Do you consider yourself a conservative? Many well intentioned but misguided souls like to maintain a fallacy
that they are part of the right-wing; especially when they support Republicans. These bewildered partisans have bought into
an illusion that a conservative is a supporter of the status quo. They often believe that any politician who proclaims they
are a champion of a GOP regime are really traditionalists. Some even go so far as to consider it impossible for any Democrat
to hold any sentiments that could possibly resemble a conservative viewpoint.
While it is difficult to speak well of any Democrat over the last century, it is becoming exceedingly routine
to reject Republican party loyalists as just camouflaged clones for socialist policies. Calling yourself a conservative, doesn’t
mean you walk the walk . . .
Excluding political positions that are inconsistent with conservative principles is the best method to identify
phony yuppies that seek the label of respectability. Let’s list a few essentials - that establish if one is a real conservative:
1) Accepts the principle of states rights, limited central government, “federalism” separation
of powers and constitutional law.
2) Proponent of honest money, balance budgets and free enterprise; while, foes of the federal reserve, deficit
spending and state/capitalism.
3) Defenders of individual civil liberty and restrains upon arbitrary interpretations of natural rights by
the legislature, executive bureaucracy and the courts.
4) Protection of borders and a pro America First foreign policy that resists entangling engagements, internationalism
and “policeman for the world” intervention.
These are the basics. Now ask yourself what ‘so called’ conservatives support when they attain
positions of power?
1) Strive to strengthen the central government, increase budgets and expand jurisdiction; while never abolishing
superfluous agencies, reduce public employment and costs or scale back the role for the State.
2) Support the madness of Free Trade with the exodus of viable jobs, inducements to special interests and
the extension in the merging of the corporate/government economy.
3) Restriction upon Bill of Right protections, using the excuse of contrived emergencies to implement additional
people control measures - like the Patriot Act.
4) Encourage open door immigration, while erecting a neo-colonialism that requires a permanent garrison worldwide
involvement.
If this record is truly compatible with traditional conservatism, the earth must really be flat!
The prevalent understanding of populism is that it seeks involvement of government to intercede on behalf
of ordinary people. This distortion is rooted in a systemic effort by Statists of all ranks to disguise the factual nature
of populism. You are mislead to believe that a populist seeks a more equitable distribution of wealth. Contrary to adopting
a benign socialism, populism is inherently the philosophy of individualism. All rights reside in persons, and are not at the
mercy of governments. The State possesses no rights at all. It’s only purpose is to serve the people. The ability for
the will of the populace to be expressed, dwells in the representation within a republic form or government. Within that framework
the repose of society maintains a balance as long as officials are held accountable to the fundamental principles of the American
experience.
Those standards are the essence of conservatism. Violating these codes, while claiming the designation of
a traditionalist, does not make one unprogressive. A progressive accepts the State as a solution. A genuine conservative understands
the State to be the greatest threat to Liberty. The counterfeit conservatives are closet progressives, who are so embolden
with their new found power, that they enjoy opening the door to their true motives.
We live in an age where people excel in their own stupidity. They have succumbed to the momentum of mediocrity.
They have surrendered to suitors who charm with promises of fragrant flowers, while actually delivering flagrant bouquets.
Insidious democracy produces ubiquitous socialism. The merging of underlying and ultimate goals, under the seal of disinformation
and the label of conservative, is the latest weapon of the Statist.
A person can’t be a real conservative if he rejects the primary populist message. The government is
answerable to the people . . . The responsibility of the individual is to become a knowledgeable and a capable citizen. That
means that pledges for a free lunch must be rejected as just another swindle dressed in a pretty package. The performance
seldom matches the rhetoric and never attains compatibility with basic conservative principles. Our test is clear; if it harms
individual liberty, it can’t be conservatism.
The political solution is to become a populist and convince the uninformed that real conservatism is the best
hope for promoting the maximum opportunity for the greatest number of people. While people are not equal by birth, talent
or inclination; they are equivalent in their God ordained human dignity and common nature. Fulfillment of that character can
be achieved one individual at a time. Government doesn’t exist to make people coequal, to control them or to force them
to love one another. A bona fide conservative understands what are legitimate functions for the State and opposes all efforts
to create a leviathan.
The status quo is hardly a reflection of what should resemble the founding promise for America. A desire to
preserve, maintain and expand the current regime and policies is totally antithesis to the principles of our heritage. Populism
is the rightful appeal and conservatism is the correct structure to restore and save our nation. Knowing the proper method
is the first step in accomplishing the task. The choice is yours, that’s what it means to be a honest individual and
a loyal citizen . . .
SARTRE - January 5, 2004
