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""Dual purpose bureaucracy" ... LOL!!!"

Yes; and even though many Freepers on numerous other threads have accused me of NOT being a true conservative when we discuss topics like The Theory of Evolution vs. Intelligent Design, Immigration policy, the history of the Arab/Israeli conflict, and more; THIS is what draws the line for me. I believe that without a clearly-defined objective of limiting government power through a rationally-sensible program with its basis in sound economic theory that frees up private enterprise to work its magic, NO ONE makes the grade.

Too much of what many people consider to be "conservative" these days comes down to cultural issues. On many of those I fit in; I'm pro-life, opposed to Euthansia, opposed to research in stem cell cultures drawn from aborted fetuses, I oppose gay marriage, I rail against judicial activism, and more. However; none of that, in fact not all of that taken together, marks one as a conservative in my opinion. Either you want to control the power of the state (as a political scientist would use the term) to a far greater degree than it is now controlled and you have ideas on how to do it sensibly, or you're not a conservative.

The states and the federal government duplicate many functions in their bureaucratic structures. Health care and health policy, environmental policy, police power, business regulation, industrial standards, and on and on. It is not an accident of history that these functions were, for the most part, duplicated AFTER the federal income tax became law with the passage of the 16th Amendment and especially after FDR's increase of marginal income tax rates in the second world war. It is the IRS that has brought the true assault on our liberty.

And to anyone who doesn't think I'm a conservative, just put my views to Hillary Clinton, Michael Moore, Ted Kennedy, and the rest of their ilk and see how they label me.

I'm really enjoying this thread. It gives me the chance to rant a lot.