The US has two major political parties that have morphed over time. Political divisions in the 1800s were primarily over Thomas Jefferson’s insistence on stronger States and weaker Federal powers. He focused on the existing agricultural economy and the sovereignty of the States. Alexander Hamilton was tasked with paying off the Revolutionary War debt and insisted on establishing a National Bank to ensure that the US used this to ensure that France would be repaid for the loans they made to the US. Jefferson insisted that Banks should be part of the private sector and the Federal Government should avoid sponsoring a Bank. George Washington agreed with Hamilton to guarantee payment and the Bank was established. Jefferson founded the Democratic-Republican Party that later became the Republican Party and Hamilton founded the Federalist Party that later became the Democrat Party. Both Parties morphed and changed their emphasis as new issues surfaced.
Both Jefferson and Hamilton agreed that Federal Revenue
should be collected through Tariffs on Exports and that roads should be built
and improved to move produce to markets. They also agreed that the US should
continue to expand to the West.
In 1802, Jefferson became President and purchased the
Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million and doubled the US land area.
This allowed more States to be established and more Europeans to immigrate to settle
and secure new land from reinvasion by Britian.
All Founders agreed that the US should extend from the Atlantic Ocean to
the Pacific Ocean to limit their border vulnerabilities.
Andrew Jackson 1829-1837 won the final battle of the War of
1812 and supported the final US expansion including making Texas a State and
seizing the remaining Western Territories from Mexico. All the Founders
understood that their new nation was vulnerable to foreign military attacks at
their borders. Having Oceans as a large part of their borders would allow
attacks by sea, but would be limited. Military conquest of a country requires a
permanent invasion by infantry.
By 1830 the Democratic-Republicans had become the
Republican Party and the Federalists became the Democrat Party. Debt payments
had been made and both parties worked together to expand infrastructure with
railroads and steam-powered boats. In 1834, Britain outlawed Slavery. There was
also a movement to end Slavery in the US.
In 1836 the Republic of Texas was established and Texas became a State
in 1837. The Whig Party appeared in 1841 to 1843. The Whig Party favored an economic
program known as the American System, which called for a protective tariff,
federal subsidies for the construction of infrastructure, and support for a
national bank.
The US declared war on Mexico in 1846 and won the Mexican
American War in 1848. This cleared the path to establish the southwestern US
Territories. The US paid Mexico $15 million for the land.
The US expansion was completed in 46 years. It began in
1802 with the Louisiana Purchase and was completed in 1848 with the end of the
Mexican American War.
The Mexican American War reconstituted the US Military that
would be activated on both sides in the Civil War of 1860. The fight over
Slavery created a split in the US Congress with the Democrat Slave Owners in
the Southern States and the Republican Abolitionists in the North. Cotton
exports from the South made the Southern States more powerful and the far
Western Territories were sure to declare themselves Slave States. The
Industrial Revolution was underway in 1860 and the North had most of the factories
and railroads, giving the North the advantage in war production. The wealth in the South was isolated to
Plantation Owners.
Abraham Lincoln, Republican, became President of the US in
1860 and won the Civil War in 1865. He was assassinated in 1865 by a
Confederate sympathizer. He redefined the Republican party of Jefferson by
securing the dominance of the Federal Government.
The Transcontinental Railroad began construction in 1863
and was completed in 1869. Settlers were no longer required to travel West for
months in covered wagons and were able to travel West in days on steam-engine
trains. The beginnings of the East-West supply lines were developing.
The split between Republicans in the North and Democrats in
the South was geographical. When the Civil War began in 1860, the military
leaders who fought together in the Mexican American War divided to the South
and North based on allegiance to their States. Southern Democrats quit the US
Congress and joined the Confederate Legislature.
US Presidents from 1865 to 1900 included 6 Republicans and
3 Democrats who each dealt with the issues they encountered. The worst of these
was Andrew Johnson (D) 1965-1869 who completed Lincoln’s second term and
reversed Reconstruction. He was replaced by Civil War Hero US Grant (R)
(1869-1877), who completed Reconstruction. After Grant’s soldiers moved out,
Southern Democrats established segregation laws and the KKK to enforce them.
Black families moved Northern States. Grant also expanded the “limited powers:
outlined in the US Constitution without providing an Amendment. Grant
established Yellowstone National Park in 1872 with land taken from Wyoming,
Montana and Idaho. The Amendment required probably wouldn’t’ have passed.
US Presidents from 1901 to 1960 included 6 Republicans and 3
Democrats who fundamentally changed the character of their Parties and left the
US Constitution in need of repair.
Theodore Roosevelt (R) 1901-1909 wanted to expand the US to
include off-shore territories, built the Panama Canal and also created federal
agencies including the Food and Drug Administration.
Woodrow Wilson (D) 1913-1921 created more federal agencies,
created the Federal Reserve, reversed Tariffs and passed a permanent Income Tax
and enabled systemic inflation. In 1913
a loaf of bread was 2 cents. He entered World War I in 1917 to help our
European Allies defeat Germany, Astro Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire.
It was the first exercise in Military Foreign Aid. The Spanish Flu pandemic
1918-1920 occurred under his watch. In 1932, WW1 veterans camped in DC to
demand the bonus they were promised. The Senate refused and the Military
removed them. None of these Senators were reelected in 1933. Wilson moved the
Consumer Price Index from 10% in 1913 to 20% in 1920. That explains why the
Stock Market soared in the 1920s. High interest rates made the Stock Market
crash in 1929. The Great Depression ran from 1929 to 1939. Gasoline prices fell
from 21cents/gal to 19 cents/gal.
Franklin D Roosevelt (D) 1933-1945 presided over the Great
Depression that drove unemployment to 30% and World War II in 1941 that led to
full employment. He created Social Security and other programs and agencies to
build infrastructure to keep men employed. This is the Era that produced Big
Government in the US and abandoned the US Constitution as written to use “case
law” based on previous Supreme Court decisions. This was a disaster and made
the Supreme Court a legislature not attached to the Executive Branch. The CPI
moved from 12.9% in 1933 to 18% in 1945.
Harry S Truman (D) 1945-1953 ordered the dropping of the
Atomic Bomb in 1945 and ended World War II. Truman supported US aid to Germany
and Japan. He presided over the GI Bill to benefit returning Veterans. He established the UN in 1945 and NATO in
1949. He identified the Cold War in 1947. The CPI moved from 19.5% in 1945 to
26.8% in 1953. Truman was a great manager. The US economy was booming.
Dwight Eisenhauer (R) 1953-1961 was the Hero of World War
II, Ike was liked. He presided over the Korean War 1950-1953. He won and North
Korea agreed to retreat to the original borders between North and South Korea.
During World War II, Russia took care of North Korea that became Communist and
the US took care of South Korea that remained Capitalist. The CPI moved from
26.8% in 1953 to 29.9% in 1961. The US economy continued to boom.
The Industrial Revolution had strengthened the Northern
States and large cities with manufacturing jobs shifted the US population from
rural to urban. This resulted in water-borne diseases from untreated water. Despite
the fact that the microscope could detect bacteria in 1732, water-borne
diseases continued to result in death until the 1920s. In 1925 half of US homes
had electricity, in-door plumbing was common in cities, the automobile and
airplane had been added to US transportation modes. Telephones were available. Radios
were popular and Refrigeration allowed homes to begin to replace their “Ice
Boxes”.
By 1945, 85% of homes had electricity, anti-biotics were
available to fight bacterial infections and save lives, Air conditioners and TV
sets were being developed. World War II ended in 1945 and the US became the
dominant manufacturing center. By 1950, Europe was restoring their industrial
capability, but US manufacturing continued to dominate from the 1950s to the
1960s when US companies began to off-shore manufacturing back to Europe and
Asia.
Technology advanced from 1941 to 1945 with Atomic Energy,
Radar, Military Equipment and Jet Engines. The inventions that fueled the
Industrial Revolution expanded to include labor saving devices that raised the
Standard of Living in the US and other developed countries from 1925 to 1950.
From the 1950s to the 1970s technology advanced again. IBM
introduced the first computer in 1953. The invention of the integrated circuit
by TI in1958 enabled the development of modern electronics to be smaller,
cheaper and faster. Cathode Ray Tubes were replaced by circuit boards. Programmable Logic Controllers enabled US
manufacturing to increase productivity. In the 1970s, we could design and build
Personal Computers using circuit boards and components at Radio Shack. In 1974
Motorola invented the first cell phone.
US Presidents from 1960 to 2024 included 6 Republicans and 6
Democrats. They had already divided into camps in the 1960s. Liberal Democrats
were big spenders on socialist causes and fought for a government managed
economy. Conservative Republicans were big spenders on Military Defense and
supported the free market economy, the private sector and personal
responsibility.
John F Kennedy (D) 1960-1963 reduced taxes, prosecuted the
Mafia, objected to the Vietnam War, made the USSR remove missiles from Cuba and
was shot and killed by an assassin in 1963. The CPI moved from 29.9% in 1961 to
30.6% in 1963.
Lyndon B Johnson (D) 1963-1969 stuffed ballot boxes in
Texas in 1946, created Medicare, Welfare, Civil Rights Law and lost the Vietnam
War. He was the Big Spender who started the programs that caused the inflation
of the 1970s and 1980s. He presided over violent protests and crime. He refused
to run for President in 1969. The CPI moved from 30.6% in 1963 to 36.7% in
1969.
Richard Nixon (R) 1969-1974 He ran as the “law and order”
candidate. He restored law and order. He ended the gold standard. The price of
new cars doubled in 1974. The CPI moved from 36.7% in 1969 to 49.3% in
1974.
Gerald Ford (R) 1974-1977 He was the Vice President and
replaced Nixon after he resigned. The CPI moved from 49.3% in 1974 to 60.6% in
1977. Nixon got caught up in the Watergate scandal when one of his “dirty
tricks” groups looking for information on political opponents’ were caught
conducting a break-in.
Jimmy Carter (D) 1977-1981 He was a Bible Teaching Georgia
Governor who spent most of his time trying to get Egypt to sign a peace treaty
with Israel. He was blamed for the 13% inflation tsunami from Lyndon Johnson’s
spending spree on Medicare, Welfare and the Vietnam War. He also failed to get
US Embassy hostages released from Iran. The CPI moved from 60.6% in 1977 to
90.9% in 1981.
Ronald Reagan (R) 1981-1989 reduced the US Income Tax top
rate from 70% to 35% and increased Federal Revenue. He increased US military
capabilities and Russia went broke. He ended the Cold War and the USSR
dissolved and became the Russian Republic, a free enterprise oriented, church-going Democracy. He moved the US National Debt from
$1 trillion to $2.9 trillion. The CPI moved from 90.9% in 1981 to 124.0% in
1989.
George HW Bush (R) 1989-1993 rescued Kuwait and defeated
Iraq in 6 weeks using advanced stealth aircraft build by Reagan. But he
promised he wouldn’t raise taxes and he did. He signed tons of unnecessary
employment law regulations proposed by Democrat Senator Ted Kennedy. He signed
on to the UN Climate Accords in 1989 to support the Global Warming Hoax. He was
a 1 term RINO President. The CPI moved from 124% in 1989 to 144.5% in 1993. The
National Debt was $5 trillion in 1993.
George W Bush (R) 2000-2008 was surprised by the 9/11/2001
attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon and invaded Afghanistan to find Osama
bin Laden the head of Al Quida responsible for the attack. Bush invaded Iraq in
2003 to find “weapons of mass destruction” and captured Saddam Hussein. Bush
was again surprised by the Mortgage Meltdown in 2007. Civil rights activists
threatened Banks with discrimination suits unless they gave mortgages to
unqualified buyers. The Banks bundled and sold these mortgages as securities.
These unqualified home buyers defaulted on their mortgage loans. Congress
bailed out all but one Bank. The CPI
moved from 172.2% in 2000 to 215.3% in 2008. The National Debt moved to $10
trillion in 2008.
Barak Obama (D) 2009-2016
The CPI moved from 214.5% in 2009 to 240.0% in 2016. The National Debt
moved to $20 trillion in 2016 due to Obama’s support of the Global Warming
Hoax. Oil hit $108/bbl in 2011and gasoline prices hit $5/gallon. The EPA
harassed homeowners, ranchers and farmers and mandated smaller toilets
Donald J Trump (R) 2017-2020 increased oil and natural gas
production and took the price of oil from $108/bbl to $18/bbl. He opened Anwar
for oil production and began building pipelines for oil and natural gas
transport. The CPI moved from 245.1% in 2017 to 258.8% in 2020. The National Debt moved to $26.9 trillion due
to Covid expenses. Oil hit $18/bbl in 2020 and gasoline prices went to
$1.71/gallon. US inflation was 1.4% in 2020. The Democrat Congress and DOJ harassed
Trump with witch hunts, impeachments and criminal prosecutions from 2015 to
2024.
Joe Biden (D) 2021-2024 opened the US border and allowed 16
million Illegals into the US. He reduced oil and natural gas production to
lower the supply and raise the price. The CPI moved from 271.0% in 2021 to
304.7% in 2023, a 33.7% increase. The National Debt is approaching $35 trillion
due to Biden’s support of the Climate Change Hoax. Oil hit $81/bbl and the
average price for regular gas is $3.52/gallon. In 2024, US inflation is 20% not
counting food or gas. US inflation is 35% if you include food and gas. The EPA
is threatening to ban natural gas stoves and gas powered cars. Biden is
requiring US auto manufacturers to make EVs, but nobody is buying them. He is
funding subsidies for EVs. Biden and Democrat Governors are allowing Soros
prosecutors to waive bail and release violent habitual criminals.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States
https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/average-gas-prices-through-history/
Comments
Voters are funding their own demise. Inflation is caused by
Democrat overspending in 4000 page Omnibus Bills.
The Republican Issues for the 2024 election include Border
Control, Deporting Illegals, Election Integrity, Restoring the Rule of Law,
Reducing Crime, Ending Inflation, Ending Wars, Increasing Jobs, Removing
Unnecessary Regulations, Ending the EV Mandate, Reducing Federal Spending and
Lowering Taxes.
The key to ending inflation is to Increase oil and natural
gas production to increase supply that lowers energy prices to end Inflation.
This also lowers oil revenue from Russia and Iran to end their ability to
continue the wars in Ukraine and Israel and end the funding of Terror
Groups. We will use total economic
isolation to starve Russia and Iran economically rather than having to go to
war with them.
The Democrat issues include Climate Change, Abortion Rights
and Gun Control. They would continue to increase inflation, wars, crime,
lawlessness and economic decline.
The history outlined above shows that we have elected
Republicans and Democrats based on filling needs and solving problems that have
occurred over time. It also shows that we need to have better information,
better judgment and more effective strategies to avoid mistakes. Voters need to
be better informed about how our economy works and what our elected officials
are doing.
Pragmatism is required. Our founders had to delay ending
slavery to get the Southern Colonies to join the North to win the Revolutionary
War. The Allies needed the USSR to help us win World War II. Both of these
decisions have been costly. It required a Civil War to end slavery in the US.
Allowing the USSR to seize Eastern Europe required a Cold War. The hasty
expedience exercised in trying to stabilize affected countries after World War
II caused the damage we have been dealing with for the past 80 years.
Nixon’s strategy to initiate trade with Communist China has
backfired and we are now dealing with the consequences.
Trump’s insight to replace war with total economic
isolation is brilliant and needs to be applied broadly across the globe.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
No comments:
Post a Comment