English: Peter F. Rothermel’s “Patrick Henry Before the Virginia House of Burgesses”, a painting of Patrick Henry’s “If this be treason, make the most of it!” speech against the Stamp Act of 1765 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Republicans were soundly beaten in the last election with the marketing campaign strategies of the Obama administration. Fiscal Conservatism, limited government, and individual liberty, in the freedom from government mandates, all lost in the battle for the hearts of the majority of the American people. Now the Obama Machine is setting up to blame the Republicans for the fiscal cliff if they do not surrender everything: higher taxes on the middle class (Yes Virginia, $250,000 – $500,000 is now the middle to upper middle  depending on where you live.),  no real spending cuts on entitlements, and no real progress on reducing the unsustainable national debt.  The Machine plans to blame the Republicans for a shattered economy for refusing to cave on all these issues and just do what the President wants. He is already out campaigning on these issues.  You would think that if the Republicans had any hope for the future, they would just yield on taxes and give the President everything he wants. He would then, indeed, totally own the economy and its consequences.

However, there are times when you are pushed to the wall and you have nothing to lose, and it is a mistake for an attacker to think he has the upper hand. If your wife and children were being attacked by a street gang, you may have no hope of winning a fight, but by God, it would be better to die in their defense than watch idly and helplessly from the sidelines. The Democrats don’t understand that they have pushed Republicans to the wall. The Republican cause is lost. They have nothing more to lose except their principles, for which it is better to die nobly than to surrender. It is better to die for what you believe than be a slave for the rest of your life. If the economy crashes and the Republicans are blamed, so be it. But if the Republicans hope to come out of this battle with one ounce of respect, they had better go down fighting rather than give up.

Chuck Schumer proposed a compromise that the Republicans could possibly live with: taxing millionaires and up a bit more, but it seems this administration wants all or nothing, which is really the stance of an emperor and not a president. He is willing to go over the cliff, if it works for some long term political advantage. If the Republicans do surrender on all these issues, we really are a one party State and not a democracy.

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains or slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take but as for me; give me liberty or give me death!

Patrick Henry
US orator, patriot, & politician in American Revolution (1736 – 1799)