GentlemanAxel
Posts: 5
Joined: 3/2/2005 Status: offline
|
The guy who wrote the original handbook on modern conservatism, Barry Goldwater, had an interesting quote I ran across awhile back. "You don't have to be straight to shoot straight." It was a passing reference to the idea of gays in the military, which was as much of an issue back in the 60's as it is today. It's uncomplicated, unvarnished, pragmatic, and utterly unbiased. It's a little nugget of truth. Goldwater himself might not have cared personally for gays, but that one statement showed his willingness to put the needs of the country above his own personal comfort or discomfort. That, I think, gets down to the heart of genuine conservatism, not the lunatic "neo-conservatism" that everybody blathers about. Whatever one's personal distaste or preference might be, personal issues are not in the realm of the government to intrude upon, nor are personal preferences the basis for sound government policy. I'm straight, but I have gay friends, and they're probably more conservative than I am. I dislike abortion, but I recognize the necessity of it, and I recognize that outlawing abortion puts us back to an era of dirty back rooms and rusty coat hangers. Some might argue that this is simplistic, that I'm only choosing between "the lesser of two evils." And they'd be right to point it out. What they would wrong about is being so goddamn sanctimonious about it. The world is not always filled with easy good choice/bad choice situations. Sometimes, you have to find the choice that is the least bad, the one that you might eventually salvage some good from. When I first registered to vote, I registered Republican. I didn't much enjoy the Clinton Administration, but nobody ever said I'd always like the guy in the White House. In the last ten years or so, I've become simply an independent, beholden to no party. Mainly because there are very few Democrats who I can find any cause with and the Republicans have so thoroughly bolloxed everything up. I'll admit to feeling a certain vengeful pride when the US invaded Afghanistan, after the Taliban made it perfectly clear that they weren't going to give up bin Laden. I'll admit to feeling a decided uncertainty about Iraq at the start, because I recognized (if only dimly) that Saddam Hussein's antics were stupid and cruel but not related in any direct fashion I could think of to 9/11. I will admit to feeling a strong revulsion to the PATRIOT Act, thinking to myself "This is not good. This is that whole liberty vs. safety tradeoff that Franklin and Jefferson warned about so many years ago." I swear, I kept hearing Henry Silva (who played Ben Franklin in the film version of the musical 1776) saying "Those who would give up liberty just obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" every time somebody mentioned the PATRIOT Act on TV or on news websites. And let's be honest, while a few may have dissented on the PATRIOT Act, and the Iraq war authorization, and any number of stupid measures that have come through in the last 8 years, it's not as if the room was packed with Republicans and the Democrats were huddled in the corner like frightened children. Both parties have to answer for their stupidty. The impending "Internet SAFETY Act" currently in the House and Senate are perfectly good examples of fresh stupidity. And while Republicans might have introduced the bills, it'll be Democrats who likely end up approving them. If I could sum up genuine conservatism in less than five words, it would be these: "Leave me alone." Am I doing something patently illegal (murder, drug smuggling, burning down orphanages with nuns and kiddies inside)? No? Good. Leave me alone. Am I doing irreparable harm to my community, my state, and my nation? No? Good. Leave me alone. If the state needs my service in matters of public duty (voting, jury duty, taxes), I'm all too happy to help out. If the state needs my services beyond matters of public duty, they can hammer out a deal with me the same as any other entity wanting to do business. The corollary to the idea of "leave me alone" is "I'll leave you alone." If you ask me for help, I'll help within reason, just as I'd expect you to do the same. If you don't want my help, you don't have to ask. And yes, this does not take into account basic altruism, religious calls to aid others, or anything like that. Those are additional factors, wrinkles on an otherwise smooth canvas. Thus endeth the rant.
|