Post by Righty on Jun 28, 2004 11:34:08 GMT -5
Traditions are a wonderful thing. As humans, we derive safety from them. They give us a sense of who we are.
Though America is a relatively new country, it already has some of the best traditions in the world, but most are only symbols of our most important tradition, one dating back to 1787.
At that time, things were not going well for America. The Articles of Confederation created a useless system that gave the government almost no power. So, the founders of our country made some changes.
It wasn’t easy. They met in summer, with the windows nailed shut for secrecy, but when they emerged from that hall in Philadelphia, they had created the ultimate government. It had power, but also had checks on that power. It could tell the people what to do, but the people could tell it what to do. They had seen a problem and, throwing convention to the wind, had fixed it. What a wonderful tradition.
Of course, they had the age-old debates, Left against Right, Progressive against Conservative, but that too is a wonderful tradition. It makes our country strong, and tempers our actions with careful thought.
Unfortunately, this tradition is in jeopardy. A third force has appeared on the scene, one which does not stand for bold progress or measured caution. It stands for devolution, undoing what we’ve already accomplished.
Yes, some would truly benefit from turning back the clock. Robber Barons could return, using unfair business tactics and abusing their workers. Everyone else would get nothing but air choking with pollution because it is no longer kept clean by the EPA, and meat ripe with infection because it is no longer USDA inspected.
I feel that our values are eroding, and that we’re heading in the wrong direction, so I'm conservative. I will not, however, fall prey to the lie of devolution, and those who would rather return to the past than enter the future.
There is nothing wrong with re-inventing government. Downsizing and streamlining to cut costs and help people are noble goals, but neo-Conservatives offer an economy without any rules, a world in which polio still exists. Their anarchist crusade to eliminate government, and return to a non-regulated existence betrays Locke’s “social Contract,” the inspiration for our constitution.
We accept government’s invasion of our lives because that is the only way everyone achieves our true goals: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Let us not forget that that is what government brings. That is what progress brings.
Though America is a relatively new country, it already has some of the best traditions in the world, but most are only symbols of our most important tradition, one dating back to 1787.
At that time, things were not going well for America. The Articles of Confederation created a useless system that gave the government almost no power. So, the founders of our country made some changes.
It wasn’t easy. They met in summer, with the windows nailed shut for secrecy, but when they emerged from that hall in Philadelphia, they had created the ultimate government. It had power, but also had checks on that power. It could tell the people what to do, but the people could tell it what to do. They had seen a problem and, throwing convention to the wind, had fixed it. What a wonderful tradition.
Of course, they had the age-old debates, Left against Right, Progressive against Conservative, but that too is a wonderful tradition. It makes our country strong, and tempers our actions with careful thought.
Unfortunately, this tradition is in jeopardy. A third force has appeared on the scene, one which does not stand for bold progress or measured caution. It stands for devolution, undoing what we’ve already accomplished.
Yes, some would truly benefit from turning back the clock. Robber Barons could return, using unfair business tactics and abusing their workers. Everyone else would get nothing but air choking with pollution because it is no longer kept clean by the EPA, and meat ripe with infection because it is no longer USDA inspected.
I feel that our values are eroding, and that we’re heading in the wrong direction, so I'm conservative. I will not, however, fall prey to the lie of devolution, and those who would rather return to the past than enter the future.
There is nothing wrong with re-inventing government. Downsizing and streamlining to cut costs and help people are noble goals, but neo-Conservatives offer an economy without any rules, a world in which polio still exists. Their anarchist crusade to eliminate government, and return to a non-regulated existence betrays Locke’s “social Contract,” the inspiration for our constitution.
We accept government’s invasion of our lives because that is the only way everyone achieves our true goals: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Let us not forget that that is what government brings. That is what progress brings.