Rightwords... Prudent Conservatism

Belief in:

Theism, and adherence to the commandments of God. Belief in love, faith, hope and charity. Worship as and where one desires.

Insistence on moral certainty as derived from the commandments of God and His natural laws, morals and mores.

Traditions as the compiled wisdom of past generations, which are not to be changed suddenly or lightly, without long and hard reflection on the consequences – both intended and unintended.

Federal, constitutional, and republican form of government, including the carefully derived checks and balances between the various parts as given by the Constitution. Close adherence to the Constitution is a mandate. Belief in subsidiarity, which places problem solving as near to the individuals concerned as possible.

A mankind that can be good or evil, and cannot be trusted to “do the right thing” without laws, regulations, and ordinances, and especially their daily enforcement.

A mankind that has not progressed in any essential mental, moral, or spiritual way since the beginning of civilization, and cannot be forced, cajoled, or shamed into any real progress either, at least for the next millennium or two. Man is sinful.

Responsible citizenship, honorable duty to country, and sincere patriotism for the nation.

Freedom in all of its forms: worship, speech, association, assembly, movement, and ownership ( property rights). Exceptions are in order here as well: pornography should not be accessible by underage children; treason and sedition must be punished; slander and libel must be punished; and liars must be shunned, if not prosecuted.

The right of the individual to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, subject to the restraints of common sense, good citizenship and law.

The family and the institution of marriage between a man and a woman as the basic building block of society. Family unity should be supported wherever possible. Honoring one’s ancestors is an important factor in keeping family unity intact.

Equality of opportunity, but not equality of outcome.

Limited government, and limited growth in government sufficient to cope with the rise in population, and the complexity of modern life, and not growth in power, budget or personnel to further centralize the government.

Traditional education, unfettered with modern experimentation that has proven to be ineffectual, and funding mostly dedicated to teachers and pupils, not overhead “education experts” and unneeded administrators. The curriculum through high school should be pared down to reading, writing, English, arithmetic, civics, history of America, American literature, world literature, science, mathematics, geography, world history, and foreign languages, together with courses in trades as needed. The track system should be reinstalled to allow for students to proceed more closely to their natural pace of learning. Testing should be continued, with essay questions taking a more predominant role.

The university systems of so-called “academic freedom” and tenure need to be thrown out in favor of professors and administrators with a balanced view and desire to teach effectively and in an unbiased manner. Teach the students how to think, not how to recite the Communist or Humanist Manifesto. Reduce the budgets of Universities so that citizens can attend without incurring lifelong debt for themselves or their families.

English as the primary language in America. Immigrants must learn English to become citizens.

Ultimate sovereignty of the US, its borders, and its institutions, not to be diluted by world authority or by illegal immigrants or workers. The idea that nation-states are phasing out is wrong.

The failure of the UN, or any such organization of nations to perform world government. The UN should be marginalized.

Security for the US, both internally and externally. For this purpose we need strong, well-disciplined, coordinated federal, state and local police forces. We need National Guard forces in each state.

The armed forces of the US should be well-equipped, and large enough to fight 2½ wars simultaneously while maintaining the defenses of the nation at home. Weapons research, development and production should allow for replacement and modernization throughout the forces in a timely manner. We should continue to seek peace through strength.

Capitalism, and free trade throughout the world, but not collectivism ever!

Proactive pursuit of freedom and democracy for all.

Fighting terrorism wherever it arises. Subduing by force and eventually pacifying the remainder of Islamic Fundamentalists is important to the reduction of terrorism.

Voluntary association of free, democratic nations to promote peace, free trade, and the well-being of their citizens, as well as to promote their common defense.

# posted by Mannning @ 10:30 PM