Yet another prominent and thoughtful individual railing against the false conservativism in the Republican Party leadership:
A supposedly conservative party has expanded the federal government to historic and frightening proportions both in size and in monetary terms (not to mention incompetency, but I digress). They have passed unconstitutional bill after unconstitutional bill, all the while pledging to uphold the Constitution every 2 or 6 years that they are re-elected. The “Contract With America: Renewed” proposed budget from the Republican Study Committee has had no endorsement from the RNC and hardly any mention by our “conservative” politicians. I can go on and on. I haven’t even touched the ideas and proposals trumpeted by the liberals; the actions of our “conservatives” are sickening enough. I am disgusted, apathetic, and fed up. This isn”t a Republic. This isn’t a representative democracy. Statesmen that the Founding Fathers would be proud to know, such as Senator Tom Coburn, Representative Mike Pence, and many others, are marginalized and ridiculed by our “Republicans.” Our nation, our society, and our national government are going downhill quickly, currently at the hands of the “conservative” party.
This is why organizations such as the Republican Liberty Caucus are so important. It’s also the reason why Bush’s approval ratings are hovering in the mid-to-low 30’s.
Something has got to give. I am firmly convinced that conservatives (or all opponents of intrusive govermnent) only enact change in great moments: 1776, 1800, the 1860’s, 1900’s, 1980, and 1994 for starters.
We have to understand in our hearts that Goldwater was right — extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. When we conservatives get power, we must enact our changes in one massive swoop, not gradually.
If we are excessive in our change, government by nature will always expand, but we will never have a second change to scale it back.