Conservatism- Part one
By Jedidiah Bressman
You have people who are true conservatives and then there are those who are CINO’s (Conservatives in Name Only). This is a three part series that will take you through the top nine views (chosen by Your’s Truly) that make a conservative, a true conservative. This time around, we will discuss Abortion, Gun Rights, and Government. This is what I believe and what I believe it means to be a True Conservative. There will always be controversy, however, as these are core principles of conservatism that I will be discussing.
Abortion- If you are a true conservative, you believe that Abortion is morally, legally, and ethically wrong, and that Roe vs. Wade should be overturned. Conservatives also believe that the government has the duty to protect the rights of the unborn. This moral issues needs to be taken care of sooner rather than later. However, the democrats, and even the republicans, are too worried about getting reelected to take on this controversial issue. Too many people are divided on this issue for either side to take the chance. The people who usually want abortions are teenagers and those who’ve had ‘accidents’. The one and only true way to not become pregnant is abstinence. Now, I’m not promoting abstinence or having sex, but what I’m saying that it is the 100% foolproof way to not become pregnant is to simply not have sex. Why do conservatives believe Abortion is wrong? Well, Abortion is the killing of a life that has yet to begin, who knows what that one life could do? Really, the baby has done nothing to deserved being killed before its life has even begun. I tell my friends that I believe the women should have the choice. She CHOOSES to have sex, regardless of whether or not the man used protection. The protection does tell you that it is only 97% effective and you took that chance. Where I draw the line is rape. Personally, I believe that if a women is raped she then has the choice because she did not choose to have sex. I believe strongly on this issue, because my mother did not get the choice to keep my sister. She was stillborn, while these other pregnant women, who did not abstain from sex are able to abort their children. That is why in this country we have adoption, for people like my mom who could not handle the loss for the first couple weeks and then sees women purposefully kill their babies. I do not agree with my religious belief in this aspect, as Judaism teaches that a fetus isn’t alive until it is born . My sister was not even buried, but she will always be in my heart and it is part of my life goal as a (hopefully) future politician to deal with this issue head on.
Gun Rights- If you are a true conservative, you worship the 2nd amendment. You don’t feel safe unless there is a gun in your house protecting yourself and your family. This is where the Republicans have it right and are willing to fight in Congress. Obama believes that ‘The right of the people to keep and bear Arms’ is interpreted incorrectly and that a U.S. citizen should only be allowed to own one gun and only be able to buy so much ammo a month. On top of this, he supports a national “no-carry” law and a ban on all semi-automatic firearms. However, he forgets the second amendment that states that the right to bear arms ‘shall not be infringed’. True conservatives own more than one gun. Heck, my family owns four guns, I’ve bought four extra clips for them (can never be too careful). If you look to Switzerland (before the left moved in and took out the gun rights), where they had no anti-gun laws, you will find crime was a LOT less prevalent than in the U.S., and most of these gun related crimes were made by ‘Criminal Tourists’. Guns were issued to every male as part of their militia and criminals did not dare to mess with any house. Why? Because they knew that once they walked into a house to rob it, they would be met by a gun to the face. That is how you protect yourself, not with knives, but with guns. Remember Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.
Government- If you are a true conservative, you believe that government should be small and stay out of business’s way. This country has always run on entrepreneurship and it will probably stay that way for at least the near future. For example, look back at Reagan’s presidency. Reaganomics, as it is known, he cut taxes and reduced government spending, which helped businesses by cutting useless taxes and thus letting them lower prices to fit a hard time. They were also able to expand and hire more individuals. The only reason the deficit grew during that time was because Reagan was trying to end the Cold War. What do you think would happen if Obama practiced Reaganomics today? If you said that the government would produce a surplus for the first time in a LONG TIME, you are correct. The true way to fix the economy is to let the companies who made poor decisions (such as GM, or now, Government Motors) fail and let companies who made good decision during good times prosper the economy would even out in time. This is my personal way to fix the economy. No bailouts. Do companies who made good decisions get bailouts? NO, because they made GOOD decisions. These companies should be punished by the market so why give them more money when they will just make poor investments (i.e. AIG). Again. THAT’S YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK. This might be harsh, but a necessary chance to fix an economy that Obama can’t fix anyway.
Tune in next time for: Religion, Dealing with the deficit, Healthcare.
“Reaganomics, as it is known, he cut taxes and reduced government spending, which helped businesses by cutting useless taxes and thus letting them lower prices to fit a hard time.”
Reagan absolutely did not reduce government spending. http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10014/March2009_HistoricalTables.pdf
I enjoyed it. Even if someone is not a true blue conservative, it’s nice to know the exact spesifications of one. But, the greatness of this country is the ability to tweak it to your own believes, as you did with abortion.
But liberals are usually all super left wing, aren’t they?
While a pro-life stance is often associated with conservatism, there’s nothing inherently conservative about it. As you point out, different traditions believe life begins at different times. If you believe a fetus is not yet a human being, there is nothing immoral about terminating that fetus. Obviously if you believe it is a human being, such a termination is murder. But why is it more “conservative” to believe a fetus is a human being?
Given that there are different views on this issue, why is it that conservatives want government to make this decision? Even you proffer a nuanced view: you say that abortion ought to be permissible in circumstances of rape. Yet how does the rape justify a murder? It’s an extremely complex moral issue, and I’ve never understood why conservatives want the government to decide it for them.
Switzerland didn’t arm its citizenry for anti-crime reasons; they did so for reasons of national security. Military service is compulsory for males in Switzerland, and they keep their equipment with them at home. And, incidentally, the Swiss are a typical European socialist democracy, with universal health care and high taxes that pay for an intricate public transit system. Even compulsory military service is essentially a socialist function, even though you praise its results in distributing weaponry to the people. So what is inherently “conservative” about the right to bear arms if a nation far more progressive and socialist than the US does it?
A commenter above have already pointed out how inaccurate your statement about Reagan is. He sent this nation spiraling quickly into debt. I was amused by your saying that it would be the “first time in a LONG TIME” that we produced a surplus if we were to adopt the Reaganomics model. Here’s a graph of the budget surpluses and deficits by various Presidents: http://www.eriposte.com/economy/indicators/bush_deficit_graphic.gif The only President listed who ran a surplus was Bill Clinton.
I look eagerly forward to Part II of what it takes to be a conservative. Promises to be an interesting read.
Often associated? It is a clear cut between conservative and liberal. Just is right to bare arms. And if I’m not mistaken, he was saying pre-liberal take over of Switzerland. They had the right to have arms in their home at anytime they wanted. You simple were talking military, he was talking in general. Reganomics didn’t work? So his exact words were enough? He said we would have a two year ression then pull out with surplus. That is exactly what happened.
Part II will be interesting because it will unravel great misterys in the Convservative views, then people like you might not be as confused Benjamin.
I’m not trying to say that you are wrong, you just read what he said out of context slightly.
Interesting chart exept the only thing unique during Bill Clinton’s budget surplus years was that both houses of congress were controlled by Republicans. We can all blame past presidents, Democrat and Republicans, for economic woes but the rubber meets the road (and the lobbists) in the houses of congress. In reality neither party has much to crow about.
I make the cut based on those criteria but I would probably lose the title based on my views of forfeiture laws and the so-called “war on drugs”.
“Often associated? It is a clear cut between conservative and liberal. Just is right to bare arms.”
Bear arms. Bare arms are what Michelle Obama caused a kerfuffle over. My point was that the decision as to when life starts has nothing to do with whether one is conservative or liberal.
“And if I’m not mistaken, he was saying pre-liberal take over of Switzerland. They had the right to have arms in their home at anytime they wanted.”
They still do. There’s still compulsory military service in Switzerland, and those in the service still keep their military-grade assault weapons with them at home.
“Reganomics didn’t work? So his exact words were enough? He said we would have a two year ression then pull out with surplus. That is exactly what happened.”
Actually bother to click the link I provided to a graph of CBO data. Reagan NEVER ran a surplus, not once. You ought to review your version of the facts.
“Part II will be interesting because it will unravel great misterys in the Convservative views, then people like you might not be as confused Benjamin.”
Certainly should be interesting. Let me give you a preview of my confusion:
Freedom of religion: Why do the self-proclaimed freedom-lovers at the Free Republic celebrate every time a draconian law is passed in Europe limiting public displays of the Muslim faith?
Dealing with the deficit: Why haven’t conservatives actually done this? There’s a lot of talk about raising revenue by cutting taxes, but obviously cutting expenses, including pork flowing to districts and donors, is critical as well. Why did spending balloon under the Bush Administration even though Republicans controlled the White House and both houses of Congress?
Health care: Do conservatives want to dismantle Medicare? (I know the answer to this; I just haven’t heard conservative politicians bother to come out and say it, and I’d love to get a straight answer here.)
I look forward to the next post!
No, they’d just rather take over health care and medicare and control it, and then make us pay for someone who scrathed thier big toe.
Who is eriposte? Thier website doesn’t seem very official, nor does thier graph. Who construde these facts? A liberal?
“there’s nothing inherently conservative about it.”
It never occurred to me that liberty isn’t a conservative principle. Dream on, the right to live is one of the inalienable rights granted to us, not by government, but by God. The same way you don’t have the choice to end your neighbor’s life without consequence, a woman cannot choose to take the life of her child simply because she doesn’t feel like reaping what she has sown.
“different traditions believe life begins at different times”
But medicine tells us it is 22 days, when the child’s heart starts to beat on its own. Note how in most states a woman can receive an abortion on demand beyond this point.
“Yet how does the rape justify a murder?”
From a legal standpoint, the Constitution cannot be interpreted as restricting the peoples’ rights. You are correct that this causes a complex problem. Who do we honor? The right to live for the child? Or the right of liberty for the mother? As in most legal problems, this would require a case law interpretation of which should be upheld in what instances. And as a side note, it is only murder if it is unlawful, otherwise it is just killing.
“Switzerland didn’t arm its citizenry for anti-crime reasons; they did so for reasons of national security”
Mr. Bressman never claimed they did, rather, used the fact that every able-bodied male was armed with a rifle, and this prevented crime.
“even though you praise its results in distributing weaponry to the people.”
He praised the fact that everyone had a gun in their home, not that the government forced them. What is with you, strawman?
“So what is inherently “conservative” about the right to bear arms if a nation far more progressive and socialist than the US does it?”
This doesn’t really make much sense. The right to bear arms is an embodiment liberty, one that a big government typically wouldn’t allow. Switzerland tip-toes around this by having all males serve in the military. Even with this however, ordinary citizens may only own three guns of their own, and automatic and multi-fire weapons are illegal. Not only that, but silencers are also illegal. Here in Ohio, where our gun laws are relatively tight, you are able to purchase and use a silencer. Fully automatic weapons take a bit more work, but it can be done. Again, the fact that liberty is put before government regulation makes it a conservative value.
“The only President listed who ran a surplus was Bill Clinton.”
The President doesn’t balance the budget, Congress does. By your count, the only Congress to ever run a surplus was a largely Republican Congress. http://jcrue.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/debt.gif
Note how Congress, both the Senate and the House, were controlled by the Republican party from 1995 until 2007 (With a small gap in 2001 when the Democrats had control of the Senate when Jeffords became and independent).
“you just read what he said out of context slightly.”
I agree, which is why I called Benjamin strawman.
“Actually bother to click the link I provided to a graph of CBO data. Reagan NEVER ran a surplus, not once. You ought to review your version of the facts.”
Not during his presidency, you are right. Again, this is a Congressional issue, not a Presidential one. Even if you did consider it a Presidential one, the revenue accrued during the Bush Sr and Clinton years is usually referred to as the “Reagan Surplus”, as his economic policies are usually credited for the 20 year boom that gave us such growth.
“Why do the self-proclaimed freedom-lovers at the Free Republic celebrate every time a draconian law is passed in Europe limiting public displays of the Muslim faith?”
Good question, go ask them. The freedom to openly worship and practice whatever religion of your choosing is a conservative principle. Note how many of the so called “conservatives” at FR don’t always embody the most conservative principles. I’m sure many of them loved G. W. Bush. Any real conservative would recognize W. Bush not as a conservative, but as a moderate. Many of his policies were liberal, and he is much to blame for derailing the Republican party, sending them left. I would also like to point out the the EU is incredibly liberal. Sure, it is loosing steam, but it is a given that they are liberal.
“Why haven’t conservatives actually done this”
They did during the Clinton administration.
“Why did spending balloon under the Bush Administration even though Republicans controlled the White House and both houses of Congress?”
Because many of those Republicans were acting like moderates, or worse, liberals. Bush was a liberal when it came to spending. And they only controlled both houses until 2007, when they lost both houses to the Democrats. From there on out, the deficits have only become larger and larger. This year alone will more than double our total deficit. I don’t like Republican debt, I don’t like Democratic debt. However, if I had to bet on a party that I think will get us out, it’d be the Republicans. There is a reason why this post is going up: Many Republicans have drifted left without realizing it. Luckily, we are here to spread my uncommon sense and bring them back to the right.
“Do conservatives want to dismantle Medicare”
And medicaid. Fact of the matter is that much of medicare and medicaid wouldn’t be needed if we just addressed the problem of malpractice insurance. The cost of healthcare would diminish, and the government wouldn’t have to subsidize nearly as many people. Of course, if that person is just a free loader, they shouldn’t receive the same care as someone who works and pays for their own. Enough to get them labor ready, then they are back out on their own.
Never do for a man what he should do for himself.
“Who is eriposte? Thier website doesn’t seem very official, nor does thier graph. Who construde these facts? A liberal?”
Yes, the ultra-liberal Congressional Budget Office.
You guys are missing my repeated point about abortion, so I’ll try one more time and then drop it.
NO ONE of any political perspective believes that murdering babies is justifiable under ANY circumstances. The difference between the mainline stances of conservatives and liberals is that conservatives believe human life unquestionably starts early on (whether at conception, or 22 days as posited above); liberals believe that it is a complex moral issue with no one answer, and that it should be up to the individual rather than the government to determine whether a fetus is a human life or not.
On the Switzerland/firearms issue, you’re right! I misread what he was saying as implying that Switzerland issued firearms IN ORDER to reduce crime, not that that was a result of their doing so. My real issue there were the points that the Socialist nation of Switzerland hands out assault rifle willy-nilly, even though on most issues they couldn’t be considered conservative, so it’s not a PURELY conservative stance. (A better, domestic example would be Vermont’s complete lack of firearms restrictions: you can have an unlicensed assault rifle, in plain sight or concealed, wherever you go in the ultra-liberal state that has the country’s only socialist Senator). All I’m saying here is that there are plenty of examples of non-conservatives who are all about people having firearms.
Yep! A Republican Congress… just as Bush had from 2001 - 2007, while racking up massive deficits. Are you saying, meanwhile, that there were “Reaganomics” during the Clinton surplus? Whose budgets were more adherent to “Reaganomics,” those during the Clinton Presidency, or those during the Bush Administration?
thedmasterr, Excellent! You sound pretty consistent on your conservatism, which makes it actually possible to discuss this stuff with you. Most of what I’ve talked about has more to do with inconsistencies in the so-called conservative arguments that, as you point out, aren’t really terribly conservative at all.
We doubtlessly disagree about a lot (health care, it sounds like, in particular — but I’ll wait until that’s actually the topic of discussion), but do agree about one very important issue: conservatives haven’t been pulling their weight budgetarily for a while. I’m concerned you’re going to have a hard time cleaning house, too. There are a lot of entrenched politicians who have successfully convinced their constituents that what they are is what conservatism is. If you’re genuinely interested in liberty for all and in controlling the size of government, I wish you luck in getting your house in order.
“so it’s not a PURELY conservative stance. ”
The fact that a mostly liberal country embodies a particular belief doesn’t change the ideology of that belief, rather, changes the ideology of the country. The liberal country of Switzerland simply has a more conservative gun policy when compared to other European nations (Even though they are more moderate, as I explained above.) Gun rights is a conservative concept.
“you can have an unlicensed assault rifle, in plain sight or concealed, wherever you go in the ultra-liberal state that has the country’s only socialist Senator)”
Well I believe there’s more than one socialist senator, but that is a different discussion. Again, they are liberals that hold a conservative belief. Just because one liberal or two supports a conservative concept does not mean that the concept in question is more or less conservative, rather, that the liberal is more or less conservative.
“just as Bush had from 2001 - 2007, while racking up massive deficits.”
Yep, lead astray by a fiscally liberal President. It’s a shame.
“Are you saying, meanwhile, that there were “Reaganomics” during the Clinton surplus?”
No, I am saying the increased tax revenues are due to Reagan’s economic policies. You know, the ones that gave us a huge 20 year economic boom?
“but I’ll wait until that’s actually the topic of discussion”
Check out the main page, there are a couple posts up about healthcare
“I wish you luck in getting your house in order.”
It will take time, but I am confident that one day soon we will return to a true conservative government.
Actually Mr. Bressman, the unborn baby isn’t just a potential life. It is living, from the point of conception onward. I don’t say this from a religious standpoint, I say this because there is such significant medical evidence. Go to this website where it lists all the sources and texts that teach when human life begins: http://abort73.com/index.php?/abortion/medical_testimony
As far as rape goes, once it has been established that the unborn is a human life, it becomes indisputable that we must protect that life, and although the mother didn’t choose to become pregnant, her baby has a right to life that is just as prevalent as hers. When people say a woman has the right to choose, what are they saying she has a right to choose? the answer is, the right to choose death for her unborn baby. Although we live in a country that greatly encourages freedom and choice, some choices are wrong.
In the end, women (especially those who have been through something as traumatic as rape) deserve better than abortion.
I never said the baby was not living. The point I was making was that it is not the babies fault that the parents screwed up and that it may have a very long and productive life that would not have happened if it is aborted.
Know what I think?
Jesus > Politics
Well I definitely agree with you there, Justin. Jedidiah is Jewish, so I’m guessing he disagrees, but who knows?
Of course i disagree, however this is an argument that if i try to even take on will not end very well for either of us. We would probably just start another holy war.