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The conservative movement is dead
By Joseph Farah
I hereby officially pronounce the conservative movement dead.
May it rest in peace.
It was killed by its faith in men, not principles – men like George W. Bush.
The appointments of John Roberts as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and Harriet Miers as associate justice serve as the epitaphs for the political movement.
But even before these betrayals, conservatism was on life support.
It could not have survived the irresponsible spending by the Republican Congress, approved by the president during the last five years.
The conservative movement, in the best of times, represented a defensive effort to slow the trend toward unconstitutional, unlimited, centralized, Washington-based government.
Today, it represents, at best, only the hope of a slightly slower trend toward socialism and tyranny.
Let me state this plainly, as I do in my new updated, paperback edition of "Taking America Back": If Republicans filled every seat in the U.S. Congress and maintained control of the presidency, unconstitutional government would continue in Washington unchecked.
The confirmation of that fact came last week when former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay explained there was absolutely no place to cut the bloated federal budget. He said Republicans had done such a good job reining in government spending over the last decade, there was no fat left.
For those who still revere and love the U.S. Constitution, freedom and the goal of self-government, the death of the conservative movement might seem like a bad thing. I would submit to you it may be a necessary development to restoring the American Dream.
As long as the totality of political alternatives for the American people are represented by the Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, the drift away from the unique founding principles of American sovereignty and liberty will inevitably continue.
Quite frankly, it's time for some new creative thinking among Americans who still value what made America great.
No amount of defensive wrangling will be enough to preserve or restore our free republic.
It's time to think outside the box. It's time to exercise some courage and boldness. It's time to realize no war is won fighting defensively – trying in vain to hold on to old turf with no attempt to win new turf. It's time for freedom-lovers to reframe their political objectives. It's time to set goals for expanding liberty and morality, not just beating back relentless attempts to rob us of them.
Are you looking for new strategies, new tactics? Do you see that conservatism has only lost ground for the last 17 years? Do you understand we need to do more than work to elect politicians to represent us in Washington? Do you agree that the corruption of our system now runs too deep?
This may sound alarmist to some: But, at this point in history, Americans are less free than we were under the Crown of England.
Do any of us have the courage and convictions of our Founders? How many of us are willing to risk our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor for the cause of freedom today?
That is my challenge to you today.
We can complain about out-of-control government for the rest of our lives. We can continue to watch our liberty slip away. We can leave our children and grandchildren a society far worse off than the one which we inherited from our parents and grandparents. Or we stand up to the tyranny, get organized, set goals for expanding freedom, reclaiming ground robbed from us and set about rebuilding that shining city on a hill.
I don't pretend to have all the answers. If any man does, don't believe him. But I can read the handwriting on the wall. The political system in America is broken. It cannot be repaired with a little tinkering. Freedom-loving Americans need to realize they don't have a political party that represents them. Freedom-loving Americans need to realize they don't have a political movement that represents them.
Nothing could be clearer to me. How about you?
Let's not wring our hands over the latest Supreme Court nomination. Let's not whine about spending by the Republican Congress and president. Let's not mourn the death of conservatism. Let's get organized to build a new freedom movement with an offensive strategy and the goal of taking our country back.
Joseph Farah is founder, editor and chief executive officer of WND and a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. He is also the founder of WND Books, publishes the premium, online, intelligence newsletter Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, and is the author of the highly acclaimed book "Taking America Back." In addition to his daily column in WND, he writes a nationally syndicated weekly column available to U.S. newspapers through Creators Syndicate.
I hereby officially pronounce the conservative movement dead.
May it rest in peace.
It was killed by its faith in men, not principles – men like George W. Bush.
The appointments of John Roberts as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and Harriet Miers as associate justice serve as the epitaphs for the political movement.
But even before these betrayals, conservatism was on life support.
It could not have survived the irresponsible spending by the Republican Congress, approved by the president during the last five years.
The conservative movement, in the best of times, represented a defensive effort to slow the trend toward unconstitutional, unlimited, centralized, Washington-based government.
Today, it represents, at best, only the hope of a slightly slower trend toward socialism and tyranny.
Let me state this plainly, as I do in my new updated, paperback edition of "Taking America Back": If Republicans filled every seat in the U.S. Congress and maintained control of the presidency, unconstitutional government would continue in Washington unchecked.
The confirmation of that fact came last week when former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay explained there was absolutely no place to cut the bloated federal budget. He said Republicans had done such a good job reining in government spending over the last decade, there was no fat left.
For those who still revere and love the U.S. Constitution, freedom and the goal of self-government, the death of the conservative movement might seem like a bad thing. I would submit to you it may be a necessary development to restoring the American Dream.
As long as the totality of political alternatives for the American people are represented by the Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, the drift away from the unique founding principles of American sovereignty and liberty will inevitably continue.
Quite frankly, it's time for some new creative thinking among Americans who still value what made America great.
No amount of defensive wrangling will be enough to preserve or restore our free republic.
It's time to think outside the box. It's time to exercise some courage and boldness. It's time to realize no war is won fighting defensively – trying in vain to hold on to old turf with no attempt to win new turf. It's time for freedom-lovers to reframe their political objectives. It's time to set goals for expanding liberty and morality, not just beating back relentless attempts to rob us of them.
Are you looking for new strategies, new tactics? Do you see that conservatism has only lost ground for the last 17 years? Do you understand we need to do more than work to elect politicians to represent us in Washington? Do you agree that the corruption of our system now runs too deep?
This may sound alarmist to some: But, at this point in history, Americans are less free than we were under the Crown of England.
Do any of us have the courage and convictions of our Founders? How many of us are willing to risk our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor for the cause of freedom today?
That is my challenge to you today.
We can complain about out-of-control government for the rest of our lives. We can continue to watch our liberty slip away. We can leave our children and grandchildren a society far worse off than the one which we inherited from our parents and grandparents. Or we stand up to the tyranny, get organized, set goals for expanding freedom, reclaiming ground robbed from us and set about rebuilding that shining city on a hill.
I don't pretend to have all the answers. If any man does, don't believe him. But I can read the handwriting on the wall. The political system in America is broken. It cannot be repaired with a little tinkering. Freedom-loving Americans need to realize they don't have a political party that represents them. Freedom-loving Americans need to realize they don't have a political movement that represents them.
Nothing could be clearer to me. How about you?
Let's not wring our hands over the latest Supreme Court nomination. Let's not whine about spending by the Republican Congress and president. Let's not mourn the death of conservatism. Let's get organized to build a new freedom movement with an offensive strategy and the goal of taking our country back.
Joseph Farah is founder, editor and chief executive officer of WND and a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. He is also the founder of WND Books, publishes the premium, online, intelligence newsletter Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, and is the author of the highly acclaimed book "Taking America Back." In addition to his daily column in WND, he writes a nationally syndicated weekly column available to U.S. newspapers through Creators Syndicate.
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