Posted on 04/03/2010 10:51:43 AM PDT by rabscuttle385
"If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism." — Ronald Reagan
Nonconformist: of or characterized by behavior or views that do not conform to prevailing ideas or practices.
Recently Fox's Glenn Beck offered citizens a quiz to pinpoint where they fall in their political beliefs. The Nolan Chart (www.nolanchart.com/survey.php) provides questions which when answered honestly will place the responder somewhere on the political spectrum depicting conservative-libertarian-liberal-statist-centrist sections. Citizens who consider themselves conservative might be surprised to find they're somewhere between conservative and libertarian.
Commentators have had a difficult time labeling tea party citizens. Many are disillusioned democrats and republicans; some call themselves independents. Most have been active voters for decades. After all the emailing, letters and sending pink slips to Congress; after marching on Washington — citizen-protestors are still not taken very seriously in Washington.
Some commentators have suggested that Republican-Libertarian Rep. Ron Paul is responsible for the grassroots Tea Party movement rising up against the present Washington chaos. The truth is Paul's 2008 presidential campaign ignited long-held frustrations and also educated some of the younger generation regarding constitutional principles.
Considered a "kook" by many of his congressional peers, Paul may be the only sane one there. This is the man who just returned $100,000 of his congressional budget back to the U.S. Treasury. His congressional frugality borders on treason within free-spending Congress. Nicknamed "Dr. No" because of his thriftiness, he votes no to any legislation unless it adheres to the Constitution.
So is Paul crazy? Of course not. He's much like all citizens who are conscientiously watching their money and budgets. Regrettably there aren't enough libertarian-doers in Congress who would stop the decades of runaway-spending and cut the government down to constitutional size.
There are signs that some Libertarian-thinking citizens are running on 2010 Republican congressional tickets. These are the same people along with constitutionalists who have suffered through the frustrations of watching Washington unabashedly kill the U.S. Constitution.
One such citizen is Liberty Republican John Dennis (www.johndennis2010.com) who is running against Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco's 8th District. On congressional leaders, Dennis says:
"I think of them as far away from leadership as anything I can imagine. We are in debt ...when you add up the current debt, the unfunded liabilities, the backstops to banks, loans, all the bailouts — our quote-unquote leaders have put us all in debt to the tune of $300,000 apiece. That's not leadership. Many have the nerve to call themselves conservatives but are they really at the end of the day? — 94 percent of the house members are reelected, continually with the idea of keeping their jobs."
Reagan also said, "The federal government has taken too much tax money from the people, too much authority from the states, and too much liberty with the Constitution."
Ronald Reagan was right in his assessment of conservatism's heart. So, why do we not elect more of these sane budget-conscious thinkers to Congress? If it is conservative to hold to principles concerning budgets, reducing the National Debt, taxes and holding government to constitutional restraints, why hasn't it happened?
Most tea party citizens have long been exasperated by the federal government's "broad-constructionist" interpretation of the U.S. Constitution which has led to a distinct decline of our Republic and Civil Liberties. In case you don't know what kind of interpretation that is — think Al Gore's declaration that "the U.S. Constitution is a living document." In other words, it changes with the seasons.
The founders' constitutional intent is never taken into account by such interpretation. Otherwise, we would never have had social security, medicare, medicaid, subsidies for farmers and businesses — growing the federal government far beyond its constitutional responsibilities.
Maybe it's time that libertarian thinkers have the opportunity to turn our nation around and bring down the National Debt before bankruptcy and a real Great Depression become reality. They certainly couldn't do any worse than what we've been subjected to for the last 100 years. Let's hope it's not too late.
Given a choice, the elite Washington free-spending crowd or the nonconforming Libertarian-Republicans, citizens may just choose the ones who adhere to the U.S. Constitution over and against the careerist so-called conservative Republicans and liberal-progressive Democrats.
© Bonnie Alba
None will be forthcoming. Apolgizing requires a modicum of courage. Said offender apparently has none.
Hold on. I have a huge laugh coming for you.
It’ll take me a moment or two...lol. Well worth the wait.
I welcome many of the more seemingly extreme platforms of the Libertarian (not all of them, some of them are rather kooky) philosophy but understand the massive responsibility that comes with them. And I am totally willing to fight the good fight with regards to the dangers of those freedoms. Fighting with my own government over basic tenets concerning my own freedoms is a losing battle and a colossal waste of great minds and resources.
I say liberty first, then, as free people and responsible citizens, we deal with the rest in our own lives and communities, and stop ceding power to those we can't trust in the hopes that they will do it for us. That just doesn't seem to be working out too well. Just my opinion...JFK
Can’t wait. :)
Picturing Monty Python and the Holy Grail and roaring with laughter!
*Apologies for the change to the dialogue of a funny movie*
Your wait is over. Look now. LOL.
The left’s attack on America continues, libertarianism and liberalism of the last 70 plus years is what got us here.
The Earl Warren court created many “libertarian” victories that we will never recover from.
What are we looking for, praytell?
LOL. You don’t know?
Correct. This article is just more of the disturbing campaign by RonPaul et al lie-bertarians to blur the line between Republican and libertarian, between conservative and libertarian. They have some here convinced you can be both at once when it is not so. In the end, they do NOT vote with us, but peel off voters to ensure a win for the opposition. Their role is subversive, as you have seen at the Tea Parties.
Johnny Suntrade, your #39 is an outstanding definitive post with which I heartily agree.
The lie-bertarian motto is "Give me liberty without reponsibility!"
And might I add, although purportedly a reaction to liberalism, the libertarians are actually using leftist tactics in their mission and ultimately benefiting the left more than the right.
Nailed it here. They are subversives, and if they succeed in what they are doing, we are ensured of the continued rule of Marxists and the end of America as we know it.
And I do not exaggerate.
Just got on FR and see The PaulBot Snotzis are again
pushing their Neo LeftWing L Ron Paul in hopes of an
Obama 2nd term
I 3> Libertarians.
: )
Oops - tried to do it, like the young ‘ns do it.
I <3 Libertarians.
: D
Yep, you’re right. jsun’s is the best post on the thread and we’ve waited in vain for rabscuttle385 to reply...lol.
I personally liked this part best. I thought it was a grand slam for the obvious reasons.
“Libertarianism is a reaction (like in “reactionary”) to the authoritarian mandate of Leftism. That is all it is. It is an understandable phenomenon, like a juvenile rebelling against the constant oversight of his parents, but that is all it is. Although certainly it can become violent.”
Emphasis on “juvenile.”
Ooooops, forgot the courtesy ping to rabscuttle385.
Then you haven't been paying attention, LOL. Take note of the following: There is a section of FR reserved for RLC Caucus. There is also an internet site for the Republican Liberty Caucus. There they openly speak of the Republican clubs and committees they have infiltrated, and subsequently been found out and kicked out. You can also see who their stealth candidates are.
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