Charley Reese Warns: "Don't Enlist in the Culture War"

King Features Syndicate, Inc. ^ | 03-19-04 | Reese, Charley

[Theodore R.]

Don't Enlist In Culture War

I know that for many self-labeled conservatives, the "culture war" is one of their favorite topics. My advice is, don't enlist.

The major problems facing the United States have nothing to do with culture. They have to do with government and economics. The loss of American jobs, the so-called jobless recovery, the deficit, the unfair tax code, the trade deficit, the record levels of debt, a failed public-education system and a screwed-up foreign policy have nothing to do at all with art or culture or morality.

Ideally, of course, laws should reflect the consensus on morality. They do to some extent, mainly the criminal code. Unfortunately, government, in its zeal to expand, has criminalized many things that are inherently noncriminal. There are so many laws on the books today — and more coming — that not even a lawyer knows what they all are.

If Martha Stewart lied, she shouldn't have — but her main mistake was even agreeing to talk to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office. Why should a citizen undergo interrogation just because she sold some stock on the advice of her stockbroker? If your broker called and said the president of XYZ Corp. is dumping his stock and maybe you should sell yours, what would you do? You'd sell. That's what you pay a broker for — advice. Remember, the government didn't charge the woman with trading on insider information.

At any rate, that's one example of criminalizing conduct that is not inherently criminal. Criminal conduct always involves inflicting injury or death on a person or taking or destroying another person's property. Martha Stewart did neither. Her prosecution was an abuse of government power.

But as for morality as it concerns personal conduct, you can't rely on the government to impose it on individuals by the clumsy tools of the law and the prosecutor's office. Morality is a matter of individual conscience, and that is an area the government should stay out of except in those instances where force or fraud is used against the innocent. Even in those cases, the law is a poor deterrent.

Attraction to the same sex is not amenable to the law. The attraction will exist whether the law forbids it, allows it or ignores it. The same is true of addiction to chemicals. Fidelity in marriage, faith in a religion, personal honesty, integrity, respect for others, frugality and courage are all beyond the reach of government — and should be.

As I have said before, if homosexuals wish to deliver themselves into the hands of divorce lawyers, that should not be a public issue. I don't think the government should be a third party to heterosexual marriage, but making itself so does not sanctify a marriage. Just look at the high divorce rate. That and economic pressures are the main enemies of families.

When the Founding Fathers wisely chose to keep state and church separate, they did not intend to encourage atheism. On the other hand, they did intend to keep religious people from imposing their individual religious beliefs on other people via legislation.

In our free country, despite the obvious depravity of some people, there is nothing to keep a religious person from following his or her faith to the letter, regardless of how others choose to behave.

When politicians rant about matters of personal morality, they are just trying to distract your attention from their own failure to solve the quite secular problems that they themselves have created.

Don't let them get away with it. The politicians can't make you a saint, but they can destroy your material well-being.

© 2004 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

[ladtx]

I know that for many self-labeled conservatives, the "culture war" is one of their favorite topics. My advice is, don't enlist.

Charley, ignore the culture war at you own risk. Without a viable culture all the great economic gains are meaningless.

[Sam's Army]

Is this the same Charlie Reese that thinks Israel is always in the wrong?

[dennisw]

yep

[grobdriver]

The major problems facing the United States have nothing to do with culture. They have to do with government and economics.

Who is this person who has strawberry preserves for brains?
It's because of the lack of culture and morals that the people who are government do the things they do to cause the problems we face!
One Mr. Bill Clinton, for instance, for whom we have to thank that kids are defending their oral sex in school saying that it "isn't sex".

[safeasthebanks]

That's him.

Not to change topics but....did you see the article in the most recent SI about Tim Howard at Man. U.?

[Theodore R.]

Reese says that he voted for the Bush electors in 2000 in FL, but now he is strongly anti-Bush (and by default will "vote" for Kerry. He thinks conservatives are using the "culture war" for political ends. He falls increasingly in the "libertarian" strain of politics. Yes, as someone asked, he is anti-Israel, but he would say that is not the same as "anti-Semitic."

[iopscusa]

Tell CR to pontificate in a closet, he would at least have an audiance that would listen to his idiotcy.

[M-cubed]

Jeez!...where to begin??????......the rise and fall of the Roman Empire maybe?......Debase the culture, the money system, the basic morality of right and wrong...

[alloysteel]

Without the "culture war", what framework DO we have? All the ills described, the loss of American jobs, the so-called jobless recovery, the deficit, the unfair tax code, the trade deficit, the record levels of debt, a failed public-education system and a screwed-up foreign policy, may be most accurately ascribed to failure to study and apply the culture that has nourished this nation for the past 226 years. True, the framework then is not the framework that changed and grew, adapting to the needs as they arose, but the damaging blows being sent at that framework now are not the least bit constructive. Many things are being challenged, or simply being asserted, in the laws today that were never in the older framework, and work at cross purposes to future growth.

Someday the shining city on the hill, America, may fail. Not because it must, but because so few cared. Charley Reese is one of those who no longer care.

[Theodore R.]

It could be that Reese's "hatred" for G.W. Bush has clouded his judgement in regard to the ever-raging "culture war." Wasn't it Pat Buchanan, who Reese once supported, that coined the term "culture war"?

[Sam's Army]

Haven't read SI in years, so no. I did read an old magazine from a few years ago in the hospital emergency room a couple of weeks ago while waiting for my wife to get seen. There was a profile on Tim Howard when he was at his early days at NY/NJ and it talked about his strong belief in God and what an example he sets for others.

Not once was the term "anti-semitic" used--of course this article was from the days of pre-"Passion of Christ".

[Constantine XIII]

"Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." - John Adams, 1798

[Tribune7]

How about we just stick up for the Constitution (and Democracy) and get our judges to stop interfering with tradtions?

[Sam's Army]

"Yes, as someone asked, he is anti-Israel, but he would say that is not the same as "anti-Semitic."

How amazingly leftist of him.....

He would fit in well at Berkeley with rhetoric like that.

[montag813]

Is this the same Charlie Reese that thinks Israel is always in the wrong?

Yep. I am shocked to see a column from him which doesn't praise Muslims in some form. They must have forgetten his check this week.

[Esther Ruth]

And the WOLF who was dressed up as a SHEEP said to the Real SHEEP -

" Lay down and be real still and quiet will you? it will be easier for me to eat you!"

And SOME of the stupid sheep said "Oh he is so kind and polite, ok - I will lay down and be quiet, now why was it again you needed me to lay down and be quiet?"

[Sam's Army]

The checkbook is probably holed up in Waziristan as we speak...

[Esther Ruth]

REAL Sheep love ISRAEL!

[banjo joe]

I don't know if Americans in general have turned their backs on God, but it seems as if gubmint has.

What happens when a nation turns away from God?