Politics only runs part way on sentiment. Income inequality at certain extremes *is* immoral. But this tells us nothing about the methods of addressing it. This is the reason I'm not a progressive: they seem to think caring is enough; they seem to think their opponents are not those of good will. It seems none can fathom even that possibility. Socialism destroys self-determination as surely as crushing poverty. You want to further empower a government that puts its own people to death unjustly, by abortion, and by capital punishment. You want to further empower a state apparatus which has overseen the expansion of extreme poverty at greater levels than we saw in 1965. You tell us that our greatest enemies are banks and corporations, but I say no, our greatest enemies are government that takes our wealth and wastes it, having the gall to demand more, and a lack of virtue. Let it be understood that we do not aim for unregulated commerce. Rather, we understand that no coercive force can compensate for vice, and alienation from God, from our families, and communities. The means of social assistance do not function because that aid is disconnected from the ends of the human person. We have defined "happiness" down, and wondered why the most ardent advocates of people have not realized their vision! How could they? We kill ourselves, and call it "freedom"; we destroy our support systems, and call it "liberty". We mistake tolerance for justice, and have neither.
It's time to be the liberals we always hoped for; it is time to conserve not the status quo, but people and families. Men and women ought not be at the mercy of giant profit-machines, but the political class has forgotten that the people do not need them; a free people only asks for a fair shake, and leaders that stay out of the way. How do you claim to serve the people, but dole out favors to the for-profit firms you now decry?
The people have some sense that they sent 2.3 trillion dollars to Washington in 2002, and less than 15 years later, the people send double that, roughly. Where are the gleaming cities? Where are the jobs? What have they been doing?
Our own soldiers have spent the most blood and treasure, along with their families. Yet we lack the will to either bring them home, or to accomplish the tasks for which they were sent. We do not deserve them.
The people deserve better than their political class; this is one thing I know.
It's time to be the liberals we always hoped for; it is time to conserve not the status quo, but people and families. Men and women ought not be at the mercy of giant profit-machines, but the political class has forgotten that the people do not need them; a free people only asks for a fair shake, and leaders that stay out of the way. How do you claim to serve the people, but dole out favors to the for-profit firms you now decry?
The people have some sense that they sent 2.3 trillion dollars to Washington in 2002, and less than 15 years later, the people send double that, roughly. Where are the gleaming cities? Where are the jobs? What have they been doing?
Our own soldiers have spent the most blood and treasure, along with their families. Yet we lack the will to either bring them home, or to accomplish the tasks for which they were sent. We do not deserve them.
The people deserve better than their political class; this is one thing I know.
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