Mar 2009
What Does a REAL Conservative Believe?
27/03/09 11:53
I found this blog post by Phil McKenna, and thought I’d share it with the chapter. This is by no means an example of what our chapter believes, but should be good food for thought for all conservatives at least and I think it’s worth sharing. Israel Anderson.
What Does a REAL Conservative Believe?
By Phil McKenna
A REAL Conservative holds dear the rule of law, the principles laid out in the US Constitution and will DEFEND them, NOT UNDERMINE THEM, even in time of war. After all, the undermining of Constitutional liberties is EXACTLY what our enemies want, and unfortunately, we're giving it to them with ribbons and fancy wrapping paper.
A REAL Conservative believes that our military is first and foremost DEFENSIVE, must be in a constant state of readiness, properly armed and equipped with state of the art gear and MORE than adequate manpower and as much early warning as is possible. Anything less than this is NOT ACCEPTABLE. The idea of intervention in the affairs of other nations when we were not attacked or threatened by them is NOT ACCEPTABLE. As the Founding Fathers laid out and admonished us, be friends with other nations, trade with them BUT DO NOT GET INVOLVED IN THEIR AFFAIRS and avoid entangling foreign alliances, PERIOD!
A REAL Conservative believes in LEAN, manageable-sized government, personal liberty and the concept of personal responsibility for one's own actions. A real conservative abhors the idea that the government should manage and run every detail of our lives. It DID NOT work for Communist states and it WILL NOT work for us. Over-regulation kills innovation, economic and personal development and nothing good can come from it. The old saying is true, "Those who would trade freedom for security deserve NEITHER freedom nor security." It is the height of stupidity to think that the government should be our parents. The Constitution was written to RESTRAIN GOVERNMENT, NOT PEOPLE! This is at least one area where the Republicans went horribly wrong and STOPPED being conservative.
A REAL Conservative realizes that the idea of confiscating a portion of people's income under the guise of "taxation" is inherently Communistic. True, for an orderly government to function, it needs a source(s) of tax revenue (which could easily be accomplished with a simple flat-rate consumption tax on goods sold, tariffs, user fees etc.) but punishing people for their hard work is just WRONG!
A REAL Conservative abhors the idea of irresponsible government spending and "living beyond one's means". Deficit spending is the road to ruin. A real conservative holds dear the idea of living within one's means and managing what resources one actually has. The idea of printing money with NOTHING to back it up is just plain inexcusable stupidity to a real conservative. A real conservative would embrace the gold standard.
A REAL Conservative believes in the right of individual states to make their own decisions, laws and such as situations require.
A REAL Conservative believes that the punishment should fit the crime, and that criminals SHOULD NOT get special privileges, and that people should be responsible for their own actions, period and face the consequences of such, be they ever so harsh. Personally, i believe in reinstating the death penalty nationwide!
A REAL Conservative holds dear the idea of self-sufficiency, NOT DEPENDENCE on foreign oil, goods etc. The gas crunches of the 70's should have been a wake up and call to action for us. Sadly, we still choose to be dependent on Arab oil, sold by countries at exorbitant prices who DO NOT have our best interests in mind. A real conservative would be OUTRAGED at knowing a significant chunk of Arab oil profits fund terrorism and oppression and would move to cut off. We need to take a lesson from Brazil and how it has essentially achieved energy independence.
A REAL Conservative upholds the idea of a free-market system, and ABHORS the idea of regulatory overkill (not that we shouldn't have safeguards, but there is such a thing as EXCESSIVE, counterproductive and unnecessary regulation). A real conservative also holds to the idea that this should be a land of equal OPPORTUNITY, but also realizes and is OK with the fact that equal results and outcomes CANNOT and should not be guaranteed.
A REAL Conservative respects the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, upholds the idea of free speech, religion and press, plus the right to assemble, even if they don't agree with what's being presented. A real conservative realizes that free speech is NOT treason.
A REAL Conservative respects the 4th Amendment of the Bill of Rights guaranteeing that NO search is to be conducted without a warrant and that citizens have the right to be secure in their persons. A real conservative would be calling for the absolute annihilation of the Department of Homeland Security, which is just mere steps away from being the next Gestapo or KGB.
A REAL Conservative would be outraged at our questionable at best relationship with the Saudi Royal Family, knowing that this regime still supports terrorists by financial and material means, as well as brutal oppression of its own people. In addition to our unfortunate history of supporting dictators or other parties who in the end prove hostile to us. Is this not treason by definition? A real conservative would NOT TOLERATE the idea of supporting such evil when we claim to stand for all that is good and right. Again, the Founding Fathers STRONGLY warned us to stay out of other country's affairs completely for VERY GOOD REASONS!
A REAL Conservative examines all sides of the issue, reads, has intellectual curiosity, listens, investigates and researches, and gets their facts and such from more than one source, and doesn't look to get their ego stroked by the myopic Fox News or the equally myopic CNN for example, or worse by sycophants and clueless yes-men.
A REAL Conservative humbly goes about doing their duty, NOT grandstanding and constantly wondering about "their legacy" or where to build their presidential library
A REAL Conservative doesn't shy from honest in-depth discussion or debate but embraces it.
A REAL Conservative NEVER EVER says "Mission Accomplished" before the facts are in.
A REAL Conservative fights the real enemy headfirst, and DOESN'T get distracted by "shiny objects" or let themselves be swayed by misguided notions of "easy victory" over someone that had NOTHING to do with attacking you in the first place.
A REAL Conservative stands for and adheres to moral principles, and DOES NOT throw them out the window for the sake of expedience or a "win at any cost"
A REAL Conservative is man enough to learn from a defeat now and then and apply the lessons. IMO, if George Dubbaya gets his a$$ royally kicked on Iraq, it could be the best thing that ever happened in terms of lessons learned and hopefully NOT REPEATING an inexcusable debacle like Iraq. If the Democrats won in a landslide, it might be a blessing in disguise.
A REAL Conservative realizes that principle and conviction are best coupled with discernment and wisdom. It's one thing to be principled, but to be WILLFULLY ignorant, stubborn and ego-driven is quite another.
A REAL Conservative REJECTS the whole Neo-Con thing as spineless, weak and liberalism in denial. There's no such thing as being sort-of-dead or sort-of-pregnant, likewise, there's no such thing as being sort of conservative.
A REAL Conservative realizes that when going into war, one does NOT win by selective little bombings here and there and minuscule troop strength. Learn from WWII, the Germans and Japanese did not surrender because of selective bombing and little operations with a minimum number of troops, they surrendered because they got bombed back to the stone age (and in Japan' case, it took not one but TWO nuclear bombs) and superior forces.
Source: http://owlcentral.blogspot.com/2007/11/what-is-real-conservative.html
By Phil McKenna
A REAL Conservative holds dear the rule of law, the principles laid out in the US Constitution and will DEFEND them, NOT UNDERMINE THEM, even in time of war. After all, the undermining of Constitutional liberties is EXACTLY what our enemies want, and unfortunately, we're giving it to them with ribbons and fancy wrapping paper.
A REAL Conservative believes that our military is first and foremost DEFENSIVE, must be in a constant state of readiness, properly armed and equipped with state of the art gear and MORE than adequate manpower and as much early warning as is possible. Anything less than this is NOT ACCEPTABLE. The idea of intervention in the affairs of other nations when we were not attacked or threatened by them is NOT ACCEPTABLE. As the Founding Fathers laid out and admonished us, be friends with other nations, trade with them BUT DO NOT GET INVOLVED IN THEIR AFFAIRS and avoid entangling foreign alliances, PERIOD!
A REAL Conservative believes in LEAN, manageable-sized government, personal liberty and the concept of personal responsibility for one's own actions. A real conservative abhors the idea that the government should manage and run every detail of our lives. It DID NOT work for Communist states and it WILL NOT work for us. Over-regulation kills innovation, economic and personal development and nothing good can come from it. The old saying is true, "Those who would trade freedom for security deserve NEITHER freedom nor security." It is the height of stupidity to think that the government should be our parents. The Constitution was written to RESTRAIN GOVERNMENT, NOT PEOPLE! This is at least one area where the Republicans went horribly wrong and STOPPED being conservative.
A REAL Conservative realizes that the idea of confiscating a portion of people's income under the guise of "taxation" is inherently Communistic. True, for an orderly government to function, it needs a source(s) of tax revenue (which could easily be accomplished with a simple flat-rate consumption tax on goods sold, tariffs, user fees etc.) but punishing people for their hard work is just WRONG!
A REAL Conservative abhors the idea of irresponsible government spending and "living beyond one's means". Deficit spending is the road to ruin. A real conservative holds dear the idea of living within one's means and managing what resources one actually has. The idea of printing money with NOTHING to back it up is just plain inexcusable stupidity to a real conservative. A real conservative would embrace the gold standard.
A REAL Conservative believes in the right of individual states to make their own decisions, laws and such as situations require.
A REAL Conservative believes that the punishment should fit the crime, and that criminals SHOULD NOT get special privileges, and that people should be responsible for their own actions, period and face the consequences of such, be they ever so harsh. Personally, i believe in reinstating the death penalty nationwide!
A REAL Conservative holds dear the idea of self-sufficiency, NOT DEPENDENCE on foreign oil, goods etc. The gas crunches of the 70's should have been a wake up and call to action for us. Sadly, we still choose to be dependent on Arab oil, sold by countries at exorbitant prices who DO NOT have our best interests in mind. A real conservative would be OUTRAGED at knowing a significant chunk of Arab oil profits fund terrorism and oppression and would move to cut off. We need to take a lesson from Brazil and how it has essentially achieved energy independence.
A REAL Conservative upholds the idea of a free-market system, and ABHORS the idea of regulatory overkill (not that we shouldn't have safeguards, but there is such a thing as EXCESSIVE, counterproductive and unnecessary regulation). A real conservative also holds to the idea that this should be a land of equal OPPORTUNITY, but also realizes and is OK with the fact that equal results and outcomes CANNOT and should not be guaranteed.
A REAL Conservative respects the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, upholds the idea of free speech, religion and press, plus the right to assemble, even if they don't agree with what's being presented. A real conservative realizes that free speech is NOT treason.
A REAL Conservative respects the 4th Amendment of the Bill of Rights guaranteeing that NO search is to be conducted without a warrant and that citizens have the right to be secure in their persons. A real conservative would be calling for the absolute annihilation of the Department of Homeland Security, which is just mere steps away from being the next Gestapo or KGB.
A REAL Conservative would be outraged at our questionable at best relationship with the Saudi Royal Family, knowing that this regime still supports terrorists by financial and material means, as well as brutal oppression of its own people. In addition to our unfortunate history of supporting dictators or other parties who in the end prove hostile to us. Is this not treason by definition? A real conservative would NOT TOLERATE the idea of supporting such evil when we claim to stand for all that is good and right. Again, the Founding Fathers STRONGLY warned us to stay out of other country's affairs completely for VERY GOOD REASONS!
A REAL Conservative examines all sides of the issue, reads, has intellectual curiosity, listens, investigates and researches, and gets their facts and such from more than one source, and doesn't look to get their ego stroked by the myopic Fox News or the equally myopic CNN for example, or worse by sycophants and clueless yes-men.
A REAL Conservative humbly goes about doing their duty, NOT grandstanding and constantly wondering about "their legacy" or where to build their presidential library
A REAL Conservative doesn't shy from honest in-depth discussion or debate but embraces it.
A REAL Conservative NEVER EVER says "Mission Accomplished" before the facts are in.
A REAL Conservative fights the real enemy headfirst, and DOESN'T get distracted by "shiny objects" or let themselves be swayed by misguided notions of "easy victory" over someone that had NOTHING to do with attacking you in the first place.
A REAL Conservative stands for and adheres to moral principles, and DOES NOT throw them out the window for the sake of expedience or a "win at any cost"
A REAL Conservative is man enough to learn from a defeat now and then and apply the lessons. IMO, if George Dubbaya gets his a$$ royally kicked on Iraq, it could be the best thing that ever happened in terms of lessons learned and hopefully NOT REPEATING an inexcusable debacle like Iraq. If the Democrats won in a landslide, it might be a blessing in disguise.
A REAL Conservative realizes that principle and conviction are best coupled with discernment and wisdom. It's one thing to be principled, but to be WILLFULLY ignorant, stubborn and ego-driven is quite another.
A REAL Conservative REJECTS the whole Neo-Con thing as spineless, weak and liberalism in denial. There's no such thing as being sort-of-dead or sort-of-pregnant, likewise, there's no such thing as being sort of conservative.
A REAL Conservative realizes that when going into war, one does NOT win by selective little bombings here and there and minuscule troop strength. Learn from WWII, the Germans and Japanese did not surrender because of selective bombing and little operations with a minimum number of troops, they surrendered because they got bombed back to the stone age (and in Japan' case, it took not one but TWO nuclear bombs) and superior forces.
Source: http://owlcentral.blogspot.com/2007/11/what-is-real-conservative.html
Students can get a scholarship for the Mises event "The Great Depression"
26/03/09 20:46
April 4, 2009
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Sponsored by the Limited Government Forum of Colorado Springs
Register for this event now
It's astounding that the Great Depression seems to have taught lessons that are the opposite of the truth. It is cited as a model for how government should respond, but government policy accounts for why a crash turned to a depression in the first place.
It is supremely urgent that people understand the Great Depression in order that we might avoid a repeat that would be even worse.
This Mises Institute program, a part of our Mises Circle series, will explore this subject with top experts in the field.
Schedule
9:00 a.m. Coffee and registration
9:30 Welcome (Douglas E. French)
9:45 - 10:15 Walter Block, 80 Years Later: Parallels Between 1929 and 2009
10:15 - 10:45 Thomas DiLorenzo, A Recipe for the Next Great Depression
10:45 - 11:00 Break
11:00 - 11:30 Jeffrey Tucker, Dissident Publishing: Then and Now
11:30 - 1:00 Lunch with Douglas E. French, Bubble Economics
1:15 p.m. Thomas E Woods, Jr., Why You've Never Heard of the Great Depression of 1920
2:00 Adjourn
James W. Fogal CFP, Director of Development for the Institute, is available during breaks and after adjournment to discuss charitable/tax saving strategies.
Registration fee is $75 per person. Registration is 9:00 a.m., seminar 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., including lunch and refreshment breaks. We'll also have books available for sale.
Student scholarships are available. Apply online and email a copy of your student ID (or fax to 734-448-8148).
Questions? Patricia Barnett pat@mises.org
Promotional Kit for Thomas Woods Event
24/03/09 02:06
Here's what you need to promote the Thomas Woods event!
WHEN/WHERE: 6:30pm Friday, April 3rd, Humanities 1B50, CU Boulder
Erin Recca has worked ferociously hard on getting this material together to help you promote the Thomas Woods event. Int his little downloadable .zip file, you'll find...
A Press Release in .rtf and .pdf formats.
A Bio in .rtf and .pdf formats.
A reprintable article that can be used in magazines/newspapers.
A Hi resolution photograph.
A document with links to good YouTube videos of Thomas.
A poster that advertises the event that can be printed any size.
Download all this with one click: http://boulderyal.org/dl/Thomas_Woods.zip
Windows and Mac will decompress this zip file with no problems.
Get this material to every media outlet you can think of. Just take the initiative and send it! If they get it more than once, they are more likely to take an interest.
We have a 270 seat lecture room, so let's get cracking and overflow it and treat Boulder to one of the freedom movement's greatest communicators, Thomas Woods.
Israel Anderson
WHEN/WHERE: 6:30pm Friday, April 3rd, Humanities 1B50, CU Boulder
Erin Recca has worked ferociously hard on getting this material together to help you promote the Thomas Woods event. Int his little downloadable .zip file, you'll find...
A Press Release in .rtf and .pdf formats.
A Bio in .rtf and .pdf formats.
A reprintable article that can be used in magazines/newspapers.
A Hi resolution photograph.
A document with links to good YouTube videos of Thomas.
A poster that advertises the event that can be printed any size.
Download all this with one click: http://boulderyal.org/dl/Thomas_Woods.zip
Windows and Mac will decompress this zip file with no problems.
Get this material to every media outlet you can think of. Just take the initiative and send it! If they get it more than once, they are more likely to take an interest.
We have a 270 seat lecture room, so let's get cracking and overflow it and treat Boulder to one of the freedom movement's greatest communicators, Thomas Woods.
Israel Anderson
Catching up with the YAL crew Tabling at the UMC
20/03/09 20:10
Our first 3 members of our YAL chapter were tabling today, so I thought I’d take a 90 second bike ride from our YAL office to the main dining hall on the CU campus to see how they were doing.
I pulled my bike into the first open spot, and saw nothing other than a Ron Paul sticker. Here’s my bike parked right next to it. It’s been there for some time too by the looks of it. A good start!
Inside the UMC building I found our tables. Here’s Tyler Troup, Alexa Bass and Erin Recca talking to a fellow student who knew all about Peter Schiff, the Fed, the bailouts and more. He signed up on the spot. We are signing up about 6 people per tabling, so we’re doing well!
You can see the materials Erin Recca made for promoting the Thomas Woods event in April. Our FIRST event ever, and we have THOMAS WOODS coming!! Can you believe it!! We have only been an official campus group less than 2 weeks!! We have had an incredibly good reception on campus.
Bookmark our blog, because we’re going to keep adding lots of blogs to keep you informed on what’s going on. TTYL. Israel Anderson.
I pulled my bike into the first open spot, and saw nothing other than a Ron Paul sticker. Here’s my bike parked right next to it. It’s been there for some time too by the looks of it. A good start!
Inside the UMC building I found our tables. Here’s Tyler Troup, Alexa Bass and Erin Recca talking to a fellow student who knew all about Peter Schiff, the Fed, the bailouts and more. He signed up on the spot. We are signing up about 6 people per tabling, so we’re doing well!
You can see the materials Erin Recca made for promoting the Thomas Woods event in April. Our FIRST event ever, and we have THOMAS WOODS coming!! Can you believe it!! We have only been an official campus group less than 2 weeks!! We have had an incredibly good reception on campus.
Bookmark our blog, because we’re going to keep adding lots of blogs to keep you informed on what’s going on. TTYL. Israel Anderson.
Thomas E. Woods @ CU Boulder
12/03/09 23:34
He is the author of nine books, including two New York Times bestsellers: Meltdown: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Worse and The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History.
His other books include Who Killed the Constitution? The Fate of American Liberty from World War I to George W. Bush (with Kevin R.C. Gutzman), 33 Questions About American History You’re Not Supposed to Ask, and more... A collection of Woods’ essays, called Wobronie zdrowego rozsadku, was released exclusively in Polish in 2007. Woods’ books have been translated into Italian, Spanish, Polish, German, Czech, Portuguese, Croatian, Korean, and Chinese.
Time to promote! Time is short. Doors will open at 6:30PM for a 7:00PM start. I may be having several other speakers come as well.
DETAILS:
April 3rd - 7PM
CU Boulder - Humanities Building
Room 1B50 (Note: There is a room called 150, so make sure you include the "B")
Cost: FREE
This is all official, confirmed, and going ahead, so get emailing :) Invite the state!!
Read a FREE chapter of Meltdown.