Conservatism Lives!

The Rumors Of Our Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Liberalism = The Intent Justifies the End AND the Means

-By The Reluctant Republican

matter-and-energy-Physics-e=mc2I have friends of many stripes who fall all along the political spectrum and my attempts to engage them often meet with varied levels of success. In my ongoing quest to understand the liberal mind (and more effectively engage my liberal friends) I have made many attempts to quantify and qualify its thought process. Today, on a particularly long commute, I had an epiphany and the "equation" above just came to me. I call it, the theory of liberal relativity. To put simply what the formula expresses, to a liberal, intent is the only thing that matters. 

You see, to the liberal, the only issue of relevance is what you are trying to do. If that "goal" is deemed virtuous, then the means that you use to do it and the actual results of your efforts are irrelevant. Nancy Pelosi balked at the idea of increasing domestic energy production when it was first raised and was quoted as saying, "I’m trying to save the environment". You see? No debate. No discussion. No examination of the validity of a given issue because the intent (saving the environment) is judged to have merit. Therefore, the means (preventing America from increasing domestic production) and the end (possibly jeopardizing national security and the economy) are summarily dismissed as irrelevant and not even worthy of discussion or debate.

Take another topic; health care. People of "lessor means" should not be denied "access to health care". Virtuous goal (intent). Is it morally justified to redistribute massive amounts of wealth to do it? Doesn’t matter. Will a socialized health care program successfully achieve the goal? Irrelevant. Has the U.S. government taking over and running any business, good, or service ever yielded an increased in supply or quality? Doesn’t matter. Virtuous intent here. So get out of the way!

For kicks, take Obama himself. George Bush’s approval rating is well below 30%. Anyone with an R next to their name is just more of the same. We need "change". Change to what? Doesn’t matter. Anything is better than more Bush. Change how? Irrelevant. Candidate with virtuous cause here. Elect him and don’t ask questions!

Thursday, September 25th, 2008 Reluctant Republicanism
  • Fike McMarland
    Jeff, did you post this before or after the RR's post on Obama's position on abortion? My point in asking is that I see great inconsistency in voting for someone because they support one issue that is consistent with your beliefs, but radically against them in so many other ways. The abortion issue is just one example of many. If you want more, look at any number of the RR's previous posts. I would argue that government provided healthcare also runs counter to genuine Christianity. I also think that it is this inconsistency on your part is what set Atlas off in the first place. Based on your comments above, it sounds like you are realizing that.

    Also, if you really want to "try," there is MUCH more you personally can do than give a bum $10 bucks or, more importantly, vote for Obama. We all can. While admirable on the surface, I'm not sure that deep down your true concern about healthcare is more fear based for you and your family. I'm not knocking you for that, just pointing out that you don't need a government to protect you from or provide you with anything -- republican or democrat. Isn't that what faith in your Creator is all about?

    You know me. You know what I stand for. You know I work hard to practice what I preach. Life is not fair. We both go to the same church. Don't you remember the sermon on Sunday? It pertained exactly to this. God decides what happens to one person or another because He is God. There is a way things work. It is His way. Our only responsibility is do decide whether or not we are going to obey Him. A lot of people on this planet cannot handle that. That is why they fight it so vehimently.

    We are not entitled to anything. Trying is not enough. Too often, to say, "Oh well, I tried" is a copout and rationalization that sells us all way short of what we are really capabable of. Step out of your comfort zone. Become comfortable with discomfort. You know what I mean. Consider the following. They are some of my favorite quotes:

    "The only thing necesary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edumund Burke

    "I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach the highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph."

    -- Theodore Roosevelt
    excerpt from The Strenuous Life

    I recommend everyone read that entire speech, delivered in Chicago in 1905. It's awesome and summarizes why T. Roosevelt was my favorite president.

    Here's one more. It's easy to like, but tough to live out.

    "May you learn to value purpose over pleasure, duty over delight, and faith over feeling in pursuit of the great adventure God has for you."

    -- Chuck Holton
    from A More Elite Soldier

    Jeff, we don't need more government to take care of us or do for others what we can do ourselves. I think if you look deep down, you would agree. Vote for whoever you choose. That is your right. Just don't expect me or anybody else to condone that decision or view it as anything less than an inconsistent rationalization based on fear or the desire for an easy life. My intent is not to criticize you, just be straightforward. I think I've earned that right with you. I welcome the opportunity to talk more about this with you face to face.
  • Sheila
    "You see, to the liberal, the only issue of relevance is what you are trying to do."
    That's the result of the idiotic liberal "self-esteem" movement of the Eighties...reward the effort, screw the result. It doesn't matter if anyone can read, write, count or think, but by God we've all got to have self-esteem.
  • jeff brackman
    rr, as i'm sure that i am one of the striped friends you were referring to, i have to say that you are kinda accurate. i guess my problem is that i don't see "trying" as a negative. i would rather try to get health care for all because i believe the end is worth the means. i would rather try to reform programs to help the poor and needy, instead of assuming that they are all lazy. i am realizing my problem. religion and politics don't mix. i am a christian. i am a christian first. this means different things for different people. what is means for me is that others come first, almost always. i would rather give ten bucks to a bum than use it to see a movie(i love movies). i believe its not for me to judge why a person is where they are. i believe that my first purpose on earth is to reflect christ to those i come in contact with, to advance the kingdom. i believe that EVERYTHING is for the lords purpose. i don't have a college degree, but i am able to provide for my family. we have only 1 credit card, it has $400 dollars on it for emergencies, if i can't buy it out-right then i don't need it. i have worked damn hard to get to where i am at, of course i don't want someone to free-load off of my hard work, however, as a christian i believe that the picture is bigger than that. i believe that its more important that poor people and sick people have a chance to change their story then for me to have a big house or a new car, or nice vacations or all the toys. the lord has said that he will supply all my needs, needs. do the poor and lazy and complacent deserve their fate, maybe, but its not for me to decide that. i deserve hell for eternity. to me it is this simple. forgive my, perceived, ignorance.
  • Mike McFarland
    JustinC I have really appreciated a lot of what you've had to say on this site. Lately, however, I am totally losing you. I have no idea what you are talking about in your last two posts responding to the RR here. Dude, if you don't like Walmart, quit shopping there. That would be doing your part, wouldn't it?
  • Mike McFarland
    Great job RR. I completely agree with everything you said. Well stated and, even better, succinct. JustinC and I could learn from you on that one!
  • Greg
    I think that this "altruism at any cost" idea is the enemy in Ayn Rand's books. Also, you need to be careful in your use of the word liberal and make sure it is not confused with the word Democrat. I think we need a new political party as there are many of us not content with either.
  • The Reluctant Republican
    I'll give you "A" if I can edit it, "B" is the opposite of evil so I'll have to deny you that one, and "C" I'll give you your own section and live streaming feed for.
  • justinchina
    yeah, that's wierd, huh. my body double only fills in part time, but i'm thinking of retiring soon so he may have to work extra. it worries me that the Reluctant Republican base doesn't appreciate the problems, both socially and economically that walmart presents, in terms of long-term and strategic economic and moral growth to our country. perhaps i should be a guest columnist on the evils of a. walmart b. offshore drilling, and c. hippies.
  • The Reluctant Republican
    To be honest, I'm never entirely certain what you're talking about. Besides, haven't you heard? Kim Jong Il has been dead since '03. His body doubles have just been filling in for him since then.
  • justinchina
    okay, if we add shopping at Walmart to the list of "being taught in soccer trying hard is what matters", then i can agree with what marty said. hippies. i can't stand them either.
    but sometimes...i really think RR just posts stuff he knows is gonna hack me to no end! why no picture Obama photoshopped with Kim Jong Il? we are talking about the same thing, aren't we???
  • The Reluctant Republican
    I usually start my writing process on these posts by trying to think about what you would like or agree with. So I apologize this wasn't up to your standards. I do think you missed a major point I was trying to make though. I'm not claiming to be "morally absolutely right" here. I was simply trying to express in logical terms why it can be difficult for conservatives and liberals to have a productive discussion. We start from different places and evaluate the subject matter in completely different ways; almost like one of us is speaking...Chinese.
  • I disagree with justinchina. Or at least, I'm trying to. I wouldn't consider myself a conservative or a liberal at this point, but I still felt this was an excellent thought... (Though it was a bit of a stereotype)
    For the most part, this is what the uneducated liberal person (clearly not Justinchina) is like. This is the 18-30 year old male or female who's been told for years that Bush sucks and Clinton was the messiah by their community college professors and Saturday Night Live and now they believe it and now they believe Obama rides on a white horse (I still haven't fully decided who I'm voting for).
    They've grown up believing, beginning from their first soccer practices that it only matters if they try hard and winning isn't that important.
    It is true, an equally stereotypical formula could be deduced for conservatives, but these are the posts of the RR, so let it be heard.
  • justinchina
    seriously. worst. post. ever.
  • justinchina
    unbelievable. The insistance of being morally absolutly right is the halmark of all indignant conservatives. I would come up with a pithy name for this "equation", but i actually watch and read more news that Shawn Hannity on Fox, so my ability to generalize and spit out meaningless soundbites has deteriorated. but i meant to come up with a clever and smug formula, so i guess that's enough for tonight.
  • Where did you get your blog layout from? I'd like to get one like it for my blog.
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Conservatism Lives!

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The Gipper

Dedicated to the preservation of individual liberty, freedom, justice, stewardship, the pursuit of individual excellence, defense of the innocent, and government accountability.
 

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