Clipmarks | akarra's conservative politics collection

Jefferson on self-evident truth and equality

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:37:53 GMT

clipped by: akarra

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…

Jefferson’s “we” is most certainly universal, not just the rambling of a particular people, for to effect a just break in the bonds uniting Britain and her colonies, both sides must understand what is just. The basis of justice is truth here, self-evident truth: all men are created equal; all men have certain Rights. If they didn’t, there never would have been a government anywhere, at any time. The purpose of any given government is to secure equality, to secure rights.

Tags: politics, jefferson, equality

Brooklynistan?

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:18:39 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: One blogger reacts to the threat of radical Islam in NYC.

Clip Source: orderdisorder.blogspot.com

I read this little article and got to wondering, has radical Islam gained a valuable toe hold in NY city? The article, A Masjid Grows in Brooklyn, in the Jerusalem Post seems to think so. It is sad to think that not only are these kinds of "no-go zones" possibly popping up here, but that one has top read it in a foreign paper. More importantly I suppose, why isn't there even a hint of this in any other media source?

Tags: politics

McCain, Fiscal Conservative?

Thu, 08 May 2008 19:20:10 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: One blogger thinks so.

Clip Source: orderdisorder.blogspot.com

John McCain, has a solid and proven record of cutting taxes and cutting, or at least voting against, waste. His fiscal conservative pedigree, according to Stach, is second to none. If the pundits on the right wanted Reagan incarnate, they should stop scrutinizing and start supporting John McCain. The man, as a Representative then a Senator, has consistently voted to cut capital gains, corporate, personal - at all brackets, and other taxes. He has also voted for larger tax breaks for retirement savings and to eliminate the "death" tax. Why the hatred?

The hatred stems from short memories. Our wise and learned sages of the party can't seem to get past the 2001 Bush tax cuts. A bill that McCain did vote against, but it was a protest vote. Protesting what exactly? Protesting the obscenely bloated discretionary, think earmark, spending added to the bill after committee.

Tags: mccain, politics, conservatism, budget, congress

A Rough Year for Republicans

Thu, 08 May 2008 18:27:26 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: Karl Rove muses on just how tough this election will be for McCain.

Clip Source: online.wsj.com

This will be a very difficult year for Republicans. The economy's shaky state, an unpopular war, and the natural desire for partisan change after eight years of one party in the White House have helped tilt the balance to the Democrats.

Mr. Obama is significantly weaker today than he was three months ago, but Democrats have the upper hand in November. They're beatable. But it's nonsense to think this year is going to be a replay of George H.W. Bush versus Michael Dukakis or Richard Nixon versus George McGovern.

Tags: politics, rove, republicans, democrats, campaign, mccain, obama

The Decline of Presidential Rhetoric and the Problem of Speech in a Democracy

Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:17 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: Discusses the problem of speech in a democracy through following the concerns of a Lincoln scholar.

Clip Source: inrethinking.blogspot.com

The devolution of Presidential rhetoric, perhaps starting with the very notion of TR's "bully pulpit," much less the theater of the modern State of the Union, demonstrates the problem he confronts fully. The executive is not constructed to speak, but to act. If he speaks, his speech must result in effective action. It is tempting to say that in a country where popular opinion is everything, the President's power to persuade is his most effective action. Thus, the "bully pulpit," the televised State of the Union, the press conferences, the Presidential reading lists, the campaign books, etc. etc. are not a product of politics merely trying to give Oprah competition. Rather, the President could be doing his job in being a second-rate media figure.

All one has to do, though, to demolish the argument that the President's primary power lies in persuasion is focus on what an inability to persuade does to effective action.

Tags: politics, lincoln, presidency, speech

Being Conservative and John McCain

Mon, 05 May 2008 23:53:28 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: A blogger talks about his conservatism and his ambivalent but supportive relation to John McCain.

Clip Source: federalistnowandforever.wordpress.com

What does it mean to be a conservative exactly? In the proper sense to be a conservative is the conserve the status quo but in another sense (often times viewed as dangerous) to be conservative means to return to a previous time: I belong to the latter. To neglect this side of the conservative movement is to give up on hope. In today’s world we are called upon to accept how things are and just get use to it rather than wish for something better. This notion is what has caused a decay in the American political system for some time now. We have lost track of what this nation was founded to do. The issues that will be important for the election, as they have been for some time and will continue to be, are vital to America.

Tags: conservative, mccain, election, politics, republicans

Why Should Political Science Even Exist?

Sun, 04 May 2008 02:38:34 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: It seems that poli sci is just a major used to get some easy A's in school - why would anyone take the field seriously?

Clip Source: inrethinking.blogspot.com

But it is true, that despite the best efforts of people to remain stubborn, that they do manage to feel humiliated when proven wrong. I submit that what connects the reasoning behind most people and the reasoning behind the empirical sciences is the idea of argument as a bludgeon. Truth is about something being absolutely true or absolutely wrong. Certainty is possible, because it has been assumed possible.

What if certainty were assumed impossible?

To have a science based on speech is to have a science based on uncertainty. We can only talk to each other because we do not know what the other is thinking. Underneath communication is a sort of skepticism; one has to assume that one has to work to understand another.

Political science starts from taking people's opinions about things seriously. Opinions stem from truth, and reflect it in some way always, but do not emphasize the finality of truth.

Tags: politics, political science, opinion

Hating Keith Olbermann

Sun, 04 May 2008 01:56:16 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: A blogger, um, expresses his dislike for Mr. Olbermann.

Clipmarks is so left-wing it makes Kos look like Alexander Hamilton. This should be fun.

Clip Source: orderdisorder.blogspot.com

A Catholic priest defending his religion is a bigot to Mr. Olbermann. A returning vet that says there is progress in Iraq must be suffering post traumatic stress syndrome. You disagree with the whole "global warming is killing us" gang and you are a holocaust denier. Defend president Bush and he calls you a Nazi. That is some real hard hitting commentary, calling every body stupid, that he employs.

Tags: politics, olbermann, msnbc, media

On Locke's First Treatise of Gov't

Sun, 04 May 2008 01:53:54 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: A blogger looks carefully at the full significance of Locke beginning his treatise with the word "slavery." How, in deliberating types of gov't, can we enslave ourselves?

Clip Source: federalistnowandforever.wordpress.com

The notion that we are all slaves to a single human, a fallible person, is not present in our own human reason or in the Divine Scripture, where one would expect to find Divine Right authority promulgated first. Natural freedom and equality are the older opinions of mankind, not absolute Authority of a single man. Locke even argues that Filmer assents to this belief, that his opinion is the junior.

Tags: locke, politics, government, first treatise, slavery

Raise the Gas Tax!

Fri, 02 May 2008 22:47:14 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: A blogger argues that the gas tax needs to be higher to pay for transportation improvements that are long overdue.

Clip Source: orderdisorder.blogspot.com

I don't know how else to say it, no other way to make it clearer, other than just saying it. So, here it goes: Raise the gas tax stupid! Why this one amazingly simple and effective policy has found such resistance is honestly beyond me. I realize that Republicans, as a whole, are adverse to raising taxes, which I know makes me a bad Republican, but I cannot see any other way out of the transportation nightmare that we are just now entering. What really surprises me is the resistance of the Democrats to raising this tax.

Tags: gasoline, gas, oil, tax, transportation, politics

How Can Conservatives Use The Internet Better?

Fri, 02 May 2008 05:04:52 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: The clip is just the conclusion, the article is rather long. There are links in the article, moreover, which provide sources for the article.

Clip Source: zardozz.com

We have a virtue as conservatives and centrists - we listen. We react instead of pushing our agenda first. And this means we have blogs that do an excellent job of critiquing media bias and stupid policies.

But it’s obvious we need something more: the floodgates are open. Bush bashing is just the tip of the iceberg: Does anyone seriously think the next President is going to be treated any more kindly? Does anyone seriously think that we, who are very mature in the conduct of our private lives, are showing anything like grace and decorum when it comes to our conduct politically?

4. We need the Internet to be educative, not merely a diversion for bored teenagers or angry Leftists and libertarians. In education, listening is an activity, and a type of faction arises which not only tolerates disagreement but creates an environment where more thoughtful disagreement can occur. We need to set things up so we always make each other better, and not tear each other down.

Tags: conservative, dailykos, politics, internet, education

Ann Coulter Speaks, This Conservative is Pissed

Fri, 02 May 2008 01:52:58 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: Title says it all.

Clip Source: federalistnowandforever.wordpress.com

On October 8, 2007 Ann “I have running mouth disease” Coulter appeared on the Donny Deutsch show, “The Big Idea”. Now typically when Ann speaks there is always trouble to follow, in fact I am certain that Ray Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes” was written about Coulter. Her comments on the show with Mr. Deutsch were plan as day, this country would be better if we were all Christian. Apparently Coulter likes to walk around with both eyes closed because if we were all Christian we would still have the same problems we have today. But these naive words aren’t the ones I wish to relate to you all. Mr. Deutsch, after Coulter said all should become Christian, asked the follow, “Christian — so we should be Christian? It would be better if we were all Christian?”. Coulter replied, “Yes.”

Tags: coulter, politics, deutsch, big idea, christianity, conservative, liberal

Why Is the Gettysburg Address Important?

Thu, 01 May 2008 22:56:02 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: Addresses two views of how equality should be established as a principle in American life.

Clip Source: inrethinking.blogspot.com

Lincoln & Jefferson are agreed on the universal significance of the American enterprise, but there is divergence. This nation was "conceived in Liberty" & "dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." "Conceived" implies that maybe not all governments are conceived such, that maybe Jefferson's notion that all governments derive their right from the consent of the governed is false. "Dedicated to the proposition" again implies a defect in Jefferson's formulation. For Jefferson, that all men are created equal is a matter of knowledge. It is self-evident truth.

But a "proposition" is something that has to be proved true or false. It is not necessarily true. To be dedicated to a proposition is a matter of belief. To be an American is to believe all men are created equal, to work to make that a truth as best one can.

Tags: lincoln, gettysburg, jefferson, politics, democracy, equality, civil war

A Generation of Free Thinkers?

Thu, 01 May 2008 21:12:36 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: A blogger wonders about his generation, and whether they are trapped between the liberalism and conservatism of 2 other generations.

Clip Source: orderdisorder.blogspot.com

If we are free thinkers, why such trouble now? The trouble arises from having two very contradictory value sets from which to act. Our teachers made sure that we learned the lessons of liberal and leftist ideology well. We had to you see, it was part of the curriculum and we were raised to work hard and succeed. We were also raised to respect authority, and what is the biggest authority figure in a young child and young adults life than the education system? So these liberal lessons were ingrained into our minds and took up residency next to the values of our parents. At the time it seemed benign, we weren't really old enough to think for ourselves yet, and no one else seemed to be bothered by the blatant brainwashing that was taking place. We were a young and eager captive audience to the demagoguery that is liberal education.

Tags: politics, generation, freedom, thinkers, conservative, liberal

Why Should America Go To War?

Thu, 01 May 2008 08:22:09 GMT

clipped by: akarra
clipper's remarks: A blogger explains American involvement in other countries' affairs via the Declaration of Independence. Interesting reading.

Clip Source: federalistnowandforever.wordpress.com

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

These words, which some might suggest are the most important words in the Declaration of Independence suggest that when a people are being overtly oppressed and placed “under absolute Despotism” that they ought to throw off that government and institute a new one. Whether or not these lines apply simply to the American people or to the people of the world is a difficult question to answer. However, history has shown that Americans have applied these passages to various other countries as a means of world empire. Even today we justify our reasons for going to war on account that the opposing regime is despotic and that the people should be freed to choose their own regime.

Tags: war, america, usa, declaration, peace, equality