Conservativism in America

[Zimri]

Aristotle wrote:

Not to drag us off topic, but I find it interesting that the "liberal" party in the US has gone far away from liberal thinking, just as the "conservative" party has abandoned conservative thinking.
Not to drag us off topic, but I find it interesting that the "liberal" party in the US has gone far away from liberal thinking, just as the "conservative" party has abandoned conservative thinking.
Conservaties are supposed to care about restraining government spending, keeping the government as small as possible, and maintaining federalism. Modern conservatives sure as hell don't. "Conservatives" in power use government power to further their own moral agendas and have been bloating the government as badly (or worse) than their counterparts.
Liberals are supposed to care about individual rights and liberties. Modern liberals in power care more about taking money from those who earned it at gun point (that's what government power is, folks) and using divisive race war tactics to maintain votes and power.
So what do we conclude from this? We are nicely fucked, no?

I don't have time to posit my ideas on this today, but I thought this might be a good follow up topic to the liberalism discussion. Quickly, I think conservative values -should- include:

(1) protection of private property rights. This includes: business property (ie, local or state governments should not be able to dictate whether places that are privately owned are non smoking), income (ie, no forced income distribution), and very very little imminent domain exercise (no, "hey, we need a new super-walmart, lets condemn these low income block housing").
(2) limited government. this is pretty simple. Fewer programs. Less taxation. Less spending. Less Regulation. Less bureacracy. There are only certain things that government is created for - and its not to benefit politicians' pockets.
(3) federalism. the States formed the United States government and the federal government should be subservient to them. States Rights have been squandered by both current political parties, but conservatism should protect state's rights. IE, there should not be any federal constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. The federal government should not high jack your paycheck and then "grant" it back to the states for education purposes.
(4) strictly protect national borders and immigration laws
(5) protect clearly enuncianted rights in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Ie, no gun control.
(6) anti-"international law", and thereby UN resolutions impeding on our sovereignty.
(7) pro-free market capitalism. little regulation. so subsidization. free trade. no minimum wage. fewer labor laws.
(8) anti-forced income/property redistribution. yes, that means anti-socialism and anti-communism.

[Pyrosama]

I have conservative views, but often times I'm accused of being a liberal and I don't understand why. My views are simple. I think government should stay the hell out of personal matters and moral agendas.

I believe in pro choice, but I believe that government has no business funding abortions AT ALL. It is a personal choice and should not involve anyone other than the affected parties.

I don't believe in capital punishment, but it's because I believe that the process is inefficient and in its current state...it doesn't work.

I believe in trickle down from wealthy to needy, but the government has no business determining when, how and under what conditions folks should pay more.

[Aristotle]

What a coincidence that we were already talking about this. I came across this article today:

The Conservative Movement at the Crossroads by Newt Gingrich.

Conservative elected officials increasingly find themselves caught between two impulses: the revolutionary ideas that brought them into power and the need to explain and defend the institutions they inherited. And the longer these good men and women stay in office, the more likely they will be to defend the very bureaucracies and policies against which they once campaigned. The goal to transform government will be gradually overwhelmed by contentment with merely presiding over it.

So in 2005, in the wake of another in a string of electoral victories, the conservative movement faces a choice:

Is conservatism a grassroots movement dedicated to the transformation of government into an institution capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century within the values of smaller government, lower taxes, stronger national security, greater individual freedom and strengthening American civilization as a unique “Creator endowed” system of human liberty?

Or, is conservatism a national and state capital-focused system of defending whatever compromise with the old order of liberal, big government is required in order to keep people we support in office?

The question implies the answer and it is about time more conservatives said such things.

The rest of the article is very detailed with Gingrich's vision for what needs to be done to move our country forward in the future.

It is obvious, as usual, that Gingrich has given the matter an enormous amount of thought and research.

I think people of all political persuasions will find this a very interesting read.