Whither Now, Conservative?

A Few Shiny Pebbles notes the serious problem of articulating conservative first principles. That’s nothing new. I could wish that American Conservatism did not conform to the model that R.L. Dabney noted in the 19th Century, but wishes alone ain’t gonna wash the dog…

“Conservatism’s history has been that it demurs to each aggression of the progressive party, and aims to save its credit by a respectable amount of growling, but always acquiesces at last in the innovation. What was the resisted novelty of yesterday is today one of the accepted principles of conservatism; it is now conservative only in affecting to resist the next innovation, which will tomorrow be forced upon its timidity and will be succeeded by some third revolution, to be denounced and then adopted in its turn. American conservatism is merely the shadow that follows Radicalism as it moves forward to perdition. It remains behind it, but never retards it, and always advances near its leader. This pretended salt hath utterly lost its savor: wherewith shall it be salted? Its impotency is not hard to explain. It is worthless because it is the conservatism of expediency only, and not of sturdy principle. It tends to risk nothing serious for the sake of truth.”

As I said much earlier (January 21, 2008) in this election cycle regarding the choices being offered us for the presidential race (choices that by and large reflect the choices also offered us in other races),

Folks, the only difference of opinion that bears on elections of late is this: do you or do you not favor scrapping America in order to make it over into a fledgling third world country, as France, et al are attempting to do in Europe? Each and every one of the potential candidates [running for office as Dhims, and most who are running as Repubs *sigh*] are in favor of policies that would Frenchify America even further. It is still possible that the Republican’ts may come up with a candidate who is willing to at least drag his feet in approaching the ultimate goal of pulling America down to the level of Mexico or Saudi Arabia or Iran or even *shudder* France.

Remember: modern “liberalism” (which is not liberal in any rational sense of the word) has as its ultimate goal is to destroy the America the Founders left us. Nothing else will satisfy the left’s cravings for multiculturalist, divisive victim identity, statist anarcho-tyranny politics.

And, looking at most Repugnican’t candidates for federal offices, how much less do they advocate multiculturalist, divisive victim identity, statist anarcho-tyranny politics?

About 1/2 ounce less.

Want to clarify conservatism? Start with this–but unlike the current crop of politicians *spit* you must MEAN it–with every fiber of your being proclaim:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

(Yes, I added emphasis to a portion not usually cited.)

THEN, read through the “long train of abuses” and ask yourself: Would the Founders long endure the “long train of abuses” of life, liberty and property our current government regularly inflicts upon The People today?

Kelo
Government sponsored baby killing
TSA
Ruby Ridge, Waco
Martha Stewart, Ramos and Compean, et-oh-so-many-al
Promotion of the Cult of Hate and persecution of the religion that teaches, “Love your enemy”
Punitive taxation of the productive and subsidy of the slackers
Punishment of citizens in order to reward outlaws (the Bush-McCain-Kennedy amnesty bill for ILLEGAL aliens comes readily to mind here)

Failure at every level to protect citizens from its own abuses is becoming the hallmark of our own Federal government.

Is it time for a rearticulation of the Declaration of Independence? Maybe, but do note the header quote for this blog:

“In a democracy (“rule by mob”), those who refuse to learn from history are usually in the majority and dictate that everyone else suffer for their ignorance.”-third world county’s corollary of Santayana’s Axiom

Makes one wish for an electorate that matched the Founders’ model more closely, eh?

Any political conservatism that does not focus on protecting The People’s life, liberty and property is not conservatism at all, but something very like Dabney’s description. Any political aims that threaten The People’s lives, liberties or property must be eliminated from so-called conservatives’ lexicon of political aims. Still, one must work with what one has, unless another Revolution is forced upon the few remaining conservatives in this nation (and I do not doubt that there are far too few who possess the Founders’ conservative values for such a thing to ever come to pass), and so, even though some of the suggestions below make use of Federal usurpation of People’s and States’ rights and responsibilities, let’s start with what we have:

Given: that the Federal government has far too much influence on “energy policy”; it ought at least to focus that policy on protecting its citizens from foreign limitations on their “pursuit of happiness” instead of playing footsie with such as the Saudis who export not only overpriced oil but jihadism.

Energy policy: allow the exploitation of ALL known oil deposits; remove artificial Federal barriers to atomic energy production; remove artificial Federal barriers to building new refineries; remove artificial (and, frankly, harmful) barriers to oil manufacture via small TDP plants, etc.; scrap NASA and in its place offer “X Prizes” for space ventures focused on energy production (and resource enhancement–see Pournelle’s “A Step Farther Out” for examples): these would be a start.

Given: the Federal tax structure is not only a mess, it penalizes productivity and thrift and is exactly the kind of taxation the Founders saw as abusive. The Fair tax would return our Federal government to something more like the Founders envisioned, while still affording a realistic nod to current Federal excesses of non-constitutional (and thus illegitimate) authority by continuing the current funding levels. I have read all the critiques of The Fair Tax I can get my hands on and have reluctantly concluded that almost all the critics (all of the critics I’ve seen in Mass Media Podpeople bloviations) I have read are either idiots or liars. Get the facts. No, the real facts.

Given: the Federal government is doing damn all to protect its citizens from foreign invaders. 20,000,000 or more illegal aliens; at least 80% of them Mexicans entering through our southern border. And what do our federales want to do? Roll over on their backs and pee themselves like submissive puppies, lapdogs to successive Mexican regimes. Close the damned borders. Close them and allow people through ONLY at official gateways and ONLY according to already established law. Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law each and every employer of illegal aliens. Deny ALL Federal funding to ALL agencies, municipalities, states that provide social services to illegal aliens (yes, I mean schools and hospitals as well). Recognize and effect policy to reflect the FACT that by entering our country in defiance of our laws, illegal aliens have asserted that they are NOT under our jurisdiction and so they are NOT under legal protection, either. Make our country so very harshly inimical to ILLEGAL aliens (and warmly friendly to LEGAL aliens) that the masses of alien invaders will seek to return to their own lands.

There’s more, of course, but you get the drift: protection of CITIZENS’ lives, liberties and property is the legitimate function of our government. Anything else is just cause for rebellion. And that’s exactly what we need at the polls: rebellion. Mass write-ins. We need, as well, to harass–yes, harass–any congresscritter who allows or encourages abuse of citizens to continue. We can do it nicely for a while, perhaps, but if such abuse continues, then a genuine “fairness doctrine” would assert that those who encourage or allow such abuses to continue ought to be themselves abused. Excoriation in print, in person, via phone; campaigns for removal from office; continual denunciations to each and every person of our acquaintance: these and more are the just due of any politician who does not FIRST seek to PROTECT the lives, liberties and property of his constituents, whether from outlaws or from an outlaw government that simply legislates outlawry. (Yeh, the perfect definition of anarcho-tyranny: when government becomes THE Outlaw Gang.)


Trackposted to Rosemary’s Thoughts, Allie is Wired, McCain Blogs, Right Truth, DragonLady’s World, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, Conservative Cat, Right Voices, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

T-13; 2.1: Thirteen Reasons to Jump on the Fredwagon

I generally hold my nose and keep my hand firmly on my wallet whenever I smell a politician. The field for the presidency is narrowing, but it’s still chock full of enough pork manure to gag a maggot. *sigh* Still, of all the candidates, one has at least made clear he understands the Constitution… and has committed himself to stemming the tide of political effluvia that has been steadily eroding the Constitution for lo these many years. Yep. Fred. So, 13 reasons to support Fred Thompson:

1. He’s not an android, dreaming of electric sheep. (My apologies to the shade of Phillip K. Dick for alluding to his work in the same sentence as Romney. Bah.)

2. Nor is he a wolf in sheeps’ clothing (although Rudy would look better in a rug than he does dressing up as a “conservative”).

3. He’s not certifiably loony (and besides, who can trust a guy who won’t even reveal his last name. Paul? Paul who? *heh*).

4. He’s not a greasy Southern Baptist preacherboy who–if his record and his mouth are any indications–believes his opinions have God’s stamp of approval… just because, well, he’s a greasy Southern Baptist preacherboy, so naturally God is on his side (Huck, go fish in a different hole, boy). Huck for dogcatcher? Free-ranging strays (given his record on illegal immigrants in Arkansas).

5. Fred has his priorities straight: “The first responsibility of government is to protect the American people, the homeland, and our way of life.”

6. Education:

At a time when America is behind other developed countries in education excellence, the federal role in education is too intrusive and too bureaucratic, and has become part of the problem. State and local governments are closest to the parents, the kids, and the schools, and best situated to implement changes and innovations that best educate children. I am committed to:

Giving parents more choices in education and schools less bureaucracy.
Reviewing federal programs for cost-effectiveness, reducing federal mandates, returning education money to the states, and empowering parents by promoting voucher programs, charter schools, and other innovations that enhance education excellence through competition and choice.
Encouraging students and teachers to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math—fields that are crucial to our security, competitiveness, and prosperity.
Promoting transparency to assess performance, promote accountability, and share innovations in education at all levels.

7. Understands the Constitutional role of the judiciary: “Appointing strict constructionist judges who will interpret the law, not impose their views on us by legislating from the bench.”

8. Second Amendment: “I strongly support the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which protects an individual’s right to keep and bear arms. Gun control is touted as a major crime-control measure. But some of the places with the strictest gun-control laws also have high violent-crime rates. Disarming law-abiding citizens does not prevent crime.” [Emphasis added]

9. On “Nannystate-ism”–“We must allow individuals to lead their lives with minimal government interference…”

10. And expanding on that, “Government must be strong enough to protect us, competent enough to provide basic government services, but limited by the delineated powers in the Constitution.”

12. Federalism

Our Constitution innovatively guarantees our liberties by spreading power among the three branches of the federal government, and between the federal government and the states. In considering any action by the government, we must always ask two questions: is the government better equipped than the private sector to perform the task and, if so, what level of government (federal or state) ought to do it. Washington is not the seat of all wisdom. (More on Federalism)

READ the “Federalism” link above. Fred seems to be the ONLY sane candidate who has the slightest idea that the Constitution actually means something…

13. He’s not Billary Hussein Obama. Heck his “White Papers” on ” Border Security and Immigration” and “Education” alone show Billary Hussein Obama (as well as, sadly, all the Republican’t runners) up as the intellectual, moral and ethical midgets they are.

CLICK the pic below, view Fred’s latest ad and give Fred a hand, OK?

f_t-clear-s.jpg


Noted at the Thursday Thirteen Hub.


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