The Virtues of Conservatism - Part 6

Conservatives understand that people are not perfect, never have been perfect and never will be perfect.  In the liberal mind, perfection is possible if the right people and policies are in place. Problem is ... at no time in all of recorded history has this occurred. "But," the liberal will contend "we must always strive for perfection."  Okay. I'll go there, but first you'll have to give me a definition of perfection, and the definition I hear from the left is not sustainable or even one that I like: Government control over commerce, redistribution of wealth, and regulations on fundamental freedoms like speech, property ownership, and thought.  No thank you. I'll live with my imperfect world and keep my God given freedoms if you don't mind.  

Conservatives understand that human perfection is a pipe dream, and that human attempts to create a perfect order are naturally flawed by the simple fact that humans are imperfect. "The ideologues who promise the perfection of man and society have converted a great part of the twentieth-century world into a terrestrial hell." Russell Kirk.  No, the best we can do is strive for excellence, and the best environment for that to occur is in an environment ripe with freedoms; freedoms Americans have enjoyed since the signing of the constitution. 

The outline for this treatment is credited to Russell Kirk and the web site at: 
http://www.kirkcenter.org/index.php/detail/ten-conservative-principles/

The Virtues of Conservatism - Part 5

Conservatives pay attention to the principle of variety, and embrace inequality as a healthy and necessary factor in societal development. Let us be clear. Conservatives are not insensitive to inequality! Rather, they embrace philosophies and strategies that offer a reasonable management of the reality. One of those strategies is called competition. Competition necessarily and predictably causes inequality ... not for the purpose of subjugation, humiliation or domination, but for the purpose of advancing excellence. To quote Russell Kirk. "For the preservation of a healthy diversity in any civilization, there must survive orders and classes, differences in material condition, and many sorts of inequality. The only true forms of equality are equality at the Last Judgment and equality before a just court of law; all other attempts at leveling must lead, at best, to social stagnation."  

The Utopian dream of social justice is just that; a dream. Of course we recognize that social justice is just code for the redistribution of wealth. Social Justice sounds like a great idea, but it's unsustainable, because it violates the law of productivity:

• People will be productive when properly rewarded
• People will prosper in an environment that fosters creative expression, productivity and autonomy
• People want to keep the proceeds of their labor and the freedom to distribute it according to their self interests
• People will resist productivity when not adequately rewarded
• People will resist productivity when rewarded for another persons labor

Humans are born unequal and die unequal. It is this reality of inequality that, in part, feeds the human need to seek significance. Those misguided individuals and organizations who seek to take earned resources from the productive members of our society and distribute those resources to the non productive members of that society are wrong on two levels: On the first level, redistribution is unsustainable. On the second level, there must be a system in place for redistribution, and that system, however noble the effort, will not and cannot be equitable in its organization, methodology or outcomes.

Conservatives embrace variety, accept the reality that inequality will always exist, and submit that"... attempts at leveling must lead, at best, to social stagnation."  Russell Kirk

The outline for this treatment is credited to Russell Kirk and the web site at: 
http://www.kirkcenter.org/index.php/detail/ten-conservative-principles/

On Message

The Republicans aren't doing a very good job right now ... at least not on the PR level.  A recent CBS poll has offered us an opportunity to see just how uninformed and easily misled the American public can be. According to the poll, no one is doing a good job in handling the current debt debate ... Obama, the Dems and especially the Republicans.  So what is it that the Republicans are doing, or not doing that have Americans so disenfranchised? Could it be that they aren't offering specifics as to what needs to be done? No, I don't think that's it. The Republicans are the only players in this triad that have offered anything that resembles a plan to move us out of the debt crisis. Could it be that they aren't doing something. Ah .. I think we're closer to truth with this one. What they are not doing is compromising. And why should they?  Americans have extremely short memories. Did we forget what the 2010 election was about? It was about the out of control spending of the current administration. My question is this: "Why should Republicans compromise?" I mean, we wouldn't even be having a discussion had they not won an election last November.  I'm left with the thought that the Republicans just aren't doing a very good job of relating their message. Obama has won that battle and it is an important one.

The Blame Game

Today, I heard a  party strategist for the current politburo defend the President's position on the debt crisis. Funny that in the 5 minutes of discussion the only specific idea he attributed to the President was "tax those who make above $250K."  The rest of his comments amounted to a list of who to blame. He blamed the Bush tax cuts. Steee-rike one.  He blamed the Republicans in the House. Stee-rike two. Then he had the audacity to indict the Tea Party as being responsible if congress and the President can't resolve the impasse. I hear a Steee-rike three!"

I think most of us are tired of the blame game, and looking for some answers to the crisis, and believe me, we are facing a real financial crisis.  Don't take my word for it. Do some homework. Here are some keywords to assist you: Obama Debt Crisis, S&P downgrades US debt outlook, Moody's Investors Service.

If we don't do something about the current level of spending in D.C. WE WILL suffer immediate as well as long-term consequences. We can very well expect hyper-inflation, higher interest rates, higher taxes, much higher gas prices, fewer public services, the bankruptcy of Social Security, Mediare, and Medicade ... not to mention unemployment to rival the Great Depression. So back to the President's plan to get our economy back on the road to recovery.  Find me an economist that believes that our crisis can be solved by taxing those who make  more than $250K, and repealing the Bush Tax cuts, and I'll show you an economist that is on the payroll of the DNC.

THE VIRTUES OF CONSERVATISM – Part 4 of 10

 After several years of frustration in attempting to convert my liberal friends to a more courageous way of thinking, I have determined three things:

1. My efforts have been largely futile.
2. Liberals are converted over time; due to facing critical life circumstances, and/or the recognition that liberal ideology is simply non-enduring.
3. Derision and name calling does nothing to assist in their conversion.

In light of these revelations, I’ve decided that my efforts might be better invested in discussing the virtues of conservative thought, as opposed to pointing out the blatant fallacies of liberal thinking. Now, this does not mean that I will refrain from comparison and contrast, it simply means that I will attempt to couch my words in non demeaning ways in my observations. Perhaps my words will capture the attention of a young liberal thinker in his or her journey to a more courageous way of thinking. My discussion will be delivered in 10 parts.This being part 2 of the discussion.

The fourth virtue of conservatism is that of prudence. Conservatives believe that any decision ought to be judged by its probable long-run consequences, not merely by temporary advantage or popularity or expedience. The conservative declares that he acts only after sufficient reflection, having weighed the consequences. 

Conservatives opposed Obama-care, in no small part, due to the imprudence of the idea. It increases the national debt. It redistributes power from the private sector to the government sector, effectively creating an entirely new entitlement program. At a time when government spending and irresponsibility was at an all-time high, the Dems resorted to back-room deals and shady legislative tricks to push the measure to the president's desk. No one can convince me that prudence was practiced in passing a law which virtually no congressman had read or understood. Obama-care was, and still is, a reckless measure, failing the test of  prudence. 

The outline for this treatment is credited to Russell Kirk and the web site at: 
http://www.kirkcenter.org/index.php/detail/ten-conservative-principles/

The Debt Ceiling Debate

If the last election wasn't about the size and scope of the government, what was it about? The House Republicans are simply doing what they were elected to do ... "Hold The Line." So far, in the current debate, the President has told us his plan is to tax the rich. Do the numbers ... that plan doesn't even begin to address the crisis.

• The real rate of inflation is 13%
• The real unemployment number is closer to 16% than 9%
• The dollar has lost 20% of its value in the last two years
• 47% of American households pay NO federal income tax
• 10 percent of earners -- households making an average of $366,400 in 2006 -- paid about 73 percent of the income taxes collected by the federal government.
• The National debt increased 60% under Nancy Pelosi 

Let's be clear ... the current debate is about holding the President responsible ... something he has avoided for 2 1/2 years.

THE VIRTUES OF CONSERVATISM – Part 3 of 10

 After several years of frustration in attempting to convert my liberal friends to a more courageous way of thinking, I have determined three things:

1. My efforts have been largely futile.
2. Liberals are converted over time; due to facing critical life circumstances, and/or the recognition that liberal ideology is simply non-enduring.
3. Derision and name calling does nothing to assist in their conversion.

In light of these revelations, I’ve decided that my efforts might be better invested in discussing the virtues of conservative thought, as opposed to pointing out the blatant fallacies of liberal thinking. Now, this does not mean that I will refrain from comparison and contrast, it simply means that I will attempt to couch my words in non demeaning ways in my observations. Perhaps my words will capture the attention of a young liberal thinker in his or her journey to a more courageous way of thinking. My discussion will be delivered in 10 parts.This being part 2 of the discussion.

 Virtue three in this series deals with the principle of prescription.  In short, conservatives are students of history and typically embrace caution when moving down paths that history has shown to be dangerous or at best fraught with obstacles. Prescription also entails gleaning from history tried and proven customs and mores. "The individual is foolish, but the species is wise," Edmond Burke declared. Conservatives believe the human race has acquired a prescriptive wisdom far greater than any man’s petty private rationality or what might be politically correct or expedient. 
Some salient examples come to mind when we look for ways to applying the principle of prescription. History has shown us that over taxation and over-spending ruin economies. History has shown us that to discourage an activity, the best way to do that is to tax it.  History has shown us that spending more money than is actually in the bank, results in creditors inflicting much pain and suffering until debts are paid.

I don't know if you've been paying attention to the news lately, but some members of congress and the president are in a heated debate over taxation and spending. The conservatives are holding to the principle of prescription, while the president is hell bent on continuing the out-of-control spending.  In fact, had the conservatives not won the House of Representatives in November, they would not even be having the debate. It became apparent to the American public that the policies of the Obama administration were taking us in a direction we did not want to travel. How the Senate escaped the fury of the American voters is beyond me. Be that as it may ... the House republicans were called upon to hold the line in Washington. They are doing exactly what they were elected to do. 

Can we be honest? Why is it that the President and the House of Reps are arguing over the debt ceiling and federal spending? Because Republicans took majority of the House of Representatives in January. Had they not ... we would still be increasing the national debt by 1.5 trillion per year .... the debt ceiling would already be elevated to 105% of GDP, and we would be one step closer to an entitlement state.  I find it interesting that the liberals who call for raising taxes on the rich, as a matter of fairness, neglect to call for  those who pay no taxes start doing so. The principle of prescription; learning from history, shows us that other people's money eventually runs out.

From where I stand, unless we hold to the virtue of prescription, we will be forced to face some perilous and uncomfortable years.

The outline for this treatment is credited to Russell Kirk and the web site at: 
http://www.kirkcenter.org/index.php/detail/ten-conservative-principles/