Conservatives Against Socialism.... (uh, sort of)

These days I hear a lot of discussion about Socialism, and unless your head is buried in the sand, or in the mainstream media, you have heard the same.  Most self-proclaimed conservative folks are taking a stand against the onslaught of Socialist ideas that have been coming rapid-fire from the sages and saviors in Washington, D.C.  These pillars of wisdom and virtue that inhabit public office have come up with some wonderful, unconstitutional ideas to wreck our republic, and have done so at an alarming rate.  We see government taking partial ownership in business, passing massive health care legislation, increasing regulations on Wall Street (which is already subject to over 700,000 pages of regulation) and now suggesting we investigate anyone financing opposition to the Ground Zero mosque.  In response to all this freedom destroying activity by our elected, the American public has largely stood up in opposition, joining protests, rallies,tea party activities, attending town hall meetings and getting involved in the political process like we have not seen in years.  I, and many others, say it's about time!

Citizens engaging in the political process is what America is all about.  We live in a republic by and for the people.  A society where the governed have a voice, give power to the government willingly and, if the government becomes burdensome, should take that power back.  Most of the problems we have today did not start because of a sudden election of leftist liberals into office.  Most of these problems started nearly 100 years ago with the progressive movement.  Thanks to this great movement we now have the Federal Income Tax, have nearly lost States Rights by changing the election process for the Senate and have an unconstitutional privately owned banking system called the Federal Reserve.  Yes, I guess we could blame a lot of our woes on the progressives, which by the way are still alive and well.  Then again what if the progressives were nothing but a symptom of the problem, not the actual problem?

In my opinion people that have ideas opposed to our Constitution and way of life are not the problem.  The problem too often is a populace that is too concerned with their own comfort and convenience to get involved, educate themselves and fight viewpoints contrary to America's founding principles in the arena of ideas.  We need people involved, speaking out, attending public meetings and most importantly, voting.  Voter turn out in this country continues to be pitiful year after year, decade after decade.  Since 1960 the percentage of the voting age population actually casting a ballot in Presidential election years has been just over 55% with the highest of that time period being 63.1% in 1960.  Why do so many not exercise their right to vote?  That is a good question, but I would be willing to bet it has a lot to do with the complacency caused by many years of comfort and material wealth.  We are not uncomfortable enough to bother with such mundane tasks.

This comfort and apathy that we see is destroying our great republic.  What happened to men of principle such as the Founding Fathers that were willing to risk all for the sake of freedom for themselves, their families and future generations?  These men weren't perfect, but they were willing to risk what they had for the idea of freedom.  The idea that men should be able to pursue happiness without government intervention.  The idea that the role of government was not to provide equal outcomes for all, but to provide for opportunity.  The opportunity for citizens to work unhindered by taxation and regulation towards their dreams knowing that success or failure was determined by the individual and their God, not by government decree.  The idea that the government is given power from the people, not the other way around.  A freedom that allows men to succeed and fail on the merit of their own actions, to take responsibility for themselves, their families and neighbors and not be subject to a paternalistic State that enslaves the populace by creating dependence.

I know this country is full of great, independent and self-reliant people today just as it was 275 years ago.  The problem today is that we have bought into the lies of security and comfort that have been preached from Washington as the answers to our woes.  We have institutions still in place from the greatest socialist President of all time, FDR, that are sucking the life blood out of our economy.  The problem today is that while all these great Americans are standing up against the socialist and fascist ideas coming out of our nations capital, they are holding tightly to many that benefit them.  How many would be willing to give up the bankrupt Social Security system?  Or how many will willingly walk away from Medicare and Medicaid?  Do we believe in the virtues of hard work, determination and the free market enough to end the farming subsidies?  How about the federal grant programs for the Arts and Education?

You can see the problem, if you keep going down the seemingly endless list of programs of wealth redistribution we currently have, you are bound to find one that affects you or your family in some way.  The question we need to ask ourselves is are we willing to plan a way to put that thing we are so dependent on to death?  Are we willing to risk it all now, so that our children and future generations can be free of this addiction to the State that we suffer from?  Are we willing to stand up, not just against President Obama and his minions, but against all the accumulated and unconstitutional socialism that we currently have?  The answer to that question will determine whether, in Mr. Lincoln's words, this "nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure".