One True Conservative's View
What is it about politics? To many, the mere mention of it sends most people into a fight or flight response. Too many people either run from the entire concept of politics or get so sucked in their objectivity and independence go with them. The old time notions of discussion and debate are nearly gone from our country.
Now it is all about control, spin, approval ratings and the elimination the opposing view. There are times when the issues of the day are as interesting as a 6-hour documentary on grooming habits of the Mediterranean fruit fly. Given all that, I can almost understand the apathy towards politics which so many people today display.
But, that apathy needs to be transformed into action. Our nation is at a crossroads. Not taking a stand or making a choice is still making a choice. It just means the choices will be made by someone else.
So, in the interest of trying to stir up some good old fashioned discussion and debate, I decided to lay out some of the most fundamental principles which drive this one self-professed true conservative and later I will apply those to the current issues being decided in Washington. I almost hesitate to use the “conservative” label as it frequently causes a very emotional response, but I think it is time we took back our label, and not let the country clubbers, radio show lemmings and media pundits besmirch our good name any longer.
So, in the hope people will garner a greater understanding of the motivations and philosophies behind the belief, I will simply lay out some of the fundamental tenets of my conservative political viewpoint, as I am confident I am not alone in this outlook. I doubt too many will disagree with it, but I am quite certain some will either choose to ignore it or possess the misguided notion they can change it.
The world is not fair. Life is not fair. No amount of government programs, no amount of caring, no amount of charity, no amount of prayer, no amount of compassion, no amount of guilt, no amount of spending, not even ALL the world's wealth, is going to change this rather obvious fact. The best we can hope for is to give everyone opportunity: the opportunity for education, success, and perhaps most of all, to pursue their dreams.
As to the "how" we give everyone the opportunity is where the real debates can begin.
You have heard the proverb: Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime? That simple saying encompasses the true conservative philosophy in a nutshell. Rather than cause someone to be totally dependent, give them the chance to thrive on their own.
How do we put that principle into action politically? In my humble opinion, it is the simple principal of limited government. Read the words of our Founding Fathers. Study the writing of the Constitution. As a student of history, I have. They believed in the concept of a limited central government. I share their belief in the power of people, not the power of government. I think given a problem, people can solve it better than a faceless bureaucracy. Do you get better service at a small family owned restaurant or at the DMV? The engine which drives America is not found on Pennsylvania Avenue, or in the Halls of Congress; it is found on Main Street USA, in small towns and big cities.
Sure there is a role for government to play. But when has the government been the model for innovation and efficiency? Hint: Never. Our government is not setup to be either.
Presently, there are two major issues in the forefront which truly epitomize the struggle for our nation’s future. Ironically, they are intertwined: Health care and the national debt.
I already wrote a long blog on the health care debate, and there is no need to reiterate it here. I will simply add that I seriously doubt even the most die-hard of Democrats in America today would say our health care is second-rate or worse. I don't see politicians, union presidents or the rich running off to England, China, India, or Russia for their surgical, pharmaceutical or medical needs. Nope, their actions prove we have the very best health care available in the world, right here today in the good ol' USA.
So, the real question is: what are the actual issues? The health care problem essentially boils down to 2 key issues: Uninsured citizens and Runaway Costs. There are an estimated 20-45 million people (not necessarily citizens) without health care and secondly, the ludicrous inflation of costs in the health care industry.
Now, the true conservative voice calls out: Limited Government! Try to solve the 2 problems you have identified and keep the government out of the health care business. Don’t grow the problem. In the world of medicine there is a simple creed, “Above all, do no harm.” Our lawmakers need to take heed.
Alas, if they do not stay focused on just the actual problems at hand, then we get into the other arena which should be an area of great concern to all Americans: The National Debt.
Today, every American citizen is on the hook for roughly $40,000, and by the end of Barrack Obama's first term, his own projections have the debt increasing to $64,000 per citizen, and that is WITHOUT adding the cost of any government run health care system. Think about that. Your teenager, your toddler, your infant, your newborn, all already owe more than the average American makes in a year. And they incurred NONE of that debt.
Thomas Jefferson himself said “It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. But I trust that this proposition needs only to be looked at by an American to be seen in its true point of view, and that we shall all consider ourselves unauthorized to saddle posterity with our debts, and morally bound to pay them ourselves.”
Personally, I consider the national debt and our government spending money which belongs to my children and grandchildren to be the greatest sin being committed today in Washington. Why do we have a recession? People started acting like their government: spending money they didn’t have on things they cannot afford, and passing the buck. This has to stop…now! You simply cannot spend your way out of debt.
So, I will wrap up my note with some hopes for the future. I hope the people who have sat idly by and let others make their decisions for them will stand up and let their voices be heard. I hope they will share in the conservative cause and help us true conservatives take back our mantle from those who have trampled our good name. I hope someday very soon, a real conservative leader with principles will rise to challenge and help lead our nation out of debt, out of dependency, and back to the ideals which make our country great.
Now it is all about control, spin, approval ratings and the elimination the opposing view. There are times when the issues of the day are as interesting as a 6-hour documentary on grooming habits of the Mediterranean fruit fly. Given all that, I can almost understand the apathy towards politics which so many people today display.
But, that apathy needs to be transformed into action. Our nation is at a crossroads. Not taking a stand or making a choice is still making a choice. It just means the choices will be made by someone else.
So, in the interest of trying to stir up some good old fashioned discussion and debate, I decided to lay out some of the most fundamental principles which drive this one self-professed true conservative and later I will apply those to the current issues being decided in Washington. I almost hesitate to use the “conservative” label as it frequently causes a very emotional response, but I think it is time we took back our label, and not let the country clubbers, radio show lemmings and media pundits besmirch our good name any longer.
So, in the hope people will garner a greater understanding of the motivations and philosophies behind the belief, I will simply lay out some of the fundamental tenets of my conservative political viewpoint, as I am confident I am not alone in this outlook. I doubt too many will disagree with it, but I am quite certain some will either choose to ignore it or possess the misguided notion they can change it.
The world is not fair. Life is not fair. No amount of government programs, no amount of caring, no amount of charity, no amount of prayer, no amount of compassion, no amount of guilt, no amount of spending, not even ALL the world's wealth, is going to change this rather obvious fact. The best we can hope for is to give everyone opportunity: the opportunity for education, success, and perhaps most of all, to pursue their dreams.
As to the "how" we give everyone the opportunity is where the real debates can begin.
You have heard the proverb: Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime? That simple saying encompasses the true conservative philosophy in a nutshell. Rather than cause someone to be totally dependent, give them the chance to thrive on their own.
How do we put that principle into action politically? In my humble opinion, it is the simple principal of limited government. Read the words of our Founding Fathers. Study the writing of the Constitution. As a student of history, I have. They believed in the concept of a limited central government. I share their belief in the power of people, not the power of government. I think given a problem, people can solve it better than a faceless bureaucracy. Do you get better service at a small family owned restaurant or at the DMV? The engine which drives America is not found on Pennsylvania Avenue, or in the Halls of Congress; it is found on Main Street USA, in small towns and big cities.
Sure there is a role for government to play. But when has the government been the model for innovation and efficiency? Hint: Never. Our government is not setup to be either.
Presently, there are two major issues in the forefront which truly epitomize the struggle for our nation’s future. Ironically, they are intertwined: Health care and the national debt.
I already wrote a long blog on the health care debate, and there is no need to reiterate it here. I will simply add that I seriously doubt even the most die-hard of Democrats in America today would say our health care is second-rate or worse. I don't see politicians, union presidents or the rich running off to England, China, India, or Russia for their surgical, pharmaceutical or medical needs. Nope, their actions prove we have the very best health care available in the world, right here today in the good ol' USA.
So, the real question is: what are the actual issues? The health care problem essentially boils down to 2 key issues: Uninsured citizens and Runaway Costs. There are an estimated 20-45 million people (not necessarily citizens) without health care and secondly, the ludicrous inflation of costs in the health care industry.
Now, the true conservative voice calls out: Limited Government! Try to solve the 2 problems you have identified and keep the government out of the health care business. Don’t grow the problem. In the world of medicine there is a simple creed, “Above all, do no harm.” Our lawmakers need to take heed.
Alas, if they do not stay focused on just the actual problems at hand, then we get into the other arena which should be an area of great concern to all Americans: The National Debt.
Today, every American citizen is on the hook for roughly $40,000, and by the end of Barrack Obama's first term, his own projections have the debt increasing to $64,000 per citizen, and that is WITHOUT adding the cost of any government run health care system. Think about that. Your teenager, your toddler, your infant, your newborn, all already owe more than the average American makes in a year. And they incurred NONE of that debt.
Thomas Jefferson himself said “It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. But I trust that this proposition needs only to be looked at by an American to be seen in its true point of view, and that we shall all consider ourselves unauthorized to saddle posterity with our debts, and morally bound to pay them ourselves.”
Personally, I consider the national debt and our government spending money which belongs to my children and grandchildren to be the greatest sin being committed today in Washington. Why do we have a recession? People started acting like their government: spending money they didn’t have on things they cannot afford, and passing the buck. This has to stop…now! You simply cannot spend your way out of debt.
So, I will wrap up my note with some hopes for the future. I hope the people who have sat idly by and let others make their decisions for them will stand up and let their voices be heard. I hope they will share in the conservative cause and help us true conservatives take back our mantle from those who have trampled our good name. I hope someday very soon, a real conservative leader with principles will rise to challenge and help lead our nation out of debt, out of dependency, and back to the ideals which make our country great.
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