In 1964, Phyllis Schlafly became a major spokesman for political conservatism with her Goldwater campaign book, A Choice, Not an Echo. That was fifty years ago. It is time for an assessment of where we are today.
Let us begin with David Brooks. He is known as a conservative. He is a New York Times columnist. He is a weekly commentator on the PBS NewsHour. That is to say, he is the #1 conservative inside the American liberal media. He is a big-government conservative.
He used to be on the staff of The Weekly Standard, a neoconservative journal.
Last Friday, he said this on the PBS NewsHour.
Marco Rubio had a speech today, or this week, which was, I thought, a quite impressive speech, much more affirmatively using the power of government to address poverty problems, whether it’s wage subsidies, whether it’s through direct grants, much — for a party that has become instinctively anti-government, we are beginning to see Paul Ryan and Marco Rubio and some others wanting to affirmatively use government, I think, in targeted, but limited and conservative ways to really address practical problems.
This is big-government conservatism. He has not changed his tune in the last 17 years.
In 1997, he wrote an essay in The Weekly Standard, “A Return to National Greatness: A Manifesto for a Lost Creed.” It was a cheerleading piece for the American Empire.
It was not simply a cry for big-government foreign policy. It was a naïve piece that assumed that the foreign policy of the United States has in some fundamental way changed since the entry of the United States into the war in Europe in 1917. It hasn’t.
(For the rest of my article, click the link.)
Government is force. Every time some talking head advocates using government to do something, substitute the word FORCE:
"Marco Rubio had a speech today, or this week, which was, I thought, a quite impressive speech, much more affirmatively using FORCE to address poverty problems, whether it’s wage subsidies, whether it’s through direct grants, much — for a party that has become instinctively anti-FORCE, we are beginning to see Paul Ryan and Marco Rubio and some others wanting to affirmatively use FORCE, I think, in targeted, but limited and conservative ways to really address practical problems.
Daved Brooks is just another example demonstrating that Republicanism (at best) is just the right-leaning party of the liberals:
"In politics, everything revolves around the positioning of right, left, and center. You’re either rightwing, leftwing, or a centrist. Politicians and non-politicians alike employ all three terms as if there’s a consensus on the parameters for those designations. Even if this were true, who gets to determine what’s right, left, and center, and how are those determinations made? Over time, the parameters shift (always further to the left), so how is someone on the right to know he’s now a centrist or a centrist to know he’s now on the left?…
"There are no answers to these questions because there is no standard for these terms. The terms are completely arbitrary, defined at any given time by finite man and his fickle ethics rather than by Yahweh and His immutable morals….
"Isaiah 33:22 and James 4:12 declare that Yahweh is the exclusive legislator. There are no others, period! Anyone who claims the title of legislator (particularly when his “laws”—whether commandments, statutes, or judgments—are inconsonant with Yahweh’s) is a usurper and is perpetuating the sin begun by Adam and Eve. The same is true for any one of us who would modify Yahweh’s triune law….
"Yahweh is the only lawgiver because as Creator He’s the only one with the authority to determine what is good and evil. His morals as codified in His commandments, statutes, and judgments determine what is right and left. Anything left of His right(eousness) is left, liberal, and ungodly…."
For more, see blog article "Right, Left, and Center: Who Gets to Decide?" Click on my name, then our website. Go to our blog and either do a search on or scroll down to the title.
Brooks seems to be a fine fellow. However, only the NY Times and PBS think that he is a conservative. He is their idea of a balance to their extreme leftist views.
Big government and Conservative are antithetical. What in He** is that connotation "big government conservative" to mean?
Continued from above:
How to fix our nation and become His exceptionally good example to the world once again:
“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep his commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14.
By returning to being the exceptional example that produces the fruits of His Laws, Statutes and Judgments, i.e., His Will/Kingdom on earth, headquartered here in the "nation born in a day."
Then the rest of the world will come to us to learn "The Way" (Acts 24: 14):
"See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as Yahweh my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So KEEP AND DO THEM, for THAT is your wisdom and your understanding IN THE SIGHT OF the peoples WHO WILL HEAR ALL these statutes and say, 'Surely, this great nation IS A WISE AND UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE.' For what great nation is there that has a God so near to it as is Yahweh our God whenever we call on Him? Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments AS RIGHTEOUS AS THIS WHOLE LAW which I am setting before you today ? Deuteronomy 4: 5-8 (Emph. added.
The Almighty told you in His Word that His Laws, Statutes and Judgments are perfect and "Thou shalt not add or subtract therefrom."
Yet, all those "Constitutionalists" (most of which haven't even read it, let alone understand it) that are for "Liberty" and "Freedom", want to return to the god "We The People's" constitutions that provide for legislative and presidential offices to do just that, i.e., "add or subtract therefrom." The making of Law is a power that belongs to Him and Him alone! Then you're so surprised and appalled by the resulting evils you now see every where you look !
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, And I will give you rest. Take My yoke (i.e., His Law 1 John 5: 2 & 3, as well as His tithe [tax] sytem) upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and ‘YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.’ (Jer. 6: 16). My yoke is easy, and My load is light.” Matthew 11: 28 – 30.
He instructed that if we ” … shall humble themselves (e.g., quit thinking we’re the sovereign, take our proper place and quit usurping His), and pray, and seek my face (e.g., He’s to be the ONLY law giver), and turn from their wicked ways (e.g., enforce His Laws, Statutes and Judgments); THEN will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
The only way to save this nation is to turn back to Him, His Perfect Moral Laws, Statutes and Judgments, i.e., His Kingdom/Will On Earth. Seek Him while He may yet be found.
Look around, the judgments are happening before your eyes !
If you're going to keep erasing comments, why even ask for them ?
This site really sucks, just like Gary North and his appearance of good guy and "patriot", not to mention his so called "economist" stature.
Not only do I remember his Y 2K fiasco and ruse with subsequent disappearance thereafter, I also recognize his complete lack of economic expertise as exposed in the Jim Willie "rip him a new one" rebuttal of his folly !:
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article42534.html
Read 'em and weep, Gary. You're exposed.
Aw, this was an exceptionally nice post. Spending some time and actual effort to make a
uperb article… but what can I say… I procrastinate
a whole lot and never manage to get nearly anything done.