THE CONSERVATIVE HIPSTERS
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Liberal Policy
Yes, I realize this is an oxymoronic phrase, but I was reading Mark Steyn's review of Godless: The Church of Liberalism (via AD, thanks Adam), and something in the review struck me. Mark writes:
"Using "messengers whom we're not allowed to reply to" doesn't solve the Democrats' biggest problem: their message."
It started me thinking about Liberal Policy Platforms over the past 15 years or so, and it seems to me much of what the Liberals write about, they don't actually implement. They make their points in the election campaign by slamming the conservative or socialist policy (depending on which votes they are trying to win) and then implementing those policies that will get them re-elected.
WK's post from yesterday says pretty much the same thing. Liberal policy is to win and when they are faced with a Conservative who has pretty much the same plan, they are in trouble.
That got me thinking about our policy process. I realize that there are lots (like me) who are disappointed and frustrated from time to time by the decisions Mr. Harper is making. But every now and then I have to give my head a shake and remember we are in a minority situation and compromises must be made.
With that said, we (as conservatives) aren't allowed to muse too loudly about what we would do if we were a majority because a) it will scare off voters who like conservatives but only when there is no chance of them banning abortion or implementing capital punishment and b) we are just as arrogant as the Liberals who beleive majority governments are a god-given right.
Finally, there is a comment in Mark's opening paragraph about how the liberal left believe that belief in a higher power is unenlightened. My own views about organized religion not-with-standing, I do believe in some higher power. I haven't personally defined this power and I have (on more than one occasion) prayed to whatever it might be ("thank God for unanswered prayers"), but at the end of the day, if you are not prepared to open your mind up to all the possibilities of the universe, what is the point?
Q (feeling just a little philisophical before a weekend of drunken debauchery with the boys :-)
"Using "messengers whom we're not allowed to reply to" doesn't solve the Democrats' biggest problem: their message."
It started me thinking about Liberal Policy Platforms over the past 15 years or so, and it seems to me much of what the Liberals write about, they don't actually implement. They make their points in the election campaign by slamming the conservative or socialist policy (depending on which votes they are trying to win) and then implementing those policies that will get them re-elected.
WK's post from yesterday says pretty much the same thing. Liberal policy is to win and when they are faced with a Conservative who has pretty much the same plan, they are in trouble.
That got me thinking about our policy process. I realize that there are lots (like me) who are disappointed and frustrated from time to time by the decisions Mr. Harper is making. But every now and then I have to give my head a shake and remember we are in a minority situation and compromises must be made.
With that said, we (as conservatives) aren't allowed to muse too loudly about what we would do if we were a majority because a) it will scare off voters who like conservatives but only when there is no chance of them banning abortion or implementing capital punishment and b) we are just as arrogant as the Liberals who beleive majority governments are a god-given right.
Finally, there is a comment in Mark's opening paragraph about how the liberal left believe that belief in a higher power is unenlightened. My own views about organized religion not-with-standing, I do believe in some higher power. I haven't personally defined this power and I have (on more than one occasion) prayed to whatever it might be ("thank God for unanswered prayers"), but at the end of the day, if you are not prepared to open your mind up to all the possibilities of the universe, what is the point?
Q (feeling just a little philisophical before a weekend of drunken debauchery with the boys :-)
# posted by Q : 7:24 a.m.
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