Because as every conservative knows, a government that governs least, governs best.
Despite overwhelming evidence of success and popularity and a corresponding dearth of any alternative proposals to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, save for “concepts of a plan,” one constant refrain from the right is: the gubmit can’t get nothing right!
Another constant refrain is after school shooting after school shooting after school shooting: “nothing can be done. We’re helpless to stop it or to even slow it down.”
Apparently though what we can do as a collective is police the scourge of rampant and out of control onanism among the population.
While this particular set of regulations imposed upon the free market may arguably serve some elusive “penumbra” emanating from the Ten Commandments, it is probably is best to avoid implementing any laws directly related any one particular Commandment and leave those efforts to the godless, heathen commies.
I understand where you’re coming from here, but I’ll push back a little, I do lean right but I’m not a nut job that won’t entertain logic, which is prevalent on both sides.
Why do we need laws or “acts” to condone healthy social values? The last thing we need are more federal laws and agencies.
Our leaders simply need to demonstrate leadership. Public service campaigns can easily be broadcasted like never before in our history, just publish thoughts and goals that American’s would benefit from. Hell, basic civics is a nasty problem in my view, educate with creative ways.
I think societal evolution should be organic, not mandated by a government. Leadership by government? Absolutely. Bills and laws are about as worthless as the dollar these days.
I would simply suggest that where the government should act is where markets fail. Markets have never been able to provide either health care, education or opportunity obtain needed skills to people of modest means. People who are succeeding would benefit by investing in those folks. The motive can be because its just or right OR it can be more customers, more workers, more sales, more profits whatever. The result is the same however you get there.
When it comes to individual morality I definitely don’t think the government should serve as an enforcement mechanism. What struck me as funny was the repeated use of the government to reach outcomes pleasing to the American Taliban which are, at best, tertiary to their religious texts, while the commies in China hit one directly on the nose. Funny to me.
As far as leadership, we’ve got to get people of good will on both sides to quiet the effect and power of the fringes and make clear those things we all agree on which are the bulk of things and the relatively few things that we respectfully disagree on and stop treating every issue as an opportunity to divide and conquer. Those who play that game need to be ostracized and sidelined.
From the postwar era until Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich, most politicians positioned themselves just left or right of center, emphasizing what united as opposed to what divides. They would move just far enough towards the edges to pull in the necessary votes to get elected. Rove and Gingrich proved the politics of division is an easier path to election. Now both the left and right practice the politics of division. Problem is, the politics of division makes governing almost impossible. That’s why the current Congress is one of the most unproductive in the history of American politics. It’s also why politicians today spend all of their time raising money and talking about the next election instead of governing the country. Look at Marjorie Taylor Greene for instance. She spends no time governing, choosing instead to occupy herself with incessantly attacking the left. And her constituents love her. They don’t even want her to write bills, sponsor legislation or do anything that might resemble a job description for a member of Congress..
You can’t legislate morality, but they’ll damned sure try.
Though not a member of the MAGA universe, I spent forty years voting Republican and consider myself a conservative. However, although Reagan, the Bush’s and countless other Republicans talked about smaller government and reining in spending, every one of them left us with a larger government and a bigger budget. Not to mention a bigger budget deficits. Unfortunately, the government will not get smaller and will not spend less money until there is an existential crisis such as a prolonged, years long severe depression (like the 1930’s) or a devastating world war (like the late 1930’s and early 1940’s). In other words, it ain’t going to happen until we have no other choice. I do think China is about ready to oblige us on the world war scenario though.
i would support term limits for all politicians…i would support any effort to limit lobby money because that is what drives the policies and laws.
usa govt is based on by the people, for the people.. with the money.
The sad thing is that people are devaluing the good parts of government while paying lots of money to elected officials who are not doing anything. The private sector and contracting out do not create a good product. It only makes those in business richer. Public institution where we all work for good make us stronger. I am a moderate.
Great post, Derek. There are so many ways to get lost in the woods with our heads on fire, but I’ll focus on the American Taliban. Privacy used to be a huge issue for conservative America—’Don’t want anyone listening to my phone calls,’ ‘The government’s always in my business,’ ‘Facial recognition is a step too far, even if I can get into MSB without showing a ticket,’ and ‘If Mary Lou gets pregnant, I just want to send her to a clinic in Oklahoma and forget about it.’
Now, the ‘conservative’ party wants you to show ID to watch porn. And what counts as porn? ‘I know it when I see it,’ so let’s hope the adjudicators are more liberal than I am.
It’s the hypocrisy—forcing one group’s religious values on everyone, establishing Christianity in public schools, placing their symbols in public spaces, and the constant ‘do as I say, not as I do’ from their leaders.
As a thought experiment, would government get smaller by removing the ‘enforcing morality’ component? It might be worth considering.