February 13, 201313 yr Author I thought this was an interesting article. Counterculture Conservatism | The American Conservative I'd be curious to hear thoughts on it. Even better, I'm curious to hear how other BGPers would define their own ideology to guide the Republican party. Whatever you might think about the author's effort, I think he is correct in noting that there's been a lot more "yelping, whining, and fingering" than a consistent ideology guiding policy recommendations and solutions. So, what should conservatism mean today? Agreed. There will be a lot more kicking and screaming in the next few years. One faction will win the narrative. I think the Republican problem is very simple: They have gotten away from their small government principles in every aspect of policy. Keep government small and live within its means. They have also allowed the media to paint an image without effectively fighting back, and branding the GOP as heartless, or they don't promote equality enough. Frederick Bastiat can explain better..... “Socialism, like the ancient ideas from which it springs, confuses the distinction between government and society. As a result of this, every time we object to a thing being done by government, the socialists conclude that we object to its being done at all. We disapprove of state education. Then the socialists say that we are opposed to any education. We object to a state religion. Then the socialists say that we want no religion at all. We object to a state-enforced equality. Then they say that we are against equality. And so on, and so on. It is as if the socialists were to accuse us of not wanting persons to eat because we do not want the state to raise grain.”
February 14, 201313 yr Author Rand Paul Made Marco Rubio Look Establishment - Businessweek Where Rubio was careful to say that the Republicans’ Medicare plan would hold current beneficiaries harmless, Paul made no such promise. He said, “Big government’s not your friend. The president offers you free stuff, but his policies keep you poor.” Rubio mentioned nothing about drone attacks, which polls show are supported by a majority of Americans. Paul, clearly not trying to win an election, condemned the president for having a secret list of people to be killed without a trial. Rubio, his eyes glistening, made a quietly reasoned case for small government. Paul threw rhetorical bombs. If Congress doesn’t do right, he said, “Sweep the place clean. Limit their terms and send them home.” And by that he meant Democrats and Republicans alike. Marco Rubio may have boosted his chances for 2016 by looking presidential. But judging from Tuesday night, as long as Rand Paul is around, Rubio won’t be the clear choice of the Tea Party’s true believers. Ouch.
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