Conservative Is (work in progress)

Each day conservatives become more alienated, radical, and deeply out of touch with the Republican party. This is not a coincidence. Each day another political figure, usually from the GOP, does violence to our understanding and practice of conservatism. It is watered down, compartmentalized, branched, recast, redefined and argued about until the water is so muddy it’s a miracle that any conservatives at all manage to bob to the surface.

Conservatism is a philosophy based on a small, easy to understand set of principles. It is not a specific policy, belief system, religion, or result. Nor is it a person, group, movement or knowledge. It is immutable, timeless and unaffected by science or political movements because it is based on the permanent and intrinsic nature of mankind.

Conservatism works because it is an accurate reflection and understanding of what mankind is, and how the world is govorned.

These are the primary tenets:

1.) Rights come from God, and are endowed by the Creator on human beings as an aspect of their creation.

2.) Individual responsibiity must always precede group responsibility.

3.) Mankind is sinful; evil and selfishness exist in everyone, and can only be controlled with great effort. Sin cannot be eradicated except by God. Man, because of his innate selfishness will always seek ways to better his condition to the best of his ability regardless of others.

4.) Each human life has intrinsic, infinite value, over all other life and all other existence.

5.) The natural and ideal state of all mankind is to be free.

The sum of all conservative values emanates from these five principles. All right and just policies are derived from the application thereof.

For example, abortion: principle 4. To abort a baby is to put a baby’s life antecedant to comfort, freedom, security, prevention of pain, or any other excuse. Human life has infinite value.

Taxes: principle 5. Mankind achieves his best when he’s given the most freedom possible with his own money. He will find better, more productive use of his time in accordance with principle 3.

Guns: principles 1, 4, 5. Men and women have the inalienable right to protect themselves, emanating from principle 4 and 5. This right cannot be abridged, modified or eliminated by any earthly agency, based on principle 1. From principle 4, human life is so precious that it can be protected at any cost, even other life.

Death penalty: 4. Life is so valuable and sacred, it is acceptable to treat the taking thereof with the ultimate punishment, the forfeiture of that life.

Crime vs. rehabilitation: principles 2 and 3. Human beings are by nature evil and will attempt to pursue their self interest to the detriment of others. They must be punished to the extent that the offender learns that it is in his self interest to avoid the pain of detention and loss of rights. He is held responsible for his own actions and punished, for it is his fault, not his parents’ or society’s fault.

Global warming and environmentalism: principle 2, 3 and 5. Mankind will best care for the planet when he is free from regulation and encumberment, because it is in his best interest to preserve his and his family's health, and the beauty of his surroundings. The facts of global warming are obviously in dispute, and while pursuit of fa--

more to come!