A column written by Joseph Sobran (http://www.sobran.com/columns/02013.htm) entitled "Defining Conservatism Downward" accurately describes the state of conservatism today.
Sobran writes, "Once upon a time, conservatives stood for limited government, the rollback of the welfare state, strict construction of the Constitution, and traditional morality. Today they merely want their own people to run big government."
Sobran goes on to say, "They (conservatives) used to oppose needless military intervention abroad; today they equate militarism with patriotism. They used to demand that the U.S. Department of Education be abolished; today they want to expand it. They used to denounce Franklin Roosevelt; today they venerate him."
Again, Sobran writes, "Constitutional government? Conservatives have simply dropped the subject. They can live with the status quo, which is not conservatism's legacy but liberalism's. Yesterday's heresy has become today' s orthodoxy."
Sobran's concluding remarks include, "Former Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan has observed that we have 'defined deviancy downward' - that is, we have become so inured to behavior formerly recognized as deviant that we have tried to cope by lowering our standards. In the same way, conservatism has been 'defined downward.' The principles conservatives once upheld have been defeated politically, so conservatism has abandoned them, adopting instead the old liberal positions and calling them conservative."
Joe is one hundred percent right! His description of modern conservatism is painfully accurate. In a word, it is dead! I say again, conservatism is dead! In truth, there is no conservative movement left in this country. Furthermore, there is virtually no conservative representation in Washington, D.C., today.
I would even argue that F.D.R. would be right at home in today's Republican Party! There is virtually no discernable difference between the philosophies of the two major parties. Outside of a few very lonely congressmen, no one in the federal government has any desire or intention to return this country to constitutional governance.
What is worse is that rank-and-file "conservatives" (and even Christian "leaders") seem very enthusiastic to embrace big government socialism and unconstitutional leadership as long as their people (Republicans) are in charge. Blind loyalty to the Republican Party in general and to President Bush in particular has destroyed the conservative movement!
Some are following this duplicitous Pied Piper out of ignorance. They have been brainwashed by a half-Century of humanism and have never bothered to read the U.S. Constitution (or the Bible) for themselves. Others follow for the purpose of self-aggrandizement. They have a vested personal interest in sitting at the seat of power (even if that seat is at the back of the bus).
Whatever the motivation, today's conservatives have compromised the principles of conservatism and constitutional government to the point that those principles no longer exist. By being willing to forsake their conscience in order to win the presidency, they have buried both their conscience and constitutional principle.
It is imperative that true conservatives and constitutionalists quickly wake up to the reality that both major parties have betrayed them, that the fundamental principles of the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights are being obliterated without opposition! They must abandon loyalty to these parties! Only brave and independent people can preserve liberty. Are there a sufficient number of such people left in America? We shall see.
© Chuck Baldwin
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