Conservatism in the Age of Obama

[Tzalaran]

these posts will be some things that i'm tossing around in my head of my own brand of conservatism based on my thoughts and interpretations of the constitution, Declaration of Independence, and american history. I felt that Obama had the better platform, better message, and better organization and that he was better prepared on these issues to address the place that Bush 43 has left us.

To start, a renewed conservative movement must reject the theocratic slant that the Republican party has taken during the 2000-2008 period. Freedom of Religion is more than the ability to choose what faith you profess, it is the ability to not have a religious ideology that governs you. Attempts to amend the Constitution to conform to any holy text or religious ideal is a subversion of the Constitution itself, because of the concept behind freedom of religion demanding that no church would ever make the laws that you choose to live under. This is no different from the Taliban, or other Islamic fundamentalist governments. To conform to their governing style by allowing Christianity to write the laws of this nation is truly the defeat of the United States by terrorism, and is the greatest threat to our existence as a nation. Secretary of State Powell's statement about the possibility of a Muslim being president someday is vitally important to defending the principles that this country was founded on, and amending the Constitution to conform to Christian doctrine instead of the rule of law and justice is the greatest subversion of this nation that could happen.

The gung ho cowboy mentality and reckless abandon that the current administration has taken in dealing with foreign countries is the culmination of over 50 years of a political philosophy that only pursued our own interest, abusing power where we had to, and covertly interfering fostering the hatred of Americans that culminated in the attack of 2001. The world was on our side, because when the World Trade Center was hit, the world was shaken, and knew that just like when the Harbor was bombed the sleeping giant would be awakened.

The world looks to us because when the tide is stacked against us, when the storm clouds have us surrounded and tyranny threatens freedom the American people will rise up together. The patriotism and pride in our country allows us to do nothing less, yet we are standing in this crisis as a direct result of politics that have split the country in two. The hypocrisy that has dominated our public worldview does not represent its people, and this is a direct result of the ineptitude of the leaders we have chosen and our own apathy in being dedicated to our democratic government.

As a result, when Al-Qaeda declared war our president had no idea how to respond. In a troubling moment he fell back on what many of us do, our belief system. In doing so, he helped to become that which attacked us. Using his religious beliefs as a guiding light, he resolved in attacking the Infidel. He arrogantly looked after the next target, emboldened by the obvious success and firm belief in the righteousness of his direction.

This comes as no surprise to me, monotheistic governments have gone to war more than any other. The fact that our president's religious beliefs are part of what caused his election in the first place almost necessitated this action. To clarify my position, i agreed with the invasion of Afghanistan, and i understood the reasons to go into Iraq and saw the military value in the move. It allowed our military to be the in the focus of our enemies, and had a high probability of drawing them out into the open, thereby protecting our civilians at home. i am appalled by how the war has been conducted, and the actions taken to justify our actions is disgusting. The lies and corruption, deception and backstabbing squandered the goodwill of other nations towards us, when all that had to be done was admitting where we were wrong, and fixing the problem. When you invade a country like Afghanistan you must have a plan to build the country to provide a reason for not allowing the Taliban and Al-Qaeda the ability to thrive there, to show them that we don't hate Muslims nor want them to give up their beliefs, to show them a better way of life in the hopes of moving them out from the oppression of the Theocracy of fundamentalist Islam.

Yet that is the antipathy to the NeoConservative movement, who only wants to see the benefits of war and military action. they have no interest in 'nation building' because it doesn't fatten their military agenda and will help to make it so that conflict is no longer necessary. World peace should be the aspirations of a superpower, not stoking aggression to maintain a doctrine of fear that helps to paralyze your electorate allowing you to stay in power.

So the conservative movement must rethink it's worldview. it must realize that foreign relations are more than trade routes and paths to war, and foster a spirit of cooperation to mutual advantage. We must refocus on being the shining example of liberty and justice in the world instead of the bully on the block that the world has to watch with a wary eye. This requires a strong commitment to nation building, and as a result we need a new emphasis on civil engineering and renewable energy technology so that we can help to transform places like the hills of Afghanistan into wind and solar farms instead of poppy fields.

well, gotta quit for now. this is some brainstorming i have for a book that will outline my conservative view.

[Tzalaran]

Why do we form societies? protection and survivability during the early formation of civilization is generally accepted as the answer for early civilization, but why have societal ties in the modern era? There is a certain attitude that predominates US society that accepts the way things are is as good as it can get. Too many view this society as the pinnacle of civilization, forgetting what history has taught us about that mindset. Remember Greece, Rome, the Mongolian Empire, and even Colonial Brittan and what happened to those as an example of what the future holds in store for America under this mindset.

We really must redefine what we view as acceptable in society, and break this stranglehold that the concept of the status quo being perfect or that it cannot be improved upon. There is a lack of initiative in discussing the direction of our society, glossing over the stark deficiencies that exist with minor issues and a constant play to stay in power politically. Governments are formed to regulate economies, determine who gets what and when. Our government over time has succeeded in creating a high standard of living for its citizens, and has worked to increase the standard of living throughout the world for most of the modern era. This has stagnated in recent years, and we must evaluate what is acceptable in our society in all aspects, and i feel that we need to show our government what is acceptable behavior.

For most of the history of this world, you could continue moving into areas that were not populated, and were suitable for human habitation. Before the 20th century moving over the horizon was still possible, but especially as we have entered the 21st century there is no longer that horizon away from civilization. We have to realize that our natural instincts are to populate the world as extensively as possible, as this has always been the key factor in the human race winning against extinction. With the world at this point, we have to rethink everything about our society and the sociopolitical nature of the world.

Our technology has advanced faster in the last 25 years than it did in the 75 before that, and it is only increasing as we proceed forward. We need to direct our scientific efforts towards technologies that will allow the massive populations that will be growing over the next 25 years, mostly in other nations. With populations rising to levels where there is no more room to expand, the ability of the earth to combat the pollution caused by humans will no longer suffice. Because of this fact, we really must rethink how we are going about our basic infrastructure, energy, waste management, and building style. We have to be able to reduce the individual footprint that each of us make, and we could easily benefit long term, keeping the Earth a paradise as much as is possible.

The primary reason that we don't think on these levels is because of the capitalistic ideal, and the greed fueled interest only in profits that it has created. We've seen this failure in the past, and have taken small steps to temper the effects of unchecked capitalism that hurt the vast majority of the population, but at this point our very existence is dependent upon resolving the worker-owner conflict that capitalism creates. our economy can no longer support the underlying philosophy that has become the status quo, and we must develop a 21st century philosophy that will allow us to adapt in the new challenges of our time.

The United States has not always had this selfish philosophy. i think back to my history lessons and recall a spirit of cooperation, a sense of community that we must renew in order to confront the perils of our time. There is an old concept, "lead by example", that would serve us well in these times. Actions speak louder than words, and as a society we have long been shouting over each other instead of providing that example of how to be. Self interest has reduced this concept because it often doesn't produce results in our society. Many talented and persistent people are overlooked for positions because they allow their actions to speak for them, while others talk themselves up and repeat the same things so many times that people begin to believe it. The example is less than the words of another, and we continue to promote this behavior.

This is something that government cannot mandate. There is no way to legislate common decency and morally correct behavior. The courts have no power to affect behaviors. This is something that can only come from walking the walk, and proving that hard work and dedication can succeed. It requires everyone to stop screaming their message, and show the world through example.

Without addressing these issues in society, and carrying over that societal change into Washington, there is no hope of improving this country. Without fundamental change in how we interact, what is considered acceptable, and valuing truth and honesty, we will never see this country rise to greatness again. All that can happen without addressing these societal issues is the fall of the United States of America.