Does anybody remember this Senator Harry Reid gem from December?  “My staff tells me not to say this, but I’m going to say it anyway. In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it’s true.”

Our political elite like to rub elbows with the wealthy bankers.  These are people with nice clean office jobs.  They attend cocktail parties and gala events.  They are the type of people our elitist leaders would like to spend time with, and often do at fundraisers and other events.  They may try to demonize them in the media, but they are the type of people they indentify with.

The automakers jobs are mostly hard working labor jobs.  These men and women make their money more by the sweat of their brow than sitting in a corner office.  These are beer drinkers, not champagne gala attendees.  As they get sweaty, they will on occasion smell.  They are commoners.  Peasants.  Certainly not the high end social climbers that a member of Congress  would ever stoop to associate themselves with. 

This has been a theme that comes up periodically on my blog.  Congress sees themselves as an elite ruling class.  They are above the peasants that toil day in and day out at hard jobs to make ends meet.  If they must associate with commoners, at least the wealthy elite of the non-political class are closer to their level of wonderfulness.  We need new leadership that understands where their power and authority really comes from.  Their job is not to rule, but to serve the people.

Today a conservative can be seen as many things.  Often conservatives are seen as believing in a strict, or at least more strict, interpretation of the Constitution.  They favor smaller government, less government spending, and lower taxes for all.  Conservatives are also identified with a series of religious, moral and ethical ideals.  The most decisive of these issues include topics such as abortion.  Their economic views are more towards unbridled capitalism.

A liberal is seen in a different light.  They see the Constitution as a valid and important document, but also as being more fluid and changing.  They favor a larger amount of involvement from a larger government.  To pay for this involvement they favor more taxation, and the use of taxation to shift responsibility for supporting the system to those who make more money.  They favor the government protecting “the little guy” and supporting those in need of help.  Liberals are seen as less leaning on religious and moral concepts as being outdated, or again at least more fluid and evolving.  Their economic views are more geared towards the a government that makes levels the playing field and helps share success across all citizens.

Watching recent events unfold, I see today an irony in these labels.  In July of 1776, the men who chose to declare their independence would have been seen as anything but conservative.  The ideals that they carried forward into the Constitution were also anything but conservative in the light of their time.  These were radical individuals with liberal ideas of change.  They were opposed to systems where the common man was ruled by people born into power.  They fought a world where you were often born into an economic class, and were destined to live out your days as such.  They saw a radical future with a balanced government that derived its power from the people.  They saw a system where elected officials were selected by the people to serve in the best interest of the nation as a whole.  This government they envision was there to do as little as possible, only helping along with things that could not be done by the individual.  They also saw a nation where any person could, through their own sweat and effort, build whatever life they wanted.  They saw a world where you could speak freely, no matter how unpopular your opinion may be.  While state religions still existed in other lands, any person would be free to worship however they chose to or not at all in this brave world they worked to create. 

Today those who fight to cling to these radical and liberal ideas are what we label as “conservative.”  Those who look to nations that out founders left with systems more reliant on government involvement are as seen as “liberal.”  Today’s liberal would have been a “Tory” in 1776, while a person seen now as conservative would have been a “radical.”  Today both sides need to stop and reflect on where we came from.  They need to find that common ground where we see that a government of the people, who facilitates the advancement of people while not supporting them, and does as little as possible only when needed is the liberal legacy left to us.  A legacy that if regained will continue to make America an example to the world. 

A lot of people have been using “Don’t Tread on Me” as one symbol.  I have also seen people flying the flag upside as a sign of distress.  To me symbols like these have tow problems.  First, they are sometimes used by militia groups.  While we want to show our dissatisfaction, we do not want to be lumped in with more violent groups.  That gives other a way to quickly put us down as part of some fringe, not the mainstream of America that we are.  I do not thing signs of distress of banners used in battle embody what we represent.

I feel the best symbol would be the Betsy Ross flag.  First, it is obviously very similar to the modern flag.  It shows open patriotism.  Second, it is a flag from our founding which embodies the values we want to see brought back.  It as a symbol of hope.  It is a symbol of the birth of a great nation.  It represents a country that was full of promise.  It is a proud emblem of nation with an infinite future.  It defines a people set to work together as one for positive change.  That is the nation we want back.  That is the symbol we need. 

This needs to be done like a business.  In business when times are tough you cut overhead and focus on the porudcts or services you provide.  Government has to finally stop looking at themselves as above the rest of us, and manage themselves like we do.  The goal should be no increases in revenue allocated to any department for 4 years  Each deparmtent will then have to create a decrease in administrative costs of 5% per year ( some Departments may be more, some less ).  That freed up money would then be put to use for what it is intended for, not spent in DC.  After 4 years the process will be reassessed and a second 4 year process started where there may be increases, but at least 75% of any increase needs to go to the end users.  Departments like Education and Energy can require their state level counterparts to do the same thing or the amounts those states get will be frozen.

A separate office like the CBO needs to be chartered for a limited term of say 6 years to start things then go away.  Call it the Congressional Consulting Office.  Once in place, they can not be closed until their charter expires to keep a new administration from stopping their work. 

President Obama has been drawing criticism lately for things like TV appearances, use of Teleprompters and other non-policy related issues.  All of these items have one thing in common, they are campaigning tools.  Obama is still more in Campaign Mode than Executive Leader Mode.  The reason is simple.

Insecurity.

Yes President Obama is a very smart man.  Yes he is an excellent public speaker.  Where he is insecure, I feel, is in the leadership role.  This is why he focuses so much on speeches, TV appearances, and other “running for office” behaviors that he is so good at.  In many ways this insecurity is making politics less like Washington and more like High School. 

President Obama is the cool kid who ran for Class President.  In High School you ran for office because you either needed it to get into college, or because you wanted to prove just how popular you are.  Obama has pretty much cleared the college admissions issue at this point in his life.  That leaves the popularity motive, and that is about insecurity.  Obama could have waited to run until he had more experience, but he was not secure enough in his cool kid status to know he would still be popular in 4 or 8 years.  He had to run now to prove it to himself.  So he promised more parking for seniors, a kick butt prom, less homework, and off campus lunch.  Now he is in office.  Now he is realizing that actually doing all these things is hard.  He is freaking out.  So he is doing what got him elected.  He is walking up and down the halls cracking jokes and laughing it up his buddy Jay and Chris.  He is talking sports with the jocks.  He is traveling around to everybody’s parties to hang out and be the fun guy.  He is staying popular.  The problem is there is no money to make the school parking lot bigger.  Homework is not something he can impact directly.  Going off campus for lunch is a security issue.  It looks like prom is going to suck it there is money for it to happen at all this year.

We need the President to focus less on what got him elected and what he was elected to do.  Toss out the goals that may be totally unachievable, or ate at least impractical.  Focus on what we need to do now and what can be accomplished now.  We can worry about the rest when the important things are done.  We can start to run for office in 3 years.

During the Bush years, if more than 5 hippies were seen hanging out in front of a Starbucks the media called it an anti-war protest.  Typically they would use a multiplied and report that gathering as about 1,000 people.  Today Tea parties are breaking out all over the country.  The media is virtually silent.  Who has heard about the Tax Day Tea Parties set for tax day all over our great nation?  Wait no longer, here is a link to help you find a local event in your area.

http://www.taxdayteaparty.com/find.html

We all remember the hype of MoveOn.Org.  This grass roots liberal uprising has been all the rage since the 2000 elections.  Unless you are a Glenn Beck fan, I bet you have not heard a lot about his We Surround Them and 9-12 projects.  When Beck had his We Surround Them TV special 17,887 signed up on MeetUp.com to find viewing parties to join in the area.  On that show on March 13 Beck rolled out a new initiative called The 9-12 Project.  The centerpiece, so far, is a news and blog web site.  Since its announcement membership in this site has grown to 225,887 on March 24.  That is almost a quarter million people in 11 days.  That include the fact as well that it can be difficult to access the site because of high traffic.  We still hear the media talk about MoveOn.Org.  Have you hear about The 9-12 Project?  If you have not been yet, here is the link.

 http://www.the912project.com/

It is time for the media to take notice that Conservatives are pulling together in this country and taking action.  If the media has been so fascinated at what a bunch of left wing misanthropes, imagine what a bunch of hard working Conservatives will be able to accomplish.  If they are not careful they may miss a movement unmatched since 1776.  The movement is growing.  Mail and e-mail links to this site and others like it to your local media.  Make sure that the growing movement is always in front of them.  They may be slow to turn, but once the see the size ( and thus ratings potential ), their attention will focus on us.

Mr. Newberry: I visualised you in a haze as one of those slackster, flannel-wearing, coffee-house misanthropes I’ve been seeing in Newsweek.

Marty: No no no, I went the other road. Six figures, doing business with leadpipe cruelty, mercenery sensibility.

Grosse Pointe Blank

At first I reacted to these stories with a narrow minded indignation on the government and action groups getting involved in issues where they should not be.  How can you have liberty where a government advocates population control?  How can green groups oppose replacing a non-green industry with green power?  Then I had an epiphany.  My thought process was not Conservative at all.  I was locked into a narrow mindset based on past, false assumptions.  My eyes opened to a way that we can reduce government impact to boost the economy and save the environment.  By letting natural forces run their course we can achieve a truly Conservative approach to solving these issues.  This is my modest proposal on how this can be accomplished.

First, we need to immediately cease all farm subsidies and regulations on agriculture.  The money from subsidies can be saved, or used elsewhere as will be explained later in this proposal.  Some farms may go immediately out of business.  Once cultivation stops, this land will begin to revert to its natural state, thus providing long term environmental benefits.  With no price supports, food prices will drop in the short term boosting the economy.  In the long term this will drive some farms out of business, but again this will simply return the land to a more natural state which is better for the planet.  As the food supply adjusts to these sustainable levels, that will begin to achieve population controls.  Those who can not get food will simply be phased out of the environment. 

Along similar lines we should disband the USDA.  This is money wasted.  Quality issues we worry about today will be irrelevant to a reduced food supply.  Destroying food due to concerns over regulatory violations is also a waste.  Some of the cleaning standards also require the use of harsh cleaning chemicals that a detrimental to the environment.  Elimination of these toxins will have an immediate impact and also may help close down some of the companies that manufacture these so called “cleaning” chemicals.  As some natural bacteria reenter the food supply this will also assist in achieving population control as those negatively impacted by this bacteria will be phased out of the environment.

Money saved from these first two initiatives can be channeled to the Department of Interior.  This department can then buy up land that is freed up by failing farms to protect it from future cultivation and maintain it in a natural and sustainable state long term.  As the population trends down to a sustainable level from these and other initiatives, it will also cause homes and possibly entire areas to become unpopulated.  This land can be bought back as well, cleared, and returned to its natural state.

Next, we can save a great amount of money by cutting back virtually all government health initiatives.  It is hypocritical to spend money on medical research to cure illness and prolong lives when in reality it is those very lives that are damaging the environment.  The same goes for paying for health care and medical treatment.  If some people choose to be selfish and pay for their own care to prolong their lives and increase the negative impact they have on the planet, there is not much to be done to stop that.  The government should not pay for and encourage this reckless behavior.  The FDA can also be eliminated.  If people want to take medicines to prolong the damage they inflict on the planet, the government should not be protecting them.  Feared side effects will in many cases help to maintain the natural population reduction goals despite people’s attempts to pervert nature for their own comfort and convenience.

Law enforcement spending can be greatly cut.  As the population shrinks there will not be as many people to protect and serve.  Also, many laws that seek to protect individuals may be counter productive as they encourage people to maintain the current population level rather than take steps to remove others from the population.  Safety laws also prevent people from removing themselves from the environment due to their own carelessness.  In some cases, poor safety decisions can have the added benefit of removing others as well as happens in traffic accidents.  As some of these changes take effect, their may be some elements of society who attempt to cause trouble.  Again, law enforcement prevents such behavior that may in reality help to reduce the over all population and the negative impact they have on our delicate planet.  Large displays of civil unrest can actually achieve a rapid impact in reducing the population.

Finally an important tax reduction can be made eliminating so called “Sin Taxes” on items such as alcohol and tobacco.  As we go through some natural pains of this contraction and change, these products will help some people to ease their own negative feelings. For that matter, I would also so we should allow other controlled substances that are currently not legal for the same reason.  Another upside of these products is the fact that they can actually reduce the life spans of their users, especially when used in excess.  This provides for a humane reduction to the population as the people will be made to feel better, while at the same time expediting their removal from the environment.

Smaller government.  Reduced taxes.  Less government spending.  Increased personal responsibility.  These are all core values for all of us who consider ourselves Conservatives.  We need to embrace these new options and promote them.  The world can see how simple Conservative values are the only real way to save our planet.  Sadly those on the left will hypocritically fight this, despite their claimed interest in protecting the planet.  As with Jonathan Swift and his own A Modest Proposal, history shows that ideas of simplicity and genius are often overlooked. 

The Federal Reserve operates the US Mint, which prints money.  For the Fed to buy these Treasury Bills, they will have to print that $1 trillion.  To put this in easier terms, think of the US Mint like the Franklin Mint.  Like beautiful collectors plates, the value of money is impacted by how limited the supply is.  Think of the beautiful Obama collectors plates you bought that were in a series of  10,000.  You paid your three easy payment of $29.95 to buy these valuable limited items.  If you wanted to, you could trade one for other valuable items, perhaps that Clinton limited edition spoon set you have been eyeing.  Right now, you could get the whole set of 5 Clinton spoons for just one of the Obama plates you purchased.  Now imagine that the Franklin Mint decides to release more Obama plates just like yours.  You see, they had actually thought McCain would win, and are having to make up for the loss they took on the McCain commemorative chess sets.  So they dump another 10,000 Obama plates on the market.  Now, it will take two Obama plates to get that valuable spoon set.  You may not be happy, but you can live with it.  After successfully selling that other 10,000 plates, the mint realizes they also took a bath on the Sarah Palin commemorative doll line.  Plus they are still sitting on half of the 50,000 George W Bush coins they made.  Fixing all these Republican mistakes is going to be expensive.  The Mint decides that adding another “0” is no big deal, so they release 100,000 more Obama plates.  Now fewer people want them, so they offer free shipping and 10% discount on purchases of 2 or more to entice more people to buy.  Now it would take 20 Obama plates just for you to get 1 Clinton spoon.  Now you have hyper inflation.

That is what is at risk with the Federal Reserve printing so much money so fast.  Maybe we will get lucky and the economy will kick start and absorb all the money.  Maybe there will just be a slight decrease in the value of the dollar, but the economy gets going and things are fine.  Or maybe the economy will continue to struggle plus the value of the dollar will plunge.  Putting out more money to fix the first mistakes will only devalue the dollar more.  Then it will not matter how handsome Obama looks on that collectors plate.

My concern is simple and to the point.  If we wanted a celebrity President we would have Martin Sheen.  We need a Commander and Chief right now.  Maybe somebody needs to recommend that the President spend less time posing for GQ, Entertainment Weekly, etc.  Maybe there is a reason no other President has taken time out to go on The Tonight Show.  Maybe such a huge focus on basketball picks does not instill confidence in most Americans.  We need a President who is focused on the tasks at hand.  He has four years, worry about being cool once the economy recovers.

“He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of Pretended Legislation.”

“For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Government.”

I think in ways these both relate to our current governments desire to pass laws that serve themselves, not the people.  The AIG bonus issue is clearly a law that defies the Constitution.  Rather than fix their mistakes made with AIG, they have simply decided to blame others and abuse their power to divert attention.  The same is true of the attempt last month to pass a law granting DC a Representative in Congress.  Sure that did not seem like a big deal to many, but the Constitution is the Constitution.  I said in an article in this blog back then that it was only a matter of time before they went farther.  Now they have.  They are increasingly altering the laws and government for their own needs, not ours.

“He has erected a multitude of New offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.”

The Stimulus, TARP and many other bills are a huge grab of power.  They are building the size of the government, and taking parts of the private sector over.  While they abuse the power and grow their power base, the money to pay for it all will have to be taken from us.

“For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent.”

The talk around the Stimulus and other spending is that they are not increasing taxes.  While that is true for now, they will have to pay for this all at some point.  When that time comes, they will have to take the money from us in taxes whether we want to or now.  They are spending without our consent, and the taxation is not far behind.

“He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us”

To some this may be a little stretch, but not if you look at it the way I do.  Both sides fan the flames of party rivalry and portray each other as villains to rile us up against each other.  Recent moves against Rush and Cramer are also moves to distract us, but turning us against each other so that they can do whatever they want in the mean time.  They want us arguing amongst ourselves, so that they can do as they please while we are not watching.

“In ever stage of these Oppression We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.”

How many people called to complain over TARP and the Stimulus?  At best we get back form letters.  The government then goes and does what they want anyway.  They keep doing it over and over.

The founders had no option but to eventually rise up and fight.  Because of the hardship and suffering they had to endure in this struggle, they built us a system that would allow for radical change without violence.  We have until 2010 to either force Congress to get their acts together, or organize ourselves to take back what they are stealing from us using the Constitution that they choose to ignore.