Summer is almost upon us and here in the mid-South, the humidity and heat can make life pretty uncomfortable. Better to lay in, keep the shades drawn and run that megawatt draining AC all day. It also is a time of wonder - beans sprouting in the garden, the first trips to the pool and the lake, the beginning of summer vacation for the kids and all the adventure that two-and-a-half months of languor can muster.
The analogy of this season and the current state of conservative politics is apt. There are many on the right who have lost their heart for the fight and have drawn the intellectual shades tightly, afraid to speak out on any subject from the insane overspending to milk-toast diplomacy and it's by products for fear of being branded "racists, bigots, homophobes!!" "You had your chance," the Looney Left shrieks,"now we have to fix all the evil done by the incompetent boob, Booosh!!" You know, these people:
Then there are those of us on the right who view this as our time of wonder, a chance to start afresh, perhaps clean house, but certainly not to give up the intellectual fight. So let's lay some issues out there and see where our journey leads.
1. Boosh!! The Bush legacy will, I believe, in the long run be very mixed. The single largest component of it is that he performed his Constitutional obligation to "protect and defend" superlatively. The Left knows this and thus has to nibble at the edges and attempt to degrade this assessment with oft-repeated mantras of "torture," "Abu Ghraib," "no blood for oil" and the like. On each of these, many of our conservative warriors surrendered the premise without a whimper. And this is wrong. EVEN if you concede that water boarding is "torture," which I do not, it was used on three subjects and valuable, life-saving intelligence was gained. Obama knows this and for that reason will not release the memos documenting what was learned. Fortunately, our voice in the wilderness, Dick Cheney has been on point on this matter and his service is invaluable. Abu Ghraib is a pointless canard - the real story is how swiftly the perps were dealt with and the silliness stopped.
It is also a canard to suggest that we invaded Iraq and therefore the Taliban got stronger and Usama Bin Laden escaped etc. etc. The simple, irrefutable fact is that Presidents and decision makers act on intelligence that never can provide a complete picture. There was ample evidence that WMD's were being produced, we know Sadam had a history of using them, and we were dealing with a post-9/11 world where action to prevent catastrophe was at a premium. We may never know whether the WMD's did, in fact, exist. There was ample time and plenty of willing accomplices in Syria and Iran to see to it that the stuff got out. But even if they did not exist, the assessment was there (and was shared by all the top Democrats) that Sadam was a clear and present danger. More mistakes were made in the aftermath of the invasion than in the decision to invade and many of those were costly and dumb: dismantling the Iraqi military probably tops the list.
The other great triumph of the Bush years, in my view, was the appointment of Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Sam Allito. As we watch the appointment of Sotomayor unfold, it is somewhat of a relief to note that we still have the intellectual firepower on the bench of Roberts, Allito, Scalia and Thomas.
The largest failures for Bush were on the domestic side. A quick list would include:
a) passage of an all new entitlement program without doing anything to address the impending disasters of all the entitlement programs already in place.
b) failure to make a more compelling case to stop the Fannie and Freddie debacle.
c) the 11th hour panic that got the ball rolling on "stimulus spending." We need to be honest, Bush opened the door and Obama has driven a truck through it.
In his heart, I think Bush was a genuinely compassionate president. Like all politicians he wanted to be liked and he carried some of his father's baggage about "compassionate conservatism." He wanted to somehow prove that conservatism wasn't mean...he surrendered the fundamental premise and paid dearly for it. Conservatism is not about being "nice" or "mean," it's about freedom. It is about trusting people to do the right thing and allowing them the freedom to do it. Quite the converse to what we are dealing with in the halls of power now.
It is time to retire Bush and restore conservativism to its proper place in social policy, in foreign affairs and in economic policy.
2. Where to turn? Where is the leader? I had an interesting note exchange with a friend the other day who lamented that there is no standard bearer, no leader for the Republican party. I confess, I have a hard time calling myself a Republican given the liberal behavior of these last few years, but we'll run with it. The interesting thing is that if you get past Obama and his teleprompter, the picture on the Democrat side is far worse! Joe Biden? Nancy Pelosi? Harry Reid? Barbara Boxer? Barney Frank? Chris Dodd? WTF? WTFF?? Frankly, until we restore our philosophic principles and core values, it might be best for there not to be a leader. Anyone who rises to the surface would be destroyed right now...time is on our side. Certainly Newt Gingrich has shown himself to be an innovative thought provoker and I have little doubt that he is going to run...and there are others out there. Jindal and Palin are often mentioned, but the MSM has been busy trying to discredit them even though both their executive records are proving to be quite impressive. No, I think someone new and fresh will emerge between now and 2012. One thing the Republicans have GOT to get over is this sense that they have to select a candidate based on race, gender, ethnic group etc. Leave that business to the Democrats and the Left - they are the ones that judge people by the color of their skin, not the content of their character.
3. Where can we dig in? Obama and his community organizers are a mighty wave right now. They are pushing through the most radical, economically destructive agenda in the history of the Republic. The Kos kids used to foam at the mouth about Boosh's destruction of the Constitution yet they lovingly fall silent over this fantastic power grab. Nationalize the auto industry? Where is that in the Constitution? Take over and dictate terms to the banks? Which Article is that under? Nationalize Healthcare? Which clause covers this? Appoint a racist judge to the Supreme Court? Why not - justice SHOULD empathize with the race/background/orientation of the defendant and adjust the rulings accordingly. This is the ennui part I mentioned earlier - you don't have to be a conservative, liberal, libertarian...you just have to have a brain and be able to read the Constitution and you should be outraged! I mean, it's gotten so bad that even Pravda is warning us that we are rocketing into Marxism!
The guy has been a whirling dervish of activity making it hard to pick a place to fight. But we need look no further than a few years ago for guidance. Pull up Ronald Reagan's First Inaugural Address and sit back for a heapin' helpin of some wisdom - and some very useful quotes:
Obviously I am picking out a theme here...and it is one that should be very appealing to all age groups: FREEDOM!
I am sure Obama looks at those humble Scots and sees the good folks of Western Pennsylvania...but it is a testament to what free men can do.
These guiding principles should be crafted into a more manageable message that is easily understood and can be repeated tirelessly - not into the robotic mind numbing "yes we can" lunacy, but as bulwarks to sally forth from and to start the turning of the tide.
Each of these points has enormous policy implications. On the economic front, for example, the subtleties of tax policy are vast. I am not proposing a simplistic conservatism, just establishing some base-line principles that are easily understood. But these guiding principles when bounced up against the expanding blob of the Obama government are refreshing and enervating.
Case in point - the sad demise of General Motors. Tomorrow morning at 8 AM, GM will go "four paws up" and enter bankruptcy. Volumes could be written about how it got to this point with ample blame for Federal policies, Union intransigence and just plain bad management at the core. But there NEVER was a place for the government at this table. I want Charles Schwab as my broker, not Barack Obama! Failure is a natural result in capitalism and in a free market. But out of that "creative destruction," to borrow from Schumpeter, better things emerge. A post-bankruptcy GM that was free of onerous Union obligations and able to become more nimble with smaller companies building what the American consumer wants, would have been far better for Detroit than the government owned model will be. Being free means you are also free to fail. This whole program should be dragged into the Congress and picked apart for the shameless grab and reward program it is. Good place to start the fight.
Case in point - the appointment of Sotomayor. True, the Dems have the votes to get her installed, so be it. But a civil, non-personal evaluation of her judicial experience is warranted. Have her explain why she thinks one's background and sex necessarily create better judgments than someone else. This is what political correctness has wrought. The issue isn't that she's a Latina, just as it wasn't that Clarence Thomas was black - the issue is the philosophy of one who is about to get a permanent job. Good place to start the fight.
Case in point - the treatment of Israel and the pandering to Muslims. It would be a wonderful world if all God's creatures could just get along. But the real world isn't so, and right now, the number one threat to world peace is radical Islam. Rather than sucking up to them and begging for forgiveness, we should be encouraging them to moderate their own religion. When you are ready to stop acting like 5th Century barbarians, we can work with you. Until then, heal thyself first...we should stand strong on the principle that we are NOT the problem, they are. This is a fundamental difference between the progressive left and conservatism. The former looks at the USA as a bad player on the world stage, constantly seeking to oppress other people and build our "empire," and therefore we have to constantly purge ourselves on the world stage. The latter sees the US as a fundamentally good and decent place...flawed and in need of improvement, but with nothing to be ashamed of. Good place to start the fight.
Finally, the entire spectrum of foreign policy is wide open for attack. We have dissed our allies, made clumsy grasping overtures to bad actors giving them the distinct impression that the time has come for the mice to come out to play. Very good place to start the fight.
In all, conservatives should hold thier chins high and rejoin the battle with aplomb. History and common sense are on our side. Reagan was the "happy warrior," and that is the approach we should take. The grimness and "sky is falling" attitude is what defines the left - they live for the crisis of the moment, not because they want to solve the problems, but because every crisis is an opportunity to expand their power. Confident, up-beat and ready for a summer of fun is the attitude that emboldens me and, I hope, many more on the right side of the solutions that will be needed to repair the harm being done.
Rumble on!
The analogy of this season and the current state of conservative politics is apt. There are many on the right who have lost their heart for the fight and have drawn the intellectual shades tightly, afraid to speak out on any subject from the insane overspending to milk-toast diplomacy and it's by products for fear of being branded "racists, bigots, homophobes!!" "You had your chance," the Looney Left shrieks,"now we have to fix all the evil done by the incompetent boob, Booosh!!" You know, these people:
Then there are those of us on the right who view this as our time of wonder, a chance to start afresh, perhaps clean house, but certainly not to give up the intellectual fight. So let's lay some issues out there and see where our journey leads.
1. Boosh!! The Bush legacy will, I believe, in the long run be very mixed. The single largest component of it is that he performed his Constitutional obligation to "protect and defend" superlatively. The Left knows this and thus has to nibble at the edges and attempt to degrade this assessment with oft-repeated mantras of "torture," "Abu Ghraib," "no blood for oil" and the like. On each of these, many of our conservative warriors surrendered the premise without a whimper. And this is wrong. EVEN if you concede that water boarding is "torture," which I do not, it was used on three subjects and valuable, life-saving intelligence was gained. Obama knows this and for that reason will not release the memos documenting what was learned. Fortunately, our voice in the wilderness, Dick Cheney has been on point on this matter and his service is invaluable. Abu Ghraib is a pointless canard - the real story is how swiftly the perps were dealt with and the silliness stopped.
It is also a canard to suggest that we invaded Iraq and therefore the Taliban got stronger and Usama Bin Laden escaped etc. etc. The simple, irrefutable fact is that Presidents and decision makers act on intelligence that never can provide a complete picture. There was ample evidence that WMD's were being produced, we know Sadam had a history of using them, and we were dealing with a post-9/11 world where action to prevent catastrophe was at a premium. We may never know whether the WMD's did, in fact, exist. There was ample time and plenty of willing accomplices in Syria and Iran to see to it that the stuff got out. But even if they did not exist, the assessment was there (and was shared by all the top Democrats) that Sadam was a clear and present danger. More mistakes were made in the aftermath of the invasion than in the decision to invade and many of those were costly and dumb: dismantling the Iraqi military probably tops the list.
The other great triumph of the Bush years, in my view, was the appointment of Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Sam Allito. As we watch the appointment of Sotomayor unfold, it is somewhat of a relief to note that we still have the intellectual firepower on the bench of Roberts, Allito, Scalia and Thomas.
The largest failures for Bush were on the domestic side. A quick list would include:
a) passage of an all new entitlement program without doing anything to address the impending disasters of all the entitlement programs already in place.
b) failure to make a more compelling case to stop the Fannie and Freddie debacle.
c) the 11th hour panic that got the ball rolling on "stimulus spending." We need to be honest, Bush opened the door and Obama has driven a truck through it.
In his heart, I think Bush was a genuinely compassionate president. Like all politicians he wanted to be liked and he carried some of his father's baggage about "compassionate conservatism." He wanted to somehow prove that conservatism wasn't mean...he surrendered the fundamental premise and paid dearly for it. Conservatism is not about being "nice" or "mean," it's about freedom. It is about trusting people to do the right thing and allowing them the freedom to do it. Quite the converse to what we are dealing with in the halls of power now.
It is time to retire Bush and restore conservativism to its proper place in social policy, in foreign affairs and in economic policy.
2. Where to turn? Where is the leader? I had an interesting note exchange with a friend the other day who lamented that there is no standard bearer, no leader for the Republican party. I confess, I have a hard time calling myself a Republican given the liberal behavior of these last few years, but we'll run with it. The interesting thing is that if you get past Obama and his teleprompter, the picture on the Democrat side is far worse! Joe Biden? Nancy Pelosi? Harry Reid? Barbara Boxer? Barney Frank? Chris Dodd? WTF? WTFF?? Frankly, until we restore our philosophic principles and core values, it might be best for there not to be a leader. Anyone who rises to the surface would be destroyed right now...time is on our side. Certainly Newt Gingrich has shown himself to be an innovative thought provoker and I have little doubt that he is going to run...and there are others out there. Jindal and Palin are often mentioned, but the MSM has been busy trying to discredit them even though both their executive records are proving to be quite impressive. No, I think someone new and fresh will emerge between now and 2012. One thing the Republicans have GOT to get over is this sense that they have to select a candidate based on race, gender, ethnic group etc. Leave that business to the Democrats and the Left - they are the ones that judge people by the color of their skin, not the content of their character.
3. Where can we dig in? Obama and his community organizers are a mighty wave right now. They are pushing through the most radical, economically destructive agenda in the history of the Republic. The Kos kids used to foam at the mouth about Boosh's destruction of the Constitution yet they lovingly fall silent over this fantastic power grab. Nationalize the auto industry? Where is that in the Constitution? Take over and dictate terms to the banks? Which Article is that under? Nationalize Healthcare? Which clause covers this? Appoint a racist judge to the Supreme Court? Why not - justice SHOULD empathize with the race/background/orientation of the defendant and adjust the rulings accordingly. This is the ennui part I mentioned earlier - you don't have to be a conservative, liberal, libertarian...you just have to have a brain and be able to read the Constitution and you should be outraged! I mean, it's gotten so bad that even Pravda is warning us that we are rocketing into Marxism!
The guy has been a whirling dervish of activity making it hard to pick a place to fight. But we need look no further than a few years ago for guidance. Pull up Ronald Reagan's First Inaugural Address and sit back for a heapin' helpin of some wisdom - and some very useful quotes:
- "You and I, as individuals, can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but for only a limited period of time. Why, then, should we think that collectively, as a nation, we are not bound by that same limitation?"
- "It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the Federal establishment and to demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the Federal Government and those reserved to the States or to the people. All of us need to be reminded that the Federal Government did not create the States; the States created the Federal Government."
- "It is no coincidence that our present troubles parallel and are proportionate to the intervention and intrusion in our lives that result from unnecessary and excessive growth of government."
- " I am told that tens of thousands of prayer meetings are being held on this day, and for that I am deeply grateful. We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free. It would be fitting and good, I think, if on each Inauguration Day in future years it should be declared a day of prayer."
- " To those neighbors and allies who share our freedom, we will strengthen our historic ties and assure them of our support and firm commitment. We will match loyalty with loyalty. We will strive for mutually beneficial relations. We will not use our friendship to impose on their sovereignty, for our own sovereignty is not for sale."
- "As for the enemies of freedom, those who are potential adversaries, they will be reminded that peace is the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it; we will not surrender for it—now or ever."
- You can't spend your way out of debt. Debt is enslaving, we prefer freedom.
- As it says in the Constitution, Amendment X: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." The Federal Government's expansion is enslaving, we prefer freedom.
- Other than the military, name one thing the Government does well....speechless? Then why do we want them involved in everything? If you want a healthcare system that imposes solutions like the DOT, vote Democrat...we prefer freedom.
- There is a fitting place for religion in the public square. We will never establish a state religion, but to allow enduring and ennobling principles to be part of our navigation is desirable. The censorship and thought control of the left is enslaving, we prefer freedom.
- We take care of our friends...we protect free peoples because we prefer freedom.
- As the Marines say, "no greater friend, no worse enemy." Don't threaten our freedom.
Obviously I am picking out a theme here...and it is one that should be very appealing to all age groups: FREEDOM!
I am sure Obama looks at those humble Scots and sees the good folks of Western Pennsylvania...but it is a testament to what free men can do.
These guiding principles should be crafted into a more manageable message that is easily understood and can be repeated tirelessly - not into the robotic mind numbing "yes we can" lunacy, but as bulwarks to sally forth from and to start the turning of the tide.
Each of these points has enormous policy implications. On the economic front, for example, the subtleties of tax policy are vast. I am not proposing a simplistic conservatism, just establishing some base-line principles that are easily understood. But these guiding principles when bounced up against the expanding blob of the Obama government are refreshing and enervating.
Case in point - the sad demise of General Motors. Tomorrow morning at 8 AM, GM will go "four paws up" and enter bankruptcy. Volumes could be written about how it got to this point with ample blame for Federal policies, Union intransigence and just plain bad management at the core. But there NEVER was a place for the government at this table. I want Charles Schwab as my broker, not Barack Obama! Failure is a natural result in capitalism and in a free market. But out of that "creative destruction," to borrow from Schumpeter, better things emerge. A post-bankruptcy GM that was free of onerous Union obligations and able to become more nimble with smaller companies building what the American consumer wants, would have been far better for Detroit than the government owned model will be. Being free means you are also free to fail. This whole program should be dragged into the Congress and picked apart for the shameless grab and reward program it is. Good place to start the fight.
Case in point - the appointment of Sotomayor. True, the Dems have the votes to get her installed, so be it. But a civil, non-personal evaluation of her judicial experience is warranted. Have her explain why she thinks one's background and sex necessarily create better judgments than someone else. This is what political correctness has wrought. The issue isn't that she's a Latina, just as it wasn't that Clarence Thomas was black - the issue is the philosophy of one who is about to get a permanent job. Good place to start the fight.
Case in point - the treatment of Israel and the pandering to Muslims. It would be a wonderful world if all God's creatures could just get along. But the real world isn't so, and right now, the number one threat to world peace is radical Islam. Rather than sucking up to them and begging for forgiveness, we should be encouraging them to moderate their own religion. When you are ready to stop acting like 5th Century barbarians, we can work with you. Until then, heal thyself first...we should stand strong on the principle that we are NOT the problem, they are. This is a fundamental difference between the progressive left and conservatism. The former looks at the USA as a bad player on the world stage, constantly seeking to oppress other people and build our "empire," and therefore we have to constantly purge ourselves on the world stage. The latter sees the US as a fundamentally good and decent place...flawed and in need of improvement, but with nothing to be ashamed of. Good place to start the fight.
Finally, the entire spectrum of foreign policy is wide open for attack. We have dissed our allies, made clumsy grasping overtures to bad actors giving them the distinct impression that the time has come for the mice to come out to play. Very good place to start the fight.
In all, conservatives should hold thier chins high and rejoin the battle with aplomb. History and common sense are on our side. Reagan was the "happy warrior," and that is the approach we should take. The grimness and "sky is falling" attitude is what defines the left - they live for the crisis of the moment, not because they want to solve the problems, but because every crisis is an opportunity to expand their power. Confident, up-beat and ready for a summer of fun is the attitude that emboldens me and, I hope, many more on the right side of the solutions that will be needed to repair the harm being done.
Rumble on!