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The New Conservative Vision
A new kind of conservatism is growing in America, and we as conservatives must make our beliefs clear. We are conservatives, but we are not blind traditionalists. Our beliefs follow some traditions, but we borrow practical aspects of libertarian thought and recognize that America is always changing. We have positive ideas for America’s future, and our principles are the best guide to peace and prosperity.
Our beliefs come largely from Ronald Reagan, who began the Reagan Era in 1980 by proclaiming the truth that government is not the solution to our problems and who left the public eye in 1992 by reminding us that our appeal is to America’s best hopes and not America’s worst fears. Liberalism is about “you can’t” and “we can’t.” Liberalism starts with “you as an individual can’t save for your own retirement;” “you as an individual can’t overcome poverty;” and “you as a community can’t run your own schools.” Liberalism ends with “we as a nation are bound and blindfolded in the face of our enemies.” In the depths of liberal malaise, Ronald Reagan defined the new conservatism by saying “you can” as an individual and “we can” as a nation.
We proudly proclaim our belief in absolute truth. Different cultures have had different views of absolute truth. We take this as a challenge to be diligent and open-minded in seeking truth. This is not an excuse to pretend that absolute truth doesn’t exist or to hypocritically mock the idea of absolute truth while trying to impose our view of it. Because the search for truth is an ongoing process, government must exercise great restraint in acting on any view of truth.
We support the First Amendment as a vehicle for seeking the truth. Free speech and a free press allow communication of ideas and evidence needed in seeking truth. Freedom of assembly and freedom of religion protect people’s right to act on truth. The First Amendment is not a government sanction to insult other citizens or spit on God.
We believe that every individual should be free to make decisions. He/she should be free to enjoy the rewards of making good decisions and should bear the responsibility for making bad decisions. Individuals may define rewards in their own terms, and the free market should be the arbiter of one’s decisions. Some rights are not subject to trade, and government’s involvement extends only to the maintenance of those rights.
We oppose welfare and similar entitlements because these programs have subsidized foolish behavior and poor decisions. Taxpayers’ having to work to subsidize other’s foolishness is wrong. More importantly, foolishness and poor decisions are killing America’s poorer classes. We oppose robbing the productive to fund the slow suicide of the non-productive.
We believe that government should punish crimes because those crimes are wrong. Government must not harass the innocent as a substitute for prosecuting the guilty. The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Amendments should protect the innocent instead of shielding the guilty. Punishment should represent proper retribution for the harm done by the crime. Rehabilitation is not the government’s job because the government should not define what any person should be.
We believe that every individual has the right to defend his/her life, property, and dignity against wrongful assault. Therefore the government should respect the true intention of the 2nd Amendment to protect the right of every individual to own and use firearms.
We support taxation and government power only to the extent that they preserve our rights. The military protects our rights against foreign predators, and law enforcement punishes domestic predators. The Constitution requires the federal government to provide mail service and gives a few limited regulatory powers. These powers should support and not infringe on individual choices in a free market.
We support universal education because liberty does not belong to the unthinking and ignorant. Schools must teach objective facts about math, science, and language. Schools must teach that United States is the greatest, most productive country in the world because we allow individuals to achieve their utmost for themselves. The Constitution does not require and we do not need federal involvement to accomplish these goals.
We acknowledge that some programs have promoted the general welfare. The space program represents tremendous achievement with practical benefits. The preservation of scenic and historic areas is a noble endeavor. However, even too much “good” government always harms the general welfare. We are willing to consider good programs, but we recognize that private alternatives usually do the most good both for individuals and for the country.
Conservatives do not deny life’s hardships, but we believe that individuals can overcome their problems. We do not believe in a “one size fits all” bridge to the twenty-first century. We are a diverse nation, and each person traveling a different path needs a different bridge. Conservatism is about protecting and freeing each individual’s resources so that he/she can build that bridge.
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