Texas has long had a pro-business attitude. It is a state full of entrepreneurs in a governmental climate that supports their initiatives in many ways. With no state income tax, a budget surplus and excellent infrastructure many businesses are looking to Texas for their new home. The article below points to some of the strengths of the Texas economy and why it is growing.
The Lone Star State is Flexing its Muscles
While much of the nation is currently struggling with high unemployment and loss of industry, it is good to know that there are some bright spots in the U.S. economic picture. I believe that much of the struggle nationally is the self-fulfilling fear of the people. When people lose confidence in the economy it will falter. Although there is added caution in the behavior of some, the Texas economy continues to churn ahead in large part because of the can-do attitude of the state's business community. I hear remarks daily that can be summed up in the following statement: "Yep, it's a little tough right now. That just means we need to do things better and smarter." If only the rest of the country would get that message.
Let the entrepreneurs invest in the economy. The result will be jobs and more revenue at lower tax rates. Redistributing income is the wrong way to fix our economy. Our government leaders are in the midst of the largest redistribution scheme since the Great Depression. We are taking money from our children and grandchildren and giving it to corrupt and inept industries. Some of them must be let to fail gently but others need to come crashing down. It is time to start the rebuilding process. Instead, we are on the course of prolonging the agony into future generations. Not right.
Showing posts with label conservatism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conservatism. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
President Bush to Deliver Commencement Message
President Bush has certainly taken lots of knocks during his tenure. Much of the negativity comes from the extreme left because they don't understand his belief system. Some comes from the right because they have felt that he often gave into the left. In many ways, that put him at the center.
There are in this country, still many people who are proud to call him their President. The areas of the country that continue to hold conservative values still support him. I am one of those who is proud to say the he is still my President (at least for a few more weeks) and I am proud that he will deliver the Commencement Address at my alma mater.
President Bush to speak at A&M commencement
There are in this country, still many people who are proud to call him their President. The areas of the country that continue to hold conservative values still support him. I am one of those who is proud to say the he is still my President (at least for a few more weeks) and I am proud that he will deliver the Commencement Address at my alma mater.
President Bush to speak at A&M commencement
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Quiet Nature of Conservatism
It is the nature of most Conservatives to quietly go about their business wishing only that the government would leave them alone and quit trying to make their life so hard. Many of them are business owners or employees who have a strong desire to succeed in their chosen profession. They seek a safe community, low taxes and minimum interference. They generally have strong family values and some level of economic success although most would not be considered wealthy.
Conservatives come in all shapes and sizes and all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. They also cannot be categorized easily.
There are social conservatives who believe what are generally considered to be basic Judeo-Christian values such as pro-life and anti-homosexuality. They typically see private charity as having the responsibility of caring for the needy. Most have a good work ethic. They are not limited to deeply religious individuals but religious belief informs many of the social conservatives.
There also are fiscal conservatives. Many fiscal conservatives are NOT social conservatives. Fiscal conservatives typically believe in a minimalist government. They see government's primary role as one of facilitation and common defense. They reject government interference, social spending and economic stimulus. They believe that individuals have the best sense of how to spend their resources -- NOT the government.
Sometimes social and fiscal conservatives find themselves at odds in the marketplace of ideas. They generally are not vocal about their differences but find themselves voting differently. Both groups typically will adjust to changes and then quietly go about their way. However, some members of the social conservatives are sometimes vocal. The vocal ones typically are NOT fiscal conservatives as well. They have a cause and often don't mind the government throwing money at their cause.
The tendency to adjust to "the way things are" and quietly go about their way is in large part, the reason Conservatism is dying in the United States. Conservatives usually don't challenge the educational system or the political system, they just go on doing the best they can at whatever they do. They may complain to their neighbor or family, but rarely do they actively seek to counter the changes that are forced upon them.
How can one motivate such a group to combat the radical agenda of the liberal left? Will it require subjugation into a relatively outcast class of citizenship before they resist? Can they be organized into a cohesive movement to resist the liberal agenda? Can they be motivated to fight for their rights? Those are questions in desperate need of answers. It is time for Conservative leadership to move to the front. Hopefully it is not too late to counteract the changes that are creeping through society.
Conservatives come in all shapes and sizes and all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. They also cannot be categorized easily.
There are social conservatives who believe what are generally considered to be basic Judeo-Christian values such as pro-life and anti-homosexuality. They typically see private charity as having the responsibility of caring for the needy. Most have a good work ethic. They are not limited to deeply religious individuals but religious belief informs many of the social conservatives.
There also are fiscal conservatives. Many fiscal conservatives are NOT social conservatives. Fiscal conservatives typically believe in a minimalist government. They see government's primary role as one of facilitation and common defense. They reject government interference, social spending and economic stimulus. They believe that individuals have the best sense of how to spend their resources -- NOT the government.
Sometimes social and fiscal conservatives find themselves at odds in the marketplace of ideas. They generally are not vocal about their differences but find themselves voting differently. Both groups typically will adjust to changes and then quietly go about their way. However, some members of the social conservatives are sometimes vocal. The vocal ones typically are NOT fiscal conservatives as well. They have a cause and often don't mind the government throwing money at their cause.
The tendency to adjust to "the way things are" and quietly go about their way is in large part, the reason Conservatism is dying in the United States. Conservatives usually don't challenge the educational system or the political system, they just go on doing the best they can at whatever they do. They may complain to their neighbor or family, but rarely do they actively seek to counter the changes that are forced upon them.
How can one motivate such a group to combat the radical agenda of the liberal left? Will it require subjugation into a relatively outcast class of citizenship before they resist? Can they be organized into a cohesive movement to resist the liberal agenda? Can they be motivated to fight for their rights? Those are questions in desperate need of answers. It is time for Conservative leadership to move to the front. Hopefully it is not too late to counteract the changes that are creeping through society.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Brace for the Opportunism of the Left
How the election of Obama to the White House can be seen as a mandate for an extremist climate change agenda is beyond me, but that's just what is being said by the folks at World Watch Institute.
"Environmental leaders in the United States and abroad quickly suggested that the election reflected the American people's desire to reverse President Bush's damaging climate change policies. "Today's landslide election of Barack Obama and pro-environment candidates across the country signals a strong rejection of the failed energy policies of the last eight years and a historic mandate for large-scale, transformational change," said Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth - U.S." (complete article here)
The election was seen as complete victory by leaders of virtually every environmental organization. (See what they have to say here.)
I guess I can understand their exuberance, however, the election wasn't about the environment. It was about the economy. It was about high gasoline prices and a tanking stock market. It was about a couple of wars that the left-leaning media has vilified. It was about dissatisfaction with government that, although largely due to the extreme political partisanship in Congress, was blamed on the President and his administration. It was also about misplaced guilt among a portion of the population in supporting a candidate that embodied their vision of long-past injustices perpetrated by those long dead. Finally, it embodied perceived opportunity by those in the populace who have embraced a culture of victimization to elect one they thought to be "one-of-their-own" who in fact is nothing like them, but is fully a member of the self-proclaimed elitist class.
Opportunism by the left will characterize the coming months. We must brace ourselves for the onslaught and we must prepare to engage in the battle of ideas. We must seek to educate in order to overcome the misperceptions of reality embraced by many. We must prepare to defend our country from those who would make it into something else -- something akin to the weak-kneed Europeans who have bowed to the vision of the few. We must face the cultural war that has gained ascendancy and threatens to destroy the values that we hold dear. We must engage.
"Environmental leaders in the United States and abroad quickly suggested that the election reflected the American people's desire to reverse President Bush's damaging climate change policies. "Today's landslide election of Barack Obama and pro-environment candidates across the country signals a strong rejection of the failed energy policies of the last eight years and a historic mandate for large-scale, transformational change," said Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth - U.S." (complete article here)
The election was seen as complete victory by leaders of virtually every environmental organization. (See what they have to say here.)
I guess I can understand their exuberance, however, the election wasn't about the environment. It was about the economy. It was about high gasoline prices and a tanking stock market. It was about a couple of wars that the left-leaning media has vilified. It was about dissatisfaction with government that, although largely due to the extreme political partisanship in Congress, was blamed on the President and his administration. It was also about misplaced guilt among a portion of the population in supporting a candidate that embodied their vision of long-past injustices perpetrated by those long dead. Finally, it embodied perceived opportunity by those in the populace who have embraced a culture of victimization to elect one they thought to be "one-of-their-own" who in fact is nothing like them, but is fully a member of the self-proclaimed elitist class.
Opportunism by the left will characterize the coming months. We must brace ourselves for the onslaught and we must prepare to engage in the battle of ideas. We must seek to educate in order to overcome the misperceptions of reality embraced by many. We must prepare to defend our country from those who would make it into something else -- something akin to the weak-kneed Europeans who have bowed to the vision of the few. We must face the cultural war that has gained ascendancy and threatens to destroy the values that we hold dear. We must engage.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A Call to Engage
Now is a critical point in our nation's history. The forces that would swing our nation in a direction of socialization and liberalization feel euphoric at their perceived victory in the elections yesterday. However, there are still bastions of conservative power in which forces of common sense, family values and free enterprise are strong. It is time for that base to come together in the common cause of standing against the forces arrayed against us. It is time to take the battle to a higher level.
Over the last few decades, the currently ascendant forces have gradually eroded the moral fiber of our nation, have infiltrated the educational institutions and used all forms of media to "re-educate" the people of our nation through the constant bombardment of the liberal message. Their battle has been waged as one of gradual attrition as they sought to pick off key issues bit-by-bit. We Conservatives now find ourselves in the position of second-class citizens. Our values are pooh-pooed by the media as "out-of-touch" or irrelevant. They view us as anachronisms of a by-gone era. We must change our image.
How will we do that? -- change our image? We must develop a comprehensive strategy for utilizing the power of capitalism to take control of the media and our educational institutions. We must raise up leaders and thinkers who will identify the weak points in our society from which the leftist liberalism springs forth. We must take the battle to them utilizing some of the same tactics which they have so effectively used against us for years. We must engage and we must become active participants at all levels of influence in the educational, political, judicial, legislative and executive processes. We must step out of our businesses and into the marketplace of ideas where we can engage the youth of this nation in a corrective action to offset the liberal abuses imposed upon them through the educational institutions. We must act and the time is now.
Over the last few decades, the currently ascendant forces have gradually eroded the moral fiber of our nation, have infiltrated the educational institutions and used all forms of media to "re-educate" the people of our nation through the constant bombardment of the liberal message. Their battle has been waged as one of gradual attrition as they sought to pick off key issues bit-by-bit. We Conservatives now find ourselves in the position of second-class citizens. Our values are pooh-pooed by the media as "out-of-touch" or irrelevant. They view us as anachronisms of a by-gone era. We must change our image.
How will we do that? -- change our image? We must develop a comprehensive strategy for utilizing the power of capitalism to take control of the media and our educational institutions. We must raise up leaders and thinkers who will identify the weak points in our society from which the leftist liberalism springs forth. We must take the battle to them utilizing some of the same tactics which they have so effectively used against us for years. We must engage and we must become active participants at all levels of influence in the educational, political, judicial, legislative and executive processes. We must step out of our businesses and into the marketplace of ideas where we can engage the youth of this nation in a corrective action to offset the liberal abuses imposed upon them through the educational institutions. We must act and the time is now.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The New Conservative Political Activism
Political activism is something with which most conservatives are unfamiliar. In this year, when the conservative arm of the GOP has been less than enthusiastic about their Presidential candidate, it has been even more difficult to be active. That will have to change in order to combat the leftist extremism that has become so abundantly pervasive throughout the media -- including the "blogosphere." It is time for conservatives to utilize the tools before us to meet the onslaught head-on. Blogging is one piece of the puzzle. Dr. Donald Douglas has posted an interesting piece on his American Power blog related to that very issue. You can view it here. How will you respond?
Saturday, July 12, 2008
A Good Man Takes His New Assignment
He was a good one.
Tony Snow, the former White House press secretary and conservative pundit who bedeviled the press corps and charmed millions as a FOX News television and radio host, has died after a long bout with cancer. He was 53. (see story here)
Photo source: Fox News
Monday, May 26, 2008
The Homeless Constituency
Where is a fiscal and social conservative to turn? None of the major parties represent our interests -- at least not in the race for the Presidency.
It seems as though every special interest group in the country is represented except mine.
What is my special interest group? It is the group of folks in this country that believe at least a majority of the following:
1. Marriage means one man and one woman.
2. Abortion is murder.
3. Homosexuals should not be identified for any particular special treatment or recognition.
4. An individual has the right to own and bear firearms unless convicted of a felony crime.
5. American citizens have the right to privacy (that means that our conversations, behavior, etc should be private unless there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing for a judge to issue a warrant) .
6. Capital crimes warrant capital punishment.
7. Discipline should be enforceable within our schools.
8. Our borders should be sovereign. Illegal immigrants should be deported.
9. Government regulation of our lives should be kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the smooth function of society.
10. Citizenship requires responsibility. It affords privilege. It demands loyalty.
11. The right to freedom of speech and expression does not include the right to bombard us with pornography.
12. The United States Flag and its military servicemen and women should be shown respect and treated with special dignity.
13. The Constitution of the United States should be the template for the function of government. It should not be superceded by the whims of judges voting to appease special interest groups.
This is only a partial list. What would you add? Put it in the comments.
It seems as though every special interest group in the country is represented except mine.
What is my special interest group? It is the group of folks in this country that believe at least a majority of the following:
1. Marriage means one man and one woman.
2. Abortion is murder.
3. Homosexuals should not be identified for any particular special treatment or recognition.
4. An individual has the right to own and bear firearms unless convicted of a felony crime.
5. American citizens have the right to privacy (that means that our conversations, behavior, etc should be private unless there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing for a judge to issue a warrant) .
6. Capital crimes warrant capital punishment.
7. Discipline should be enforceable within our schools.
8. Our borders should be sovereign. Illegal immigrants should be deported.
9. Government regulation of our lives should be kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the smooth function of society.
10. Citizenship requires responsibility. It affords privilege. It demands loyalty.
11. The right to freedom of speech and expression does not include the right to bombard us with pornography.
12. The United States Flag and its military servicemen and women should be shown respect and treated with special dignity.
13. The Constitution of the United States should be the template for the function of government. It should not be superceded by the whims of judges voting to appease special interest groups.
This is only a partial list. What would you add? Put it in the comments.
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