Why Conservatives Can't Govern

[Lasher]

In 2007, political scientist, author and professor of political science at the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College, Alan Wolfe, wrote an article for Washington Monthly, titled "Why Conservatives Can't Govern." In that article, he stated:

"Liberals, while enjoying the perquisites of office, also want to be in a position to use government to solve problems. But conservatives have different motives for wanting power. One is to prevent liberals from doing so; if government cannot be made to disappear, at least it can be prevented from doing any good. The other is to build a political machine in which business and the Republican Party can exchange mutual favors; business will lavish cash on politicians (called campaign comtributions) while politicians will throw the money back at business (called public policy). Conservatism will always attract its share of young idealists. And young idealists will always be disillusioned by the sheer amount of corruption that people like Gingrich and DeLay generate. If yesterday's conservative was a liberal mugged by reality, today's is a free-marketer fattened by pork."

Strong words - and obviously written by one with a liberal agenda. But how close to truth are these words? Few can deny the love affair that has been going on between Big Business and the Republican Party lo these many decades. Few can deny the way in which the Republican Party has attempted to strangle Democratic attempts to do, well, just about anything. You may differ, but I have not seen anything close to approaching that coming from the left toward the right.

No corruption here, you say. Hmmm . . . now just exactly what is it that Tom DeLay is doing these days . . . . . ?

Strong words. Words for discussion, seems to me. Anyone want to step up?

Conservatives can't govern liberals, Zionists, communists, socialists, collectivists, and other stupid folks because those people are too dumb to see the light of freedom.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

You cannot govern well if you hate government. And since government is we the people and Republicans hate we the people, this is pretty much a no brainer.

I remember a day when liberals used to hate government. Funny thing is that, once they got elected, turns out they love it just as much as anyone else. Government is addictive, and we should suspect anyone who wants more of it.

Would you give more heroin to a heroin addict?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Government is most certainly here to solve our problems.

No. Government is here to protect your rights.

Government exist only if it takes your rights. There is a need for government, but we need to protect our rights from it. Relying on it to protect our rights results in the TSA searching people getting off trains in Savannah.

 

[Lasher]

Faulty premise: Gubmint is there to solve our problems.

That's a pretext for paternalistic authoritarian rule, not de jure governance.

Oh, I don't know. I would view my house on fire as a problem, as I am sure you would if yours was on fire.

And who comes to put it out? And who pays the paychecks of those firemen?

We taxpayers pay them for their services, you didn't know that?

Similarly, I would view a burglar in my house as a problem. I would view being unable to drive from Los Angeles to, well, anywhere, on a paved road as a problem. I would view an invasion by a foreign enemy as a problem. And who is it that solves all of our problems like that?

The people we taxpayers pay to do it.


I think you get the idea.

Government is most certainly here to solve our problems.


No, government is here to take as much of the fruits of our labor as they can to buy the votes of people who live off the money we are robbed of by government. Those problems you have mentioned are all services that benefit us all, rich and poor alike, but paid for by the productive people. Most of the money we pay in taxes are wasted on programs and policies that benefit no one except the recipients. "Government is not the solution, it is the problem."

 

[M14 Shooter]

Government is most certainly here to solve our problems.

No. Government is here to protect your rights.

Government exist only if it takes your rights. There is a need for government, but we need to protect our rights from it. Relying on it to protect our rights results in the TSA searching people getting off trains in Savannah.

This is true - to have government, the people must give up some of their rights.

Government is, in essence, the outsourcing of the right to self-defense from the individual to the collective, enacted so that people need not worry so much about protecting themselves, and can pursue other goals.