Conservatism Redux

Although not intended to be primarily a political paper, we have certainly been so lately. And since there will obviously never be a shortage of material to comment on as long as Communists hold power, today we will take up a different perspective on the battle for America’s future.
Conservatism, if defined by its alleged representatives in the Republican party, has made some key mistakes. The ideology of conservatism has long been viewed passively – as a p0hilospohy of maintaining the status quo, reacting to changes with opposition, and attempting to impose fiscal and legal restraint whenever new initiatives have been proposed.

The main problem with such an approach is that it is always reactive, leading to the inability to protect every inroad made by encroaching liberalism.

In fact, the republican party has lost its conservatism since Reagan, becoming instead a “me too” party of lite liberalism and supporting the same big-state nanny policies that liberals do – with the differentiation being that “our’ version would be more efficient and less costly. Sort of a slower burn on the forest fire.

In a world gone stark raving mad with government, this approach is wholly inadequate to the task of preserving our rights and liberties under the onslaught of “good intentions”.

It is time that conservatism redefined itself as an active force for the preservation of rights and liberties. Not a support group for the corrupt corporate infrastructure, nor a liberal-lite slow burn.

It is time that conservatism was a thrusting, powerful force for “Hope” and “change” – the real versions.

Several key things need to happen in this country:

1. Repeal of useless, unconstitutional, and bad law. Remember the Commander’s third dictum: Lex malum, lex nulla. (A bad law is no law). Acorn proves this. So does the current border policy. And the Commander’s corollary: When everything becomes illegal, then everything is legal again. We are headed straight back to 1860 on the current road.
2. Reinstitution of a strong, valid currency. ‘Nuff said.
3. Elimination of the welfare state and the federal bureaucracy of education. Education reform should be a primary goal, with emphasis put on freeing the schools from the government-support mode, returning instead to private education and local control of curriculum. And a classic foundation of education based on the trivia. Don’t know what that is? Wonder why…
4. Restoration of constitutional government and laws, federal distribution of powers, and Bill of Rights enforcement.
5. Strict interpretation of constitutional matters coupled with strict delineation of governmental powers.

A conservative ideal that pursues this course would find that popular support occurred from a grass-roots level, rather than being a sort of public policy announcement on a local PBS station. To win in today’s environment, we must be the alternative, not the imitation.

No one ever liked naugahyde. Everyone loves quality leather. Remember red vinyl car seats? Let the liberals fill that role.