Common Sense Consevatism

There is a lot of hand wringing and soul searching going on in the conservative movement these days.

The Republicans are debating a move to the center which means a move leftward.

“Facts are stubborn things,” John Adams proclaimed in his defense of the British Soldiers indicted in the Boston Massacre. He was famously correct and the beleaguered soldiers were exonerated. Principals founded in facts are equally stubborn. At least they should be.

People talk of the Reagan revolution and Newt’s contract with America. These movements or platforms succeeded overwhelmingly when presented to Americans with clarity and conviction. Making things simple with out being simplistic, conservatism is and always should be able to be summed up, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Life requires security, a strong national defense. America is the shining city on the hill. It is in the limelight constantly, not every one will love us and see us in a favorable light. That’s their problem, doesn’t bother me a bit, unless they undertake to assault us. If the shining city on the hill is known to be guarded by the greatest military force in the world it deters nefarious deeds against it’s citizens.

Liberty also requires security, but with out life, liberty is meaningless. Being free to make your own decisions only has meaning if you feel secure in the exercise of your liberties. If you are coerced, leaned upon, encouraged in a particular path, are you really at liberty to decide for yourself?

The Pursuit of Happiness occurs when the first two conditions are met. If you are secure, if you are free, wouldn’t you naturally choose a path that will make you happy? The vast majority of people would, and if you get your kicks off of flagellation, self inflicted-pain, knock yourself out. When you look on your neighbors being happy in their pursuits, smack yourself harder, just don’t smack them. Your right to achieve nirvana by beating yourself up is your right, but you have no right to endanger the life or liberty of others in your misery.

There it is, conservatism in a nutshell. If we hold these truths to be self evident and facts are stubborn things, so should our fact based principals remain equally sure.