The Virtues of Conservatism Part 9

The conservative perceives the need for prudent restraints upon power and upon human passions. Indeed conservatives believe, through personal experience, history, and observation that men, unrestrained, will take what they can, when they can, for no other reason but that they can. Conservatives understand that just because the "right" people are in charge, it doesn't guarantee right results. Nixon was elected into his second term by a landslide. Seemingly, he was the "right" man in charge. In the end, his own "conservative" party called for his resignation. Why? Because they held that the law of the land was for all men, not just most men. Contrast that with today, when party loyalty to the left tolerates injustice, violence, intimidation, lawlessness and blatant disregard for the rule of law.

Part of our cultural decay today is the direct result of Americans ignoring the principle of prudent restraint upon power and passions. The left is obsessed with advancing power to the elite and fostering unbridled passion. No, we're not talking about the virtuous passions; love, mercy, peace. We're talking about passions that destroy long standing institutions like marriage and family, and passions that demonize honorable and hard working citizens like Joe the plumber, and Sarah Palin. These are passions of avarice, self indulgence, jealousy, envy, and hate. (On a side note: I have yet to hear even one small-minded liberal tell me what Sarah Palin did to deserve so much vitriol. I want facts, figures, and substantive reasoning, but  all I get is "She's an idiot, and deserves it.")  The left is populated with self-serving, stage-one thinkers that want what they want when they want it ... and on top of that, they want someone else to pay for it. Talk about unbridled passion. 
This is 2012, and if you've been paying attention, we've been living with an Administration that has exercised more executive power than any president before him. Don't believe me ... look it up. Let me give you some help with key words: Number of Executive Orders, Number of Czars, Number of regulations, Number of recess appointments ... while congress was not in recess.  Are you starting to get the picture here? Let me give you some more help. I'll wait while you think of one Obama initiative that has, without argument, advanced the good of the nation. GM? Sorry that was a Bush initiative. Osama Bin Laden? Sorry, that was also a Bush initiative. Out of Iraq? Sorry again .. it was always the intent of the Bush administration to leave Iraq ... at the appropriate time. Obama care? Oh ...it's so good that half the states have filed suit to stop it.  Green jobs? Really? You want to talk about green jobs ... like Solyndra, et. al. Bottom line ... in spite of all the wielding of power exerted by this president ... nothing good has materialized.  Unemployment is still above 8%. Jobs are still going overseas. Racial tension is at a level unseen since the 60's. The man has not prudently exercised his power, and that my friends is why conservatives oppose him. 

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/

Some Americans Shouldn't Claim The Title

I don't know how to categorize a very large group of Americans: Complacent, apathetic, unprincipled, or just plain ignorant ... Independent investigators have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Barak Obama's alleged Certificate of Live Birth,  submitted by the State of Hawaii, is a fake. Seems most Americans don't care... especially those who voted for him. Let me tell you ... if someone I voted for was seemingly complicit in committing fraud, I would want to know.  Seems that I remember an entire Lame Stream Media campaign that daily pounded the drum of "Bush Lied - People Died" nonsense.  Did Bush lie? Well if he did he had good company: Billl Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Madeline Albrecht, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry ... the who's who on the left list could go on for another page. So let's just cut the double speak and hypocrisy and be real. 

There is substantial evidence that the Obama document is a fraud. No one ... no not even the guy on Snopes, has successfully discredited  the Arizona investigation.  If you go watch the videos, posted on Snopes, that claim to debunk the Arizona investigator's findings, you will find the man uses no scientific method to his rebuttal. His entire hypothesis is based on conjecture, speculation and deductive reasoning .... not exactly credible methodology to take apart a scientifically conducted investigation.  He uses hear-say and third party information for much of his rebuttal. Sorry, but that stuff isn't admitted in a court of law.

This issue has more to do with the state of affairs in America than it has to do with whether or not His Majesty Obama is eligible to be president.  When Americans stop caring about the truth, when they dismiss facts and hard evidence simply because they don't  like the messenger, when journalistic organizations ignore hard facts, dismiss truth, and edit 911 calls to advance an agenda or remain politically correct, we should sit up, take notice and then demand better.  Americans deserve better ... at least this American does.  If you disagree, I think you ought not claim the title.

Economics 101 - Ignored by Big Government

Economics 101
Today's lesson - The Law Big Government Ignores.

First we state the truth: Consumption is necessary to sustain life, and exists at the core of every economic system.  We are all born consumers, and we continue to consume until the day we die ... and when you think about it, even in death people continue to consume.  Coffins, head stones, flowers, and/or energy to cremate the body all require some natural resource to be exploited. So, even in death we will, in some limited way, continue to be consumers.  Consumption is also the engine for economies in every form; Dictatorships, socialism, capitalism, or any hybrid thereof depend upon people consuming things. Without people eating food, clothing themselves, building shelters, and attempting to stay comfortable, no economy would exist. Indeed, consumption is one of those truths that must be recognized as an important one.

Now that we understand the truth we should state axioms that are relevant to the truth.
The means of consumption is accommodated in one of three ways:
1) It is gifted.  Every person on the planet  began life under this axiom. Most live in this manner for several years. It is not until we acquire the necessary skills, talents or abilities that the expectation of earning our means of consumption is imposed.
2) It is stolen. Our prisons are full of people who thought that stealing was an expeditious means to their consumption. Now they are among those who are gifted the means of their consumption.
3) It is earned. This is the way civilizations not only survive but thrive; people earning their means of  consumption by offering their talents, skills and abilities in exchange for something either directly or indirectly  tangible. Before the days of sophisticated commerce, people bartered their skills, talents and abilities in exchange for that which they wished to consume. In today's market- place, the barter system has been mostly replaced with a monetary system.  People work, they get paid in a recognized currency, and then the currency is exchanged for food, clothing, shelter, etc.  We raise our children ... or at least some of us tried to do so ... with this axiom in mind. Work hard for it is the means to survival and success in life.

Now we state the precept: For an economy to survive, those being gifted and those stealing must not overreach the abilities or efforts of those who are earning the means for consumption.  For obvious reasons, some among us must come under the care of someone or some organization that can take care of them; children, the elderly,  the handicapped, and those with debilitating conditions. The family unit has long been looked upon as the provider for children. Before WW2, families were expected to take care of their aging relatives, communities and local organizations, for the most part, took care of the sick the orphaned and handicapped.  It was only after WW2 did Americans start looking earnestly to government programs to provide for those that couldn't provide for themselves. 

Now the principle: The most efficient and judicious means of sustaining a culture/socioeconomic system is for a majority of individuals, for a majority of their living years, to earn their means of consumption. The Bible says ... "If a man doesn't work, he should not eat." This is not some punitive law established by religion, it is quite simply a law of nature. One man may find a means of supporting a family of six, eight, perhaps in some  rare cases, ten other family members, with the ultimate goal of not having to do it for his entire life. Burden that man with the requirement of supporting another six, eight, or ten, for the length of his lifetime, and his life may be cut short from exhaustion.  In August 14, 1935, when Social Security was created, there were 40 workers for every retiree. Today there are less than 3 workers per retiree, and in a few short years the ratio will be 2:1.  While the entitlement age began with FDR and Social Security, the Johnson Administration expanded it, and today, Social Security, Medicare, Health and Welfare programs, consume 50% of our federal budget. What this means is that more and more people are growing dependent upon the government for their means of consumption. It doesn't take a Harvard-trained economist to realize that the system is unsustainable.

And finally the application: Embrace the free market system, unencumbered by government interference. The first step might be to require that able bodied people take care of themselves, for that is adherence to the law of nature.

The Virtues of Conservatism - Part 8

Conservatives uphold voluntary community and at the same time oppose involuntary collectivism. Conservatives believe that most challenges faced by families and individuals should be addressed at the lowest level of governance possible, that tax dollars collected from them should be used first at the community level,  then at the State level, and finally the national level.  A careful reading of the constitution will bring the reader to one conclusion. Congress is authorized to tax the citizenry for very limited purposes, the single most important being national defense.   
Conservatives hold that  local institutions, churches, synagogs, and the like, are best suited for the purposes of charity, health care, and education ...to name a few. Centralized control of these functions, at the State or national level, offer inviting opportunities for fraud, corruption, and incompetence. In light of current events, do any of those words seem to ring true?  Conservatives maintain that communities understand the challenges of their citizens much better than a distant centralized system, and should consequently be afforded the opportunity and resources to meet those challenges. 
Conservatives vociferously oppose involuntary collectivism, for a host of reasons.
1. Involuntary collectivism shifts responsibility from individuals and communities to a centralized system. Inevitably, the centralized system becomes laden with bureaucracy and inefficiency, leading to the unmet needs of the community and individuals.
2. Underneath involuntary collectivism is the principle of wealth redistribution. This principle presupposes that men and women are perfect, equal in skills/abilities, and share a common sense of justice. We know from history, and from our own experience, that no one is perfect, that we are not equal in our skills/abilities, and what one man make think just, another  may think cruel.  Involuntary collectivism has failed everywhere and every time it has been tried. The early settlers in America tried it, but quickly abandoned it, once realizing its many flaws.
3. Involuntary collectivism steals the dignity from what would be self reliant individuals. 
4. Involuntary collectivism preys upon societies'  talented, successful, and hard working individuals to subsidize, support, or nurture the lazy and irresponsible members of the society.  
5. Involuntary collectivism leads to class envy, discourages entrepreneurship, inhibits workplace creativity, and ultimately destroys economies.  We have only to look at the last 100 years of history to realize this fact. 
6. Involuntary collectivism limits the individual his/her right to pursue happiness, in that the system determines the worth of individuals, and artificially imposes limitations upon them. 
In conclusion, "A central administration, or a corps of select managers and civil servants, however well intentioned and well trained, cannot confer justice and prosperity and tranquility upon a mass of men and women deprived of their old responsibilities. That experiment has been made before; and it has been disastrous. It is the performance of our duties in community that teaches us prudence and efficiency and charity."  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/

The Virtues of Conservatism - Part 7

Conservatives are persuaded that freedom and property are closely linked. This is the primary reason conservatives clash with environmental groups.  To be clear ... conservatives don't want dirty air, dirty water, or a polluted ecosystem. I mean, we have to live on this planet too. The conservative acknowledges that the possession of property fixes certain duties upon the possessor; he accepts those moral and legal obligations cheerfully.  Let's make one more point here: Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and PETA are socialist organizations whose agenda is to do away with private ownership of property. These organizations would have us return to the days before the horse and buggy.  Yes, their propaganda looks and sounds sweet, but at their very core is what Mark Levin and others calls Statism; a call to socialism and a Utopian society.
Ownership is stewardship. Give a man ... or woman ... the right to own something, and they will take care of it. Give ownership to the village and no one will take responsibility.  Let me encourage the reader to study the cultural, social and economic situations on America's Indian reservations. They offer a series of case studies in government's effectiveness as caretaker. In case you want to skip the research and reading, I'll offer you a one sentence summary. Government intervention has  miserably failed the Native American population in every conceivable form and fashion. Conservatives understand that the more widespread  the possession of private property, the more stable and productive is that commonwealth.

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 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/