Eric whines, “Yeah? You stink!” This is all that he could muster after his mom’s reprimand—which didn’t even involve observations regarding Eric’s odorous properties.
Americans are treated to an everyday comedy show. Liberals who are criticized for certain behaviors routinely take pot shots at unrelated Republican behaviors in response. The tactic demonstrates two thought errors. First, that “Republican” equals “conservative.” Secondly, that facts can be refuted by ignoring said facts and whining about other facts. Particularly funny are people who use false assumptions about their opponents as fuel for personal attacks while failing to address the opponents’ arguments.
Supposed conservatives who do this wield only the “conservative” label. Authentic conservatives use clear thinking to weigh evidence, while liberals transpose the way things are with the way that liberals want them to be. In genuine conservatism, religion shapes values and decisions but isn’t foisted on people as some right-wing fundamentalists seek to do. Effective conservatism is a commonsense, objective way of observing reality in order to decide how to function within reality.
Today’s far-left Democrats and wimped-out Republicans exhibit certain beneficial antagonistic traits which must evolve but should never quite totally disappear. Ongoing public discourse is both necessary and healthy—even though such dialogue can become rancorous, as it has since November 2000. Accusations of “divisiveness” betray the accuser’s need for feel-good “harmony”—a weak recipe for lasting solutions. Accusations of “hate” aimed at the right manifest accusers’ unwillingness to face unpleasant realities pointed out by the supposed “haters.” Cries for “unity” actually mean, “You surrender your position and adopt mine, Then we’ll get along.”
A dispassionate assessment of our culture finds that conservatism and liberalism pose unequal threats. Over-the-top liberal Barack Obama gushes forth a frightening display of socioeconomic ignorance. If the man becomes President and successfully executes his ideas on taxes, national defense, health care, and education, we and our progeny will look to today as the end-times of a once-thriving democratic republic. The dangers in electing the less liberal John McCain—who possesses moderate conservative traits—are less serious. Still, McCain slings baseless economic notions with ease. Sadly, with either man as President, Americans may wake one day to discover a big brother ordering us around and raiding our allowance to deal with a phantom climate “emergency.”
Eventually, Americans must figure all of this out. Otherwise our country will travel the road taken by a society that long ago succumbed to moral decay and excess like that wrought by our country’s four decades of unchecked liberalism. At present trajectory, America will need no Moors to topple our modern-day Constantinople, although it’s ironic that the Islamists are again in the thick of things.
On a brighter note, history reveals a poor track record for Presidents delivering on campaign promises. So regardless of who carries November, perhaps sanity will prevail. If we get the donkey, maybe congress will come to its senses and enact less menacing versions of the creature’s dangerous plans. If the elephant wins, we’ll breathe easier but still need to watch our wallets. Either way, stock up on conventional light bulbs.
