1st, let us begin with the dictionary definition of conserve: to preserve from becoming damaged, lost or wasted; to save preserve, or maintain. In politics, a conservative is defined as an individual tending to conserve or maintain established traditions or institutions.
These days let us ask a leading question. Is it worthwhile to conserve or be a conservative? George Santayana, Spanish-American poet and teacher of philosophy at Harvard University, wrote in his book Cause in Widespread Sense: "Those who can't bear in mind the past are condemned to repeat it."
I am a youngster of the Excellent Depression - oldest youngster of a mother set adrift in that financial disaster with Three children. 1 week we lived on a peck of dried peas - morning, noon and evening - which my mother, in Excellent humiliation, obtained from the government surplus food depot.
I mention these painful, private memories so that you will realize I am not unmindful of the hardships of poverty and circumstance, or the role of government in mitigating disaster.
I cast my 1st vote for Franklin Delano Roosevelt - believing then, and nonetheless right now - that government has a responsibility to "prime the pump" in Excellent emergencies.
Sadly, when Democrats realized the vote - acquiring energy of free of charge, social services, they would not return to the requirement of person responsibilities. In 1951, while lunching at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., President Truman and his press secretary came in and took stools at the bar subsequent to our table. Right after sandwich and soup, the president turned and mentioned hello to my host. With this we engaged the president in conversation.
That morning, a headline on the front page of the "Washington Article" was -- "Inflation Hits 3 %." None of us in the group had ever heard of inflation. So I mentioned, "Mr. President, excuse my ignorance, but what is inflation?
Mr. Truman smiled and replied, "Do not apologize. I was asked that similar question at the cabinet meeting this morning. I explained it was such as a hunter stung by a bee -- and here he told a locker-room joke, the gist of which was the hunter's wish for a salve that would get rid of the sting but leave the swelling.
I laughed, but I learned he was deliberately pumping up inflation for political acquire - by running the printing presses overtime at the Bureau of Engraving.
Truman already had confiscated the real money in the Social Security Insurance Fund to enable pay for Globe War II, replacing the insurance reserve with I.O.U s. Therefore, the hedge against old age retirement ceased becoming insurance and became a "trust." Some of you may possibly keep in mind the liberal argument: "There is absolutely nothing to be concerned around. We owe it to ourselves."
I became alarmed, due to the fact Widespread sense told me that Social Security, and even the nation, would go bankrupt if inflation - at 1 %, or whatever - continued indefinitely. That's when I became a conservative.
When Social Security approached its 1st brief-fall in the early sixties, I wrote a column warning around the impending crisis. The quantity of angry response by readers, which includes some close buddies who really should have grasped the details, astonished me. I was referred to as irresponsible for suggesting that Social Security was in difficulty.
Regrettably, the Washington politicians fessed up a year later and raised the employee/employer Social Security taxes for the 1st time. Such increases have occurred periodically just about every simply because. A different is necessary these days, as is Medicare and Medicaid.
The important trouble is that operating-and-saving Americans these days ought to cough up to government - federal, state, and local - at least a third of what they earn. I am a student of history, and I have realized that all prior civilizations have collapsed when roughly 40 % of the fruits of producers go to enable non-producers - government functionaries becoming the largest non-productive shoppers.
We are closer to the edge than our politicians including to admit. In our time, the Soviet Union slipped over the edge. The Communist Manifesto - "to each according to want, from each according to ability" - has a Fantastic, compassionate ring. But socialism often has been a nation-killer, and liberalism is absolutely nothing a lot more than slow-motion socialism.
The United States national debt is 5 and 1/2 trillion cash. Interest on this debt takes the top 35 % of federal taxes. Social services that the borrowed cash supplied has been consumed and forgotten.
If we balanced the federal price range subsequent year, and each and every year forever, we would in no way escape the 35 % overburden on our federal revenue devoid of repudiating the debt, or confiscating your and my savings by drastic devaluation of our cash.
Do not laugh! President Nixon did it overnight in a smaller way. Mexico and Russia did it final year major time. Inflation does it additional slowly, but just as certainly. How substantially did you pay for your final residence or car that 20 years ago price 1-fourth as a lot?
We should move on from balancing the spending budget and begin operating earnestly toward decreasing the national debt. It\'s the economy, stupid.
Right after the economy, the principal difficulties plaguing the nation center about the liberal dissipation of established traditions and institutions.
We have destroyed the loved ones and the work ethic with no-questions-asked welfare, encouragement of out-of-wedlock teen-age pregnancies with free of charge condoms in school and welfare Right after delivery that rewards the disappearance of impregnators We have dumbed down education with the hope of keeping youngsters in school - but, nonetheless, the drop-out rate in inner-city schools is 45 % and unemployment of young, black males is 55 %. A lost generation.
Pornography and gutter language is Widespread on prime- time tv. Teen-age drug addiction is soaring. Street violence is commonplace.
liberals laugh at morality, loved ones values, religious faith, hard work, high educational standards, courtesy, patriotism, chaste sexual conduct, person responsibility, pre-marital abstinence, polite language.
To conserve, 1 has to be smart adequate to know what to preserve and maintain from 10,000 years of civilization, so we Do not preserve repeating grievous errors. Our nation, our culture, our civilization depends on conservatism - either to save what is Fantastic and workable, or to rescue us from anarchy when the nation goes belly up.
I close by recommending the "Serenity Prayer" delivered at the height of the Wonderful Depression - by Reinhold Niebuhr, the renowned American clergyman:
"God grant us the courage to alter items we can, accept the issues we can't, and the wisdom to know the distinction."
September 25, 1996
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Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at:
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