It is difficult to determine the future of a nation. Matters move glacially, but rarely change direction. President Reagan was an anomaly in this respect. For a brief moment in time it appeared the glacier was halted, perhaps even reversed.
Sadly, that was not the case. At best classical liberalism (what most confuse with conservatism) regained some intellectual respectability but not operational reality. Spending increased dramatically under Reagan, primarily reversing the military cuts imposed under President Carter. Taxes were decreased, at least temporarily, and our economy soared after the malaise and high inflation of the 1970s. Social spending was not reduced under Reagan.
The incessant onslaught of Socialism quickly resumed under Reagan’s predecessors. The net effect of Reagan, in the trajectory of liberty, was insignificant and short-lived. His historical legacy was a temporary revival of the philosophy of smaller government, although he never achieved it. After he left office both his philosophy and minor effects on the glide path of government spending were quickly erased.
We soon resumed the inexorable decline to Socialist Hell.
Steve McCann at American Thinker is optimistic in the sense that he believes we are at a crossroads:
Thus, America is at a crossroads. If Barack Obama, the most extreme president in American history, is re-elected and the current governing class remains in place, there will be no turning back. The worst fears that came over me on that Monday in November of 1963 will come to pass, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy will have been the tipping point that precipitated the fall of a great nation.
I enjoy and respect Mr. McCann’s perspective on matters, although I fear he suffers from unfounded optimism with respect to our situation. The crossroad to which he refers was likely passed when the successors to Reagan did not take advantage of his philosophical gains to reverse the actual degradation of the economy, government and society.
Mr. McCann’s commentary regarding the re-election of President Obama is correct in one sense. If he is re-elected the demise of our way of life will come sooner rather than later. Even if this rather unimaginable event is avoided, I fear that only the timing rather than the outcome will be effected.
Doug Johnson has the most in depth and correct take on society I have read in a long time. Amen brother!!! Here lies the rub. The liberal message is easier to sell to uninformed lazy ignorant people than is the conservative one. I fear that we are on the edge of a very slippery slope and next years election will determine the degree of decent. If BHO is reelected then I suggest putting your prepping efforts in high gear, buy as much ammo and gold as can be afforded and be ready to bug out!
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The crossroads may have been passed even earlier with the odious LBJ and his “Daisy” campaign commercial. Had Americans elected Goldwater, we might have avoided the exponential burgeoning of the parasite class brought about by Medicare, Medicaid, AFDC, and the War on Poverty. Black family structure might have been saved and strengthened rather than becoming a viral hot zone that has spread the plague of illegitimacy and broken homes across the culture. I am not blaming the victims for that but rather the government programs. By the time Ronald Reagan took office, the infection had become gangrenous. Reagan did what he could, but he was not able to amputate as radically as would have been necessary.
Debt has continued to grow relative to GDP because more and more people adopt the delusion that there is such a thing as a free lunch. The idiocy is apparent everywhere. We recently had a new crime lab facility approved for construction in a nearby city. The local news reportede that it was to be built with a grant from the federal government rather than “tax money”. They actually said that. There was no qualifier like state or local tax money. Heck, it was free. It was a government grant. So you are correct. Our situation is hopeless.
Hi Monty, could we conclude that the root cause of our decline and demise is the death of Chistianity and attendant moral collapse in our nation? We have to consider that either a person will ask “what can I do for my country” or “what can my country do for me”. Altruism versus greed. Corrupt wall streeters, corrupt corporate leaders in bed with the political class, the political class, able bodied persons on the dole are all motivated by greed. Only the 30 percent or so of our population who are true conservatives actually have values that lend themselves to caring about others and the advancement of our nation. When I say “caring about others”, I don’t mean giving them their daily fish as a sign of compassion and thus winning their vote, but rather teaching them to fish for themselves.
Those that truly care about the health of our nation are now overwhelmed at nearly every turn by those who care only for themselves. What passes as conservatism today too much involves coming up with some new government program to essentially bribe the populous. The Roman Emperors well understood the value of bread and circuses. The measures needed to cure our fiscal ills won’t possibly be enacted because too many people would be shocked if the goodies were to come to an end.
We have three groups of people in our nation, liberals, who literally are mentally deranged, moderates who are amoral numbsculls who are tossed to and fro following whatever political wind that best benefits them on any given day, and lastly conservatives who whether religious or not are motivated by convictions that have their roots in moral or religious conviction.
What do I mean by my religious definition of conservative motivation? First we have God’s great law, on par with any immutable law of physics, that we will reap what we sow. Using facts, figures, science and history, we can predict outcomes of actions taken. Conservatives have been warning of the effects of liberal actions and policies for decades. We have a track record that’s perfect in predicting outcomes because we use the correct methodology. Why do we laugh at the liberals claims about Obamacare and stand opposed to what seems on the face of it a noble endeavor? Because we know where it is heading, it will fail miserably, destroy our health industry and it alone will bankrupt our nation.
Next we have the Ten Commandments themselves. Given by God to regulate the nation of Israel at the time, but more importantly to codify sin and demonstrate that all men are sinners. Thou shall not steal, redistribution of wealth is a form of theft, stealing from those that produce to give to those that refuse to participate in productive activities. Thou shall not covet, this is the basis for the class warfare that is the war that the left wages. Thou shall not kill (murder), conservatives overwhelmingly are opposed to abortion, we value human life.
Well, enough rambling. I’m off work today, slept in till 1100, just sitting at the computer getting my morning fix of conservatism and thought I’d ramble a bit. You have a great site, Monty, keep up the good work.