The misappropiation of conservativism in the United States
Posted by JeanPaulZodeaux 12 years, 3 months ago to Politics
In the United States today the so called "conservative" movement is rooted in the conservation of religious beliefs and "traditional values", but this is a pointless use of the term conservative and only serves to confuse political issues. The only thing worth conserving in the U.S. is the Constitution for the United States of America and its Bill of Rights. When viewed from that scope, then we understand that the "liberal" is one who is taking a liberal view of that Constitution where the "conservative" is attempting to maintain the integrity of that Constitution and its purpose.
The same problem has happened with the use of the terms "left" and "right". Traditionally "left" is considered to be egalitarian and "right" hierarchical. However, today we have a left that dismisses the notion of unalienable rights and champions "civil rights", which are legal rights. The left claims to be about "equal rights" but has no regard for the right to ownership of property, among other rights. The individual who advocates the right to ownership of property becomes lazily characterized as "right" for no other reason than the Marxist's have hijacked the "left" and claimed it as their own. Anyone who rejects Marxism is, in their view, necessarily "right".
Tragically, too many people accept this contradiction and make no bother to check the premise. The result is a constant creation of new labels. To distinguish oneself from the new "left" and "liberalism" those advocating unalienable rights call themselves "libertarians" and before you know it the Marxists are now creating newer terms such as "libertarian socialism" "anarcho libertarian" and on and on and on.
A conservative should not, in U.S. politics, be someone who has no regards for unalienable rights any more than a liberal should be viewed that way, and yet we have a two party system that insists on this strange dichotomy when neither party shows any regard for the unalienable rights of the individual.
The same problem has happened with the use of the terms "left" and "right". Traditionally "left" is considered to be egalitarian and "right" hierarchical. However, today we have a left that dismisses the notion of unalienable rights and champions "civil rights", which are legal rights. The left claims to be about "equal rights" but has no regard for the right to ownership of property, among other rights. The individual who advocates the right to ownership of property becomes lazily characterized as "right" for no other reason than the Marxist's have hijacked the "left" and claimed it as their own. Anyone who rejects Marxism is, in their view, necessarily "right".
Tragically, too many people accept this contradiction and make no bother to check the premise. The result is a constant creation of new labels. To distinguish oneself from the new "left" and "liberalism" those advocating unalienable rights call themselves "libertarians" and before you know it the Marxists are now creating newer terms such as "libertarian socialism" "anarcho libertarian" and on and on and on.
A conservative should not, in U.S. politics, be someone who has no regards for unalienable rights any more than a liberal should be viewed that way, and yet we have a two party system that insists on this strange dichotomy when neither party shows any regard for the unalienable rights of the individual.
While I disagree with Heidegger that we do not speak language but language speaks us, I disagree in that it is insane to invent language only to have it turn around and invent us, but Heidegger's observation is true of far too many people.
It is not enough to know the precise definition of words. We must understand the meaning of that definition and we must pay close attention to how we use those words.
Recently the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals declared that there is no fundamental right to sleep outdoors. Is that right? Never mind the fact that long before there were governments there were people sleeping outdoors and doing so by right...unalienable right, the real question in regards to a higher court ruling bound by a federal Constitution is where did the 11th Circuit find the lawful authority to make such a determination? Given the 9th Amendment, of course they don't and the 11th Circuit acted criminally in making this determination.
The right to speech is an unalienable right. No government regardless of what their constitution may say, has the authority to grant such a right and make it a civil right, it is an unalienable right. The infant doesn't first check with First Amendment before crying to make sure it has the right to do so, that infant instinctively understands he or she has the right to cry.
Ever enumerated right in the Bill of Rights is an unalienable right not granted by that Constitution but instead is written in express language that is clearly prohibiting the federal government from trampling on these rights and the 9th Amendment makes it perfectly clear that all enumerated rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage any other rights retained by the people.
It is self evident what rights are. Because all people have the right to life, it follows they have the right to defend that life. Because all people have the right to property they have the right to defend that property and individuals certainly have the right to defend others in need in that defense. In this narrow scope of understanding, the right to force only exists in relation to the defense of certain rights. Outside of this, what any individual does that causes no harm they do by right...unalienable right.
Liberty has been shot to hell because far too many people have fallen prey to the sacred cow of "civil rights". Civil rights are legal rights and what can be granted legally can be taken away legally. Unalienable rights cannot be taken away. This is the very definition of unalienable. There is no need to recover any unalienable rights only a need to assert them, jealously guard them and zealously protect them.
Sorry but look around you liberty is being taken away, or given away, try and assert property rights today and you will lose your property and your freedom in certain circumstances.
Liberty cannot be "taken away" but can certainly be trampled upon. If liberty were "taken" someone is "surrendering" it. I will not accept that others have surrendered my liberty on my behalf and I will never surrender my liberty. I would argue you should not either.