Conservative Soup - food for thought

I have recently transferred to another office within the corporation that I work. I will leave out the particulars, but I have moved to a mid-west college town that is extremely liberal. I feel like the guy who wore the suit to the casual affair. I really do stick out like a sore thumb. As I try to stay within the banker circles in town, I am quietly trying to soak in the new atmosphere and sift out the crap. Although alienated, I am trying to step back and discover what I can learn about these people for which I cannot understand. I'm not trying to say that being a liberal makes someone a "bad person", but the ultra-liberals are too much for me to comprehend. After observing my first anti-war rally on Wednesday this is a brief outline of my thoughts of how ultra-liberals think:

1) Although an ultra liberal will tell you how much they feel something is wrong or unjust, they do not take action to change it. Screaming and yelling seem to be the mode of choice for them.
2) No matter who you are, you cannot possibly be as intelligent and enlightened as an ultra- liberal.
3) I am a sellout to society because I have chosen a profession and choose to work for someone else for a living. I am a sheep that works for a corporation that wants to take over the world and make everyone else poor. (This is the 10 year college student version)
4) No one is at fault for their own personal mistakes. It is much easier to point the blame at others.
5) Republicans and Christians are to blame for most of the world's problems.
6) America is an oppressor that yields its power on innocent and defenseless nations.
7) Cutting your hair is frowned upon.

I have already rocked the boat in town as I am not hiding my personal beliefs that contradict all of these views metinoned above. I am already known as a deer killing maniac to a few because I enjoy bow hunting. I can't wait to hang my first deer in my side yard this fall! I'm looking forward to some of the conversations I will be having in the coming years with my neighbors, co-workers, and new friends. Hopefully, I can help them ease their pain and give them a healthy serving of conservative soup.

~Milt

This is really a companion piece to Dardin's excellent "When the good of the party trumps the good of the nation". Dardin's post hit some points that I feel so strongly about that I felt compelled to do something more than leave a comment to it.

To start, I also consider myself more Libertarian than Republican. Actually, I view "true" Conservatives as the same. The problem is that the Conservative (or Right-Wing) moniker has been attached to many questionable agendas. For example, many Conservatives are considered racists to the degree that if you are a racist, it is assumed that you are a right-winger!

One of the points of Dardin, Milt, and Will's "Conservative Soup" Blog is that it is based on our individual values and not a party line. The one thing that draws me toward Libertarianism is the fact that the party is value-based (much like this Blog of our's). The foundation of minimal government intervention into the lives of Americans. Neither Dems or Repubs can make a claim that their platform can be boiled down to a one-sentence essence such as this (my favorite example of this fact is the Republican change of stance on term-limitations since gaining Congressional power). By definition, a Libertarian would cease to be a Libertarian upon a similar change of stance. Interesting thought.

The idea of "Conservative v. Liberal" is starting to give me pause now. As I view the world, I don't merely filter my thoughts based upon whether my view is "Right or Left". I try to insert a little "right or wrong" (no, that doesn't mean that I think Left equals wrong!). Many would think my many of my beliefs are Left. I just think they are right: I do believe we have a responsibility to help the poor of the world (I just believe that it is an individual responsibility, not the government's). I believe we need to be responsible stewards of our environment. I believe that all races and genders are equal. I believe that killing is wrong (but, sometimes unavoidable in order to ultimately save lives). The common thread is love and compassion for God's creatures. Hatred leads to division. That's not Left, Right, Conservative, or Liberal. It is just...well, correct.

Should we rename Conservative Soup? Good question.

Will

We can thank God (and the U.S. military) that this monster did not survive the blast. The world will now be aleviated the need to endure another trial mockery (read: Saddam and Milosevic).

The death of al-Zarqawi (and hopefully a few of his minions) will undoubtly save many more death of innocents. No trial, no witnesses, no fearful judges, no delays...only justice.

al-Zarqawi had already been sentenced to death TWICE by the country of Jordan (a supporter of the war on terror).

Some even claim that he was too violent even for bin Laden.

Good riddance...and I am glad you got to see the American soldiers that helped you leave.

Will

Stay tuned for my series about welcoming Mexico as the 51st State. This should be a real hoot. I will cover cheap tequilla, donkey accidents, worthless currencies, and vacation hot spots!

More to come...

~Milt

There ain't no good guys,
There aint no bad guys,
there's only you and me,
and we just dis-agree...

-Dave Mason-

The past few weeks in bloggerland have been somewhat depressing. Those with whom I've had the pleasure in communicating with can testify to our common theme of the moment,.. the insane "absolute-ism" that exists in the political discourse. No liberal wants to give a conservative credit for anything, no conservative wants to get caught dead agreeing with a liberal, etc. Why does partisanship trump the better of the nation? why do we each feel that EVERYTHING our platform stands for is better that what YOURS stands for? How can it be that we dis-agree on 95% of everything... is it that difficult to give credit to opposing views when they show you a better path than your own?

Take foreign policy. Libertarians believe in virtually no foreign policy intervention whatsoever. An almost Wilsonian credo to our platform. If Hitler incarnate were to rise in the halls of the Kaiser's palace my party would say "Screw you Europe, you're on your own, its not our problem". There is a troubling absolute-ism to this issue that makes me think not everything in my party makes sense. I think most of us can readily agree that although we agree with a majority of our own partisan platform, the rest is just appeasement for the fringe elements that help us in the primaries,.. at least that is my view. Why not be honest then? Example, I am fully for a woman's right to choose and never talk about the subject as it is polarizing to the 12th degree, but that does not mean that the casual view of late term partial birth abortion is something I subscribe to (save the slippery slope argument, I know it..). For reasons of my own and that I choose not to share that's where I draw my line. There HAS to be a point that we as people can say, "Although I am a loyal partisan, my party is out to lunch in this issue and I do not support this or that"...

So in order to fully whip my own self, cleanse my own soul, and flog my own beliefs I offer you 3 things I DON'T fully or partially agree with within my own Party. There,.. I said it! (is this what AA meetings feel like?.... ) All of these are taken from the issues page of the libertarian party home page. My comments are in blue. (http://www.lp.org/)

1. Ending Welfare
"None of the proposals currently being advanced by either conservatives or liberals is likely to fix the fundamental problems with our welfare system. Current proposals for welfare reform, including block grants, job training, and "workforce" represent mere tinkering with a failed system. It is time to recognize that welfare cannot be reformed: it should be ended.We should eliminate the entire social welfare system. This includes eliminating AFDC, food stamps, subsidized housing, and all the rest. Individuals who are unable to fully support themselves and their families through the job market must, once again, learn to rely on supportive family, church, community, or private charity to bridge the gap"
(Although I agree in principle with this ideal, practically speaking we know there in no way in hell this will ever happen. I wish my party would come to a practical solution that is palatable to all and not seem as draconian. My Girlfriend almost had a heart attack when I sent her this...)

2. Reform Education
"There can be no serious attempt to solve the problem of poverty in America without addressing our failed government-run school system. Nearly forty years after Brown vs. Board of Education, America's schools are becoming increasingly segregated, not on the basis of race, but on income. Wealthy and middle class parents are able to send their children to private schools, or at least move to a district with better public schools. Poor families are trapped -- forced to send their children to a public school system that fails to educate.It is time to break up the public education monopoly and give all parents the right to decide what school their children will attend. It is essential to restore choice and the discipline of the marketplace to education. Only a free market in education will provide the improvement in education necessary to enable millions of Americans to escape poverty"
(Again, I think there is enough education spectrum and diversity of thought so as to make public schools, charter schools, private schools, home-schooling and other methods co-exist and not pee on each other as if they are afraid of loosing their political or union clout. Education as a whole should trump our individual career agendas, not the other way around)

3. Immigration:
"We welcome all refugees to our country and condemn the efforts of U.S. officials to create a new "Berlin Wall" which would keep them captive. We condemn the U.S. government's policy of barring those refugees from our country and preventing Americans from assisting their passage to help them escape tyranny or improve their economic prospects"
(I love my party, but they are freakin' nuts in this issue! For a party that is for fiscal discipline and strong individual responsibility they sure act as if I love paying taxes for the caring of every refugee who can make it here,... I sure as heck dont!)

Now, If I can just get a Democrat and a Republican to tell me what 3 items on their platform are full of it, we may yet save ourselves from ourselves. This Libertarian man did not vote for Mr. Bush, but if I think pragmatically (and close my eyes really tight...) and look at every thing he has done, I find some things that I can applaud and hail as noteworthy in his tenure as President,... and believe me, its not that hard. It just takes loving your country more that you love you party.

Publius of Protect and Defend wrote a Posting of a subject that I think needs bearing. What if our southern neighbor countries were all of European descent and culture?, and were mostly Caucasian?.... What if Europe itself was there and not Mexico....Think of the possibilities and ramifications as it applies to today's socio-politics. Is it really Illegal immigration most of America is harping about? or is it the TYPE of illegal aliens we don't approve of?.... Would the cross-border problems of health, drugs, language etc be as blatant? or would they be more palatable...I'll shut up now, read the piece and make up your own mind...

The US-led coalition of nations is meeting in Vienna today to have "dialogue" about the cessation of the enrichment of uranium by Iran. Iran's Foreign Minister is open to "dialogue" as long as Iran does not give up its "nuclear rights". I'm curious where these talks are going to lead the world. Iran is a known aggressor-nation that harbors terrorists and openly preaches about the destruction of Israel. What type of incentives can this group of nations offer Iran that will appease its hatred of the West and non-muslims in general? At least we know that with Condi at the helm of these negotiations, we will not end up with an Albright solution of billions of dollars in aid and continued proliferation as the Clinton Administration did with North Korea.
I applaud President Bush with his attempts to diplomatically solve this problem, but what happens if Iran will not budge? Are we, as a nation, prepared to take action or sanctions if necessary? Military action is not out of the question, especially with our troops in the Region.

~Milt~