Dolphins9954
05-30-2012, 08:52 AM
Enter my friend the "socialist conservative."
Ok, that term isn't entirely accurate, so a bit of clarification is in order. I have heard people use many terms to describe this inconsistent type of person as a "tea party collectivist," "big government Republican" or "corporate statist." All fall in the vein of someone who says, I want to cut spending and limit government, except for Medicare or Social Security - I paid into those.
Another giveaway is the person who calls for a constitutionally limited government, but is ok with an unconstitutional war on drugs or regular encroachment on civil liberties. As long as it doesn't inhibit their particular view of the world, the "socialist conservative" is all for it.
Veronique de Rugy recently called out many Republicans for being "pro-business," but not actually "pro-market." Yes, they are very different. These are the people who are ok with selective tax cuts, bailouts or subsidies for individual (and coincidentally well connected) corporations. A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless to protect him from future criticism, calls this whole phenomenon of double speak with a straight face - "tea party hypocrisy."
I shared just a few examples of policy above, but there are many which divide groups and people who are supposedly "conservative" - undeclared (therefore unconstitutional) wars and foreign interventions, the Patriot Act (unconstitutional search and seizure), NDAA and Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act (basically eradication of the 4th and 14th amendments), war on drugs, entitlement programs, etc, etc.
On these policies and a great many more - "limited government" or "constitutional" receives a very subjective interpretation. They'll even tell you how the commerce clause justifies their respective policies to move forward, but not Obama's healthcare mandate. I'm always left puzzled by these inconsistent positions, as I'm left with "socialist conservatives."
During the peak of the Republican Presidential primary, I noticed a trend that a great number of these individuals expressed support for some pretty squishy candidates - even complimenting them for their strong defense of the Constitution or history of fiscally responsible choices....stop the music, what did they say??
Santorum is the same guy who said, "The STATE should limit individual's wants and passions." Romney is the guy who brought us a STATE mandated healthcare system, and Gingrich's list of big STATE solutions is so long that it's difficult to pick just one.
These types of "socialist conservatives" brought us a 104% increase in federal spending during the Bush Presidency alone. They voted to raise the debt ceiling again and again, voted for the largest government healthcare expansion in 30 years, the largest stimulus plan in American history to date with Bush's "Economic Stimulus Act," the largest infringement on the free market system in world history through corporate bailouts and one of the largest federal overreaches in American history in No Child Left Behind.
Many came before them, and many will come after who push fiscal insanity, modified socialist policies and regular attacks on personal freedom. That should be enough for "conservative" people to cringe in disgust, but they don't, and for this I remain stunned. Have these new "socialist conservatives" abandoned the Goldwater approach to conservatism when he said, "I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them....And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents' "interests," I shall reply that I was informed that their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can."
It became pretty clear in the Presidential primary that too many "conservatives" want to get rid of the villain, but aren't actually ready for a view of the world truly rooted in individualism and self-ownership. True and legitimate constitutionally restrained government means letting go of the moral systems imposed by government, and also accepting the fact that it isn't government's role to control what substances go into our bodies or people who come into our bedroom. This seems a tough bridge for many to cross.
For all the talk that the tea party protests were about principles over party and ideas over candidates - much of it seems to have gone out the door. Much of it has turned out to be hyperbolic oratory to just feign the desire to shrink the STATE, but not really shrink it - really just tweak it a bit.
The "socialist conservatives" choose to embrace a stronger STATE as long as it's a version of the STATE more conducive to their world view, or at least self-serving to their bank accounts (IE: entitlements). And this is where the principles disappear. This is where my heart truly breaks because no one is considering the consequences.............
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Ok, that term isn't entirely accurate, so a bit of clarification is in order. I have heard people use many terms to describe this inconsistent type of person as a "tea party collectivist," "big government Republican" or "corporate statist." All fall in the vein of someone who says, I want to cut spending and limit government, except for Medicare or Social Security - I paid into those.
Another giveaway is the person who calls for a constitutionally limited government, but is ok with an unconstitutional war on drugs or regular encroachment on civil liberties. As long as it doesn't inhibit their particular view of the world, the "socialist conservative" is all for it.
Veronique de Rugy recently called out many Republicans for being "pro-business," but not actually "pro-market." Yes, they are very different. These are the people who are ok with selective tax cuts, bailouts or subsidies for individual (and coincidentally well connected) corporations. A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless to protect him from future criticism, calls this whole phenomenon of double speak with a straight face - "tea party hypocrisy."
I shared just a few examples of policy above, but there are many which divide groups and people who are supposedly "conservative" - undeclared (therefore unconstitutional) wars and foreign interventions, the Patriot Act (unconstitutional search and seizure), NDAA and Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act (basically eradication of the 4th and 14th amendments), war on drugs, entitlement programs, etc, etc.
On these policies and a great many more - "limited government" or "constitutional" receives a very subjective interpretation. They'll even tell you how the commerce clause justifies their respective policies to move forward, but not Obama's healthcare mandate. I'm always left puzzled by these inconsistent positions, as I'm left with "socialist conservatives."
During the peak of the Republican Presidential primary, I noticed a trend that a great number of these individuals expressed support for some pretty squishy candidates - even complimenting them for their strong defense of the Constitution or history of fiscally responsible choices....stop the music, what did they say??
Santorum is the same guy who said, "The STATE should limit individual's wants and passions." Romney is the guy who brought us a STATE mandated healthcare system, and Gingrich's list of big STATE solutions is so long that it's difficult to pick just one.
These types of "socialist conservatives" brought us a 104% increase in federal spending during the Bush Presidency alone. They voted to raise the debt ceiling again and again, voted for the largest government healthcare expansion in 30 years, the largest stimulus plan in American history to date with Bush's "Economic Stimulus Act," the largest infringement on the free market system in world history through corporate bailouts and one of the largest federal overreaches in American history in No Child Left Behind.
Many came before them, and many will come after who push fiscal insanity, modified socialist policies and regular attacks on personal freedom. That should be enough for "conservative" people to cringe in disgust, but they don't, and for this I remain stunned. Have these new "socialist conservatives" abandoned the Goldwater approach to conservatism when he said, "I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them....And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents' "interests," I shall reply that I was informed that their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can."
It became pretty clear in the Presidential primary that too many "conservatives" want to get rid of the villain, but aren't actually ready for a view of the world truly rooted in individualism and self-ownership. True and legitimate constitutionally restrained government means letting go of the moral systems imposed by government, and also accepting the fact that it isn't government's role to control what substances go into our bodies or people who come into our bedroom. This seems a tough bridge for many to cross.
For all the talk that the tea party protests were about principles over party and ideas over candidates - much of it seems to have gone out the door. Much of it has turned out to be hyperbolic oratory to just feign the desire to shrink the STATE, but not really shrink it - really just tweak it a bit.
The "socialist conservatives" choose to embrace a stronger STATE as long as it's a version of the STATE more conducive to their world view, or at least self-serving to their bank accounts (IE: entitlements). And this is where the principles disappear. This is where my heart truly breaks because no one is considering the consequences.............
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