Spotting a Counterfeit Conservative



Treasury Department agents  learn how to spot counterfeit bills by spending hours examining authentic bills. In a political sense, we must learn how to spot a liberal by being familiar with conservatism. This becomes even more crucial as a growing number of Republican candidates pretend to embrace conservative values while believing in and seeking the liberal agenda. The yardstick of conservatism is rather straightforward and simplistic. I like the definition laid forth by the website www.conservatism.com "Conservatism is rooted in the concepts of personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. The role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals. Conservative policies generally emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems." Become familiar with this definition, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and you'll be able to spot a counterfeit a mile away.

Jesus said "Each tree is known by its own fruit." (Luke 6:44) This is never more true than when you look at the voting record of an elected public servant. However, this is becomes a bit more difficult when considering an untested candidate. It is a sad fact that the voting public has become jaded in regards to believing the rhetoric being handed out like pastel-colored cotton candy. More and more Americans have given up on the election process, and for more than not trusting the candidates or believing them all to be cut from the same cloth. Regarding Presidential elections, a common complaint among non-voters is that the Electoral College actually chooses who the President is and that their vote doesn't really matter. This attitude is infectious and filters all the way down to the local level. Those of us left who do vote are always inundated with the same spiel. The incumbent will either wave their accomplishments or the present causes they are mired in, and the challenger will tout a myriad of promises to change what the incumbent has done. More often than not, political campaigns spend more time degrading their opponent than explaining their stand on the issues. Regardless who wins (and it seems to the vast majority of politicians that winning is the bottom line), they find themselves being pulled to shreds by special interest groups, and their promises and public dreams are tossed upon the waste heap of time. The machinations of politics is always geared for the good of the people; unfortunately the good of the people is the first thing that is ground up by the very machine that was created for its benefit. After witnessing and pondering on the reality of American politics, it is not surprising to find that the prevailing agenda is run by the political party better organized and propped up by deep-pocketed sponsors. It is time, NOW, for Conservatism to rise from its sick bed and fight back, and that requires all of us who hold to its principles.

The road our nation is roaring down is paved by the forces diametrically opposed to conservatism. Instead of being 'rooted in the concepts of personal responsibilities' we are rapidly becoming a society that blames others for our mistakes, and who are increasingly dependent on the government for sustenance and support. Instead of a limited government, we find our elected officials engorging the current bureaucratic monster while implanting new appendages to grasp and trample our remaining liberties. Our free market is no longer free or marketable, thanks to the shackles being slapped on by crippling programs such as NAFTA, or allowing the work force to be flooded by illegal aliens or allowing costly and unnecessary tariffs to be placed on our goods. Don't forget the impact Obamacare will make upon our free market, either. Instead of individual liberty, we are finding on a daily basis that these are disappearing at an alarming rate. Instead of practicing traditional American values such as religious freedom, democracy, public debate, family, compromise and integrity, we find them constantly under attack by extremism and political correctness. Our 'strong national defense' is not being used as such.

Recognize and support true conservative candidates, and hold them accountable for advancing conservative values. The authenticity and gleaming truth of conservative values will expose liberalism for what it is, and by spotting counterfeit conservatives and removing them from office, this nation will hopefully begin to heal. Perhaps we can enter a new age of prosperity and global respect.


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