! Communicate your message—your principles and your focused vision—to the people! Never be ashamed or intimidated! Speak out and speak out often! As long as you abandon the Hegelian, Rooseveltian standard and embrace the Washingtonian criterion of leadership, those who really count will hear you and will accept you!
© Sam Weaver
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