Rational Conservatism...

Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth



A Conservative Manifesto (revised 11/25/15)

 1) Limited effective government with authority granted to it as enumerated in our Constitution

2) A true free market capitalist economy, that is to say a market regulated to insure honest competition. For a market to be free it must be regulated.

3) A judiciary (Supreme Court) that interprets law from a strict constitutionalist prospective.

4) A legislative branch that recognizes their responsibility is to the people and not their own corrupt political interests or those of any special interest group.

5) A government that recognizes the rights of the individual as delineated in our Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

6) A government that views its mandate to tax the citizenry as limited to funding the proper role of government. Which includes providing for the national defense and the general welfare of the nation.

7) A government that recognizes the value of borders, language, and culture and insures that we have effective laws to control immigration into our country. As a nation of immigrants we should remain a melting pot but must do so wisely.

8) A government that recognizes the only appropriate use of deadly force is in the defense of our borders and our people

9) A government that protects the rights of all to free political and religious speech as well as written expression of the same.

10) A government that insures its citizens are protected from crimes against their person or property, and when necessary administers proper and effective redress.

Have fun... adding to, striking from, scraping entirely, whatever. Build a better mousetrap if ya'll like. As for me? I'll check in from time to time and maybe even comment, but higher priorities are now calling.

BTW, this will be an open thread for some time. Keep it respectful, non critical, non judgmental, and clean, so an honest free flowing discussion can take form.

Thanks to all.


Or the Alternative



h/t The Surfer Dude

Comments

  1. dmarksFri Nov 27, 11:09:00 PM EST

    Good list. I note that #6 rules out using tax policy to enforce morality or groom behavior. Especially good.

    Not going to nitpick on the rest.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jersey McJonesSat Nov 28, 01:26:00 AM EST

    I have to tell you, Les, from the historical perspective, conservative leaders have always tended to rig the game in their interests. Always. Dating back to the founding of this country, to our political forebears in England, to the Romans and Greeks. Most of your list is pretty mainstream moderate-conservative/libertarian that most people from the right of center over to the right could agree on, or at least tolerate. But vested conservative interests and politicians have never, ever, shown a propensity for actually governing how they promise. Part of this is that they make a lot of crazy promises, but part of it that even if they were to take up a more moderate platform like yours they'd rapidly lose their seats as the money dries up. Conservative politicians get most of their money from from people who make money off other people's labor. They are inherently corrupt.

    JMJ

    ReplyDelete
  3. Les CarpenterSat Nov 28, 03:50:00 AM EST

    Perhaps it is simply the darker side of humanity Jersey. Historically we had lefisst like Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and many otherd who were as corrupt, if not more so, than those conservatives you point out.

    It is the lust for ever more power, and yes, money is power, that corrupts. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Wether or not government is conservative or liberal the natural evolution of money and power is towards corruption.

    Maybe if and when, and this may be a big if, government in the U.S. actually finds its way to the vast moderate and rational center and strips out all monied special interests and influence we'll be on our way. History informs this is unlikely. The pendulum affect is always in motion.

    Or so it seems...

    ReplyDelete
  4. (O)CT(O)PUSSat Nov 28, 08:39:00 AM EST

    “A true free market capitalist economy, that is to say a market regulated to insure honest competition. For a market to be free it must be regulated.”

    I have been meaning to talk about capitalism and free enterprise for a long time, but distractions get in the way. I grew up in a small country village during the 1950s, and this is what I recall:

    The grocery store, pharmacy, dry goods store, main street luncheonette, village hardware store, gas station and auto body shop, local restaurant, and sporting goods store … these were owned and operated as family businesses by people who resided in the town and had a stake in the community.

    No longer. The above list of businesses have been replaced by chain stores and mega retailers. Main Street is no longer owned and operated locally, as the entire retail market has been taken over by large predatory fish.

    Small merchants can no longer compete with mega-retailers, such as Walmart, which buys merchandise in bulk at discounted prices — and pays substandard wages that must be subsidized by the government ($6 billion annually paid by taxpayers).

    There was a time when the middle class was the merchant class, and the merchant class was the middle class; but changes in commerce have changed the face of America. Faceless entities in faraway corporate suites have no stake in the life of our communities. Mergers and consolidations have left us impoverished and soulless.

    Capitalism, of the kind I recall in my childhood, no longer exists. Today, we have cartels and oligarchy.

    I am by no means knocking the Conservative Manifesto. It could almost pass as a liberal one with only a few changes in emphasis. These days, the promise of America no longer exists … not the way I remember it … and it will take a lot more than a manifesto to return us to our founding principles.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Les CarpenterSat Nov 28, 12:20:00 PM EST

    These days, the promise of America no longer exists … not the way I remember it … and it will take a lot more than a manifesto to return us to our founding principles.

    Nor as I recall it (O)CT(O)PUS. Things took a turn south following the assassination of JFK, LBJ's Expansion of war in Vietnam, Richard Nixon's paranoid leadership, Watergate, and what became a general overall acceptance of keeping the USA on a war footing ad infinitum. In the process of spreading "The American Ideal" worldwide we trapped ourselves and now must pay the fiddler his dues.

    Sure it will take a lot more than a manifesto, conservative, or liberal. In short it will take action; action by the good. rational, and reasonable patriots of America. Do you think they are willing or able? I am a cynic as my observable reality tells me they are not. At least not in large enough numbers to make a difference. Red is flowing all over America, a deceitful and dangerous red. It has enveloped our body politic, the machinations of government, and or financial and economic institutions; and it ain't socialism or communism... it is evil fascism and it is growing. It is American FASCISM. Trump, and others like him, and their supporters are the embodiment of this cancer and it is growing.

    One of the ways to advance the growth of fascism and ideologies like it is to kill the mind, that is to say the independent thinking process of the citizens of a nation. We are in the grip of this as we discuss this horrible possibility of happening here.

    Many will remain silent. Fear often does that to people.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Prophet Dervish Z SandersMon Nov 30, 12:51:00 PM EST

    I blame Conservatism and Libertarianism for America as Octo remembers it no longer existing. As for "Limited government", I think government needs to be large enough to counter the power of the large corporations. Limiting government is code for making it small and weak so that it is ineffective and can't counter the power of the plutocrats.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Les CarpenterMon Nov 30, 02:33:00 PM EST

    A government large enough and powerful enough can regulate business to the extent it essentially take effective control of the means of production. Not good in my opinion.

    Balance is the key and it should be the operative goal.

    Plutocrats and Oligarchs, well, we are in danger of losing our democratic republicans way or the other it seems.

    ReplyDelete

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