Overreaching

Back in January, around the time of the inauguration, I wrote a post where I talked about how all political movements have their peaks and valleys and they ultimately end with a big overreach.

I wondered in that post whether this current wave of republican conservatism that started with Nixon and is reaching its peak with Bush II, would end in an overreach on Social Security.  While Bush looks like he’s going to come up empty on that one, I don’t think the general public is upset with Bush’s Social Security plan. They just don’t think Social Security needs to be changed (they are wrong – it is broken).

After talking to a bunch of people who are more sophisticated about politics than I am, it now seems to me that the overreach is more likely to come in the area of separation of church and state (or in this case the lack thereof).  The religious right is the source of most of the republican conservative movement’s base and strength and they are exercising their power more and more every day. This will ultimately backfire and cause their downfall.

I don’t think the Schiavo matter is going to be the thing that does it.  But its certainly getting people’s attention. Jeff Jarvis has a great Easter morning post on this subject.  And this comes from a religious man on his way to church.

One of my mentors in business used to say "beware too pious a man".  Religion has its purpose in the world. It’s a source of great comfort to many. It forms the foundations of many communities. It does enormous good in the world.  But religion taken too far is also the source of most of the worst things in the world (terrorism, bigotry, hatred, strife).

So I say beware too pious a political party. We’ve got one and I am wary.  And I believe many Americans are becoming wary of it too.

#Politics