Where Have You Gone, Barry Goldwater?
My friends, it is with deep regret that today I declare the conservative movement in this country has lost. Socialism has won. It has weaved its way into our society and can never be removed. Hurricane Katrina is what has brought me to this conclusion.
I read through the Constitution this morning with particular emphasis on the powers of Congress. Nowhere in the document does is say anything about the government having the responsibility to evacuate people in the path of a natural disaster. Further reading gives no indication the United States government has any obligation to help people affected by a natural disaster. Yet today the government is taking heavy criticism for not doing enough to get people out before the storm and not doing enough to help people after the storm.
As a society we have come to take it for granted that the government will always be there for us. Government will solve all of our problems. We no argue over whether the government should get involved, instead we haggle over what level of involvement the government should have. And it is not just Katrina this applies to.
To too many people it has become a self evident truth that it is the federal government's job to fund your child's education.
To too many people it has become a self evident truth that it is the federal government's job to fund your retirement.
To too many people it has become a self evident truth that it is the federal government's job to give you free healthcare.
These are just a few examples of what socialism has conquered in this country. But socialism is not resting. Its tentacles continue to reach and grab on to more parts of our society. Many people think the federal government has an obligation to make sure you have a good job, live in a nice house, and drive a nice car. Going further than that, there are those that feel the government has an obligation to regulate your behaviour. Tell you what to eat, not to smoke and drink, what you should watch on television, what kind of car you should drive. It is only a matter of time before these too become "self evident truths."
We now live in a country where one out of every six people works for either their local, state, or federal government. One out of six. That is about 50 million Americans by my rough estimate. Government doesn't produce anything. It has no major revenue source other than taxes. All government can do is spend. The more people we have working for the government, the less we produce as a nation. Eventually we will end up in a cycle where everyone works for the government. That is communism, and we all know how that experiment worked out.
Right now I do not have much hope for our future. These programs have become too popular. The conservative movement cannot argue to remove them without committing political suicide. All we can do is argue over how much to allot to them. We have lost. America will never be the same as it was 100 years ago.
But life goes on. I have come to accept the reality in which I live. These socialist programs are never going away. All we as conservatives can do is try to reduce their scope and watch our public officials to make sure our money is being spent wisely. Sorry for the downer.
I read through the Constitution this morning with particular emphasis on the powers of Congress. Nowhere in the document does is say anything about the government having the responsibility to evacuate people in the path of a natural disaster. Further reading gives no indication the United States government has any obligation to help people affected by a natural disaster. Yet today the government is taking heavy criticism for not doing enough to get people out before the storm and not doing enough to help people after the storm.
As a society we have come to take it for granted that the government will always be there for us. Government will solve all of our problems. We no argue over whether the government should get involved, instead we haggle over what level of involvement the government should have. And it is not just Katrina this applies to.
To too many people it has become a self evident truth that it is the federal government's job to fund your child's education.
To too many people it has become a self evident truth that it is the federal government's job to fund your retirement.
To too many people it has become a self evident truth that it is the federal government's job to give you free healthcare.
These are just a few examples of what socialism has conquered in this country. But socialism is not resting. Its tentacles continue to reach and grab on to more parts of our society. Many people think the federal government has an obligation to make sure you have a good job, live in a nice house, and drive a nice car. Going further than that, there are those that feel the government has an obligation to regulate your behaviour. Tell you what to eat, not to smoke and drink, what you should watch on television, what kind of car you should drive. It is only a matter of time before these too become "self evident truths."
We now live in a country where one out of every six people works for either their local, state, or federal government. One out of six. That is about 50 million Americans by my rough estimate. Government doesn't produce anything. It has no major revenue source other than taxes. All government can do is spend. The more people we have working for the government, the less we produce as a nation. Eventually we will end up in a cycle where everyone works for the government. That is communism, and we all know how that experiment worked out.
Right now I do not have much hope for our future. These programs have become too popular. The conservative movement cannot argue to remove them without committing political suicide. All we can do is argue over how much to allot to them. We have lost. America will never be the same as it was 100 years ago.
But life goes on. I have come to accept the reality in which I live. These socialist programs are never going away. All we as conservatives can do is try to reduce their scope and watch our public officials to make sure our money is being spent wisely. Sorry for the downer.
posted by Mike at 9:58 AM
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