Rightwords... Prudent Conservatism

                         

July 31, 2015

 

We must celebrate our Constitution and the principals that undergird it, including republican organization, separation of powers by a tripartite division into administrative, legislative and judicial branches, with checks and balances throughout, definite limits to government power, and majority rule, but minority rights. We must recognize that these and other principals, especially freedom of religion, were derived from natural law as established by God.

 

Uphold the Constitution of the United States of America as valid and fully applicable to modern life. Insist that everyone read the Constitution thoroughly, as it was designed to be read plainly and readily understood by all from the outset. Tortured interpretations are to be ignored.

 

Believe in God the Trinity, and practice Christian morality—including faith, hope and charity. We must fight to ensure an end to atheist-driven secularization in the nation.

 

Maintain God’s revealed natural law, natural rights, and natural duties, and reject provably disastrous ideas of atheistic collectivity, such as Socialism, Communism, and Secular Humanism. All of these isms lead to a totalitarian state sooner or later. Know that all men are equal before God and the law.

 

Ensure that we remain committed to the rule of law and not the rule of man. Rule by fiat and rule by regulation are anathema to our Constitution.

 

Believe in and live by a virtues ethic: especially prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude. Live with integrity.

 

Employ right reason in all affairs, most especially for necessary changes to lives, to governance and for declaring and executing war.

 

Promote family as a valued building block, honor our heritage, and ensure future continuity of our way of life for our children.

 

Recognize that our government was formed and is maintained by the consent of the governed, and by representation in Congress and an elected President, as well as similarly constituted representative state governments. Honor the rights of states.

 

Preserve private property rights as a major bulwark of freedom.

 

Institute fiscal responsibility: realize debt and debit reduction; and, ultimately, balance the budget.

 

Recognize and account for the fact that man is imperfect, sinful, and capable of dastardly acts. The evidence: Islamofascist terrorism, for just one instance, and the dregs of our prisons for another.

 

Reject political correctness, multiculturalism and diversity as actually evil. Having multiple cultures in our nation is not the same thing as multiculturalism. To say that all cultures are equally valid is simply nonsense. We must continue to develop our overarching American Culture, while allowing other cultural groups to practice their own versions in private as well. The objective is full assimilation into the American Culture.

 

Practice self-governance, independence, and morality. Government must not be the source for fulfilling all needs. We must reject the calls of collectivists. Keep our local and state governments strong and sovereign.

 

We must fight to maintain our liberty and freedoms, and understand how constitutionalism has created a stable and free nation for over 230 years.

 

Develop and support strong community pride, spirit and cooperation. Extend this spirit throughout the nation. Be proud to be an American! Patriotism is a great virtue and it should be shown at every turn.

 

Restore selection of senators from a statewide election to an appointment by the state's legislation as originally decided by the authors of the Constitution. Prevent election of the President by popular vote, instead of by way of the Electoral College.

Preserve (or if necessary, revive) our traditions, customs, conventions and institutions-- including among them marriage between a man and a woman, and abhorring both abortions by choice and abortions paid for by the government.

 

Practice good citizenship, responsibility for one’s own welfare, self-reliance and independence

 

Help the needy, the weak and the poor.

 

Revise the educational process to install sound curricula, to provide effective textbooks, to reduce the influence of unions and progressives, and to produce better educated students. Proper education of citizens is a key to the success of our form of republic. We must set an example for all citizens to be well-informed and aware of the importance of participation in governing this nation. We must cease teaching to the tests.

 

It is way past time that we address the huge imbalance in our institutions of higher learning between liberal and conservative professors, often 10 to 1 in many departments. This may require abolishing both tenure and even academic freedom policies in order to effect changes. How this can be achieved in private universities needs to be studied. This imbalance is a generational problem.

 

Assign responsibility for education to the States, with no-strings grants to states as needed. Reduce the Department of Education to the role of a Bureau handing out formulaic grants to needy states.

 

Defend the nation and its freedoms; support a super-strong military, and honor treaty commitments worldwide, especially with NATO. Preserve the military R&D and manufacturing base at all cost. There will be a need! In WWII we had three to four years to build up our forces to a winning level.

 

For the next war, and there will be one, we will not have the luxury of four years to reach that winning level of forces. Defeat the sequestration or we will suffer grave consequences.

 

Support all efforts to coerce threatened friendly nations to do all they can to defend their own nation and, in concert with Western allies, to participate in broader alliance defensive initiatives. Measures of their contribution must include the size of their defense budget, their combat ready force levels, the commitment of troops and resources to the alliance, and their homeland preparation for defense.

 

Iran's nuclear program must be stopped by force if they do not voluntarily cease and desist. Support Israel in building up a counterforce in case of need. Similarly, maintain heavy sanctions against North Korea so long as they pursue nuclear weapons and means of delivery. Support our South Korean friends militarily in case of need.

 

We must stand up to Russian efforts to take over the Ukraine, and support both Poland and the smaller nations on the Russian border. To this end, the missile defenses originally planned should be restarted in the Eastern European nations, and we must arm free Ukraine.

 

Islam is a growing problem for the US. The Muslim world is dedicated to the overthrow of all infidel nations in favor of Islam. Once achieved, all infidels would be given a choice: 1) Convert to Islam; 2) accept dhimmitude (second class citizen status) and pay fines; or 3) be put to death. We must fight back---now and with strength and will to win.

 

We must not allow our freedom of religion to deter us from taking action against those who would destroy us, especially Islamic fundamentalists. Aggressively pursue the Global War on Terrorism.

 

Believe in just war to defend the nation, and in just killing--both for self defense and for the death penalty. We must recognize that we are at war with Islamic Fundamentalists whether we like it or not.

 

Create and enforce a law that forbids any religion to be practiced in the nation that deliberately threatens the overthrow of the government and the way of life of our citizens.

 

Sanction heavily any nation that provides aid to Islamic terrorists.

 

Create a paid national service system that offers qualified high school graduates or 18 to 25 year-olds, a two (or optionally, a three) year trial position in some part of national, state or local government or the military of their selection, but subject to the needs of the government. To this end, the first 6 months of such endeavors must be basic military training, thus providing the nation with a trained reserve pool.

 

Examine thoroughly the entitlement programs now in place, and find significant reductions in their budgets.  We cannot afford to spend 65% to 70% or more of our budget on entitlements.

 

Ensure free markets with willing nations, including appropriate regulations to prevent abuses and to avoid tariff wars.

 

Make effective and well-supervised humanitarian contributions to alleviate disasters worldwide, to promote global stability and to seed economic growth. If possible, send goods not cash! It is certain that much of our monetary aid to third--tier nations actually supports dictatorial governments and strongmen.

Promote scientific, engineering and manufacturing contributions to our way of life. Use seed money wisely to promote new avenues of R&D, but not production in competition with industry. The government must not compete with industry, perhaps with a few odd, temporary exceptions.

 

Use common-sense and cost-effective management and regulation of our natural resources and environmental conditions. Rescind regulations that do not meet these criteria.

 

Revamp immigration control, seal the border effectively, allow supervised migrant workers, and deport illegal immigrants throughout the nation, or else let them sign up for an eventual citizenship path, pay a significant fine, and get in line for consideration with other legal applicants. Revise the allocations of legal immigration slots by nation for fairness.

 

No illegal immigrant should draw welfare from any part of government.

 

Preserve citizen’s absolute second amendment rights to own and use all but fully-automatic weapons and ammunition legally for self-defense, sport, and hunting.

 

Provide for health care at reasonable cost, and ban elective abortions. Rescind Obamacare once a more viable system is proven and available.

 

We must ensure that our veterans receive first-class care from their injuries while in service and for as long as necessary.

 

Maintain our sovereignty: the world is not ready for democratic government because the majority of nations are amoral or immoral.

 

Deemphasize the United Nations organization and misguided or disastrous international movements--think Islam, for example, that is practiced by 65 or so nations, and the African Union practiced by 54 nations, that tend to vote as blocks. These blocks dominate the UN General Assembly. Fortunately, they do not dominate the Security Council.

Work hard, be industrious and entrepreneurial, create and hold wealth, make jobs available, and live well. Wealth is good! Work to ensure full employment. Reject the politics of envy. We must search to find ways to create good jobs for all outside of government.

 

The dollar is in jeopardy of losing its reserve status, which would prevent simply printing money to pay debts; tax uncertainties are preventing job growth; and tons of new regulations are contributing to the downturn and weak upturns in some sectors. We need a new fiscally responsible government, a sound fiscal policy, and we need to reduce the national debt of over $18 trillion!

Examine every department of government in great detail to verify their need, to reduce fraud and waste, to remove incompetents, to control their budgets, and to remove regulations that are harmful to the nation. A million clerks are ruling the nation by way of interpreting regulations (often unwisely) and forcing citizens to comply. The over 1,750 agencies, bureaus, commissions and committees have overlapping fiefdoms, huge budgets and conflicting regulations that must be eliminated.

Continue to reduce the influence of unionism throughout the country, especially government unions, as they are anathema to a well-formed government.

 
Elect or appoint men of good character, morally upright, wise, and that support these key conservative actions, to positions in the Civil Service, judges, and congressional representatives.

 

Reject siren calls for confiscatory redistribution of wealth by the government. This nation ensures equal opportunities, but it must never attempt to ensure equal outcomes.

 

Vote for a flat consumption tax and no other form of taxation (no income tax, no excise taxes, no hidden forms of taxation, and no authority to institute other forms by law.). No citizen should be exempt from taxation.

 

Restrict the courts from legislating from the bench in favor of the correct legislative route through Congress. Judges must remain within their boundaries. We should pass legislation that calls for term limits for judges.

 

It is imperative that we also pass legislation to limit the terms of Senators and Congressmen. No person should serve more than12 years in the Congress all told. We also need to reduce the time spent campaigning for election or reelection by our Congressional representatives, and limit their financial resources.

 

Candidates for any elective office should be required to state their positions publically on every issue in this list in writing prior to beginning a run for office.  Other issues may be added from time to time as needed. This would allow the public to assess the candidate's statements and promises fully and completely early on.

Practice zero tolerance for criminals. Let the punishment fit the crime. Seek recompense for the damages done. Build more prisons if necessary. Long rap sheets are direct evidence of the failure of our law enforcement and judicial systems to protect the citizenry. Institute a law mandating a life sentence with no possibility of parole for three felony convictions.

Changes to the policies of government will be needed but they must be carefully vetted and instituted gradually to preserve continuity, and to honor prior commitments.

Encourage freedom and liberty throughout the world by peaceful means.

 

We must repair and replace our deteriorating infrastructure with a long-term plan to defray costs over time.

 

Building more nuclear power plants is a key to our long-term energy independence, as is fracking for oil, better use of coal, as well as greater use of solar and wind power systems, and this must include better energy storage and distribution capabilities.

 

There should be a system for allowing all citizens to view budget items and the suggested amounts to be spent on each well in advance of final congressional action and Presidential signoff. This would help to reduce earmarks by shining a bright light on the budget items. In fact, the earmark process itself must be stopped cold.

 

(It needs to be said about realizing these actions: the devil is in the details! Let us dig into them.)

 

# posted by Mannning @ 12:36 PM