04-02-2023, 01:00 PM
I have commented several times about geopolitical strategist George Friedman's discussion of a conflict between elite intellectuals and common sense.
I am ready for one political party to cast itself as the party of common sense, and I am ready to commit fully to support of whichever party does that. I am pretty sure it won't be the democrats, because they are pretty much in bed with the intellectual establishment. But republicans don't seem to be interested. Why not?
It seems to me that a republican party that championed common sense would have a huge opportunity for success in the USA as it currently stands. Obviously, the intellectual establishment is not leading the country in a direction that is finding either success or approval. And a dedication to common sense would provide a philosophical underpinning for conservative principles across the board.
After all, I thought conservatism was supposed to be about what works instead of theories. In the words of that great philosopher, Lawrence Peter Berra, "In theory, theory works well in practice; in practice, it doesn't."
Just spitballing some random things that strike me as common sense.
In health care, instead of Obamacare, go with what the best systems as measured by world standards use, Bismarck.
In welfare, go with the social democrat idea of a floor, instead of using massive redistribution of income and wealth to buy votes. Expose the welfare plantation hypocrisy in, "Keep 'em dumb, keep 'em poor, keep 'em depending on handouts, and you will keep 'em voting democrat."
In conjunction with those. borrow from Europe the idea of lower and flatter income taxes across a broader base (fewer or no non-business deductions and exclusions) plus a national consumption tax with a Boortz-Linder prebate/prefund--in order to make the USA more attractive for investment, growth, and resulting job creation.
Have the strongest military in the world (target stronger than the next two countries combined) but don't bog it down in quagmire limited wars, because nobody dares pick a fight with us and we don't go around picking on them.
I am ready for one political party to cast itself as the party of common sense, and I am ready to commit fully to support of whichever party does that. I am pretty sure it won't be the democrats, because they are pretty much in bed with the intellectual establishment. But republicans don't seem to be interested. Why not?
It seems to me that a republican party that championed common sense would have a huge opportunity for success in the USA as it currently stands. Obviously, the intellectual establishment is not leading the country in a direction that is finding either success or approval. And a dedication to common sense would provide a philosophical underpinning for conservative principles across the board.
After all, I thought conservatism was supposed to be about what works instead of theories. In the words of that great philosopher, Lawrence Peter Berra, "In theory, theory works well in practice; in practice, it doesn't."
Just spitballing some random things that strike me as common sense.
In health care, instead of Obamacare, go with what the best systems as measured by world standards use, Bismarck.
In welfare, go with the social democrat idea of a floor, instead of using massive redistribution of income and wealth to buy votes. Expose the welfare plantation hypocrisy in, "Keep 'em dumb, keep 'em poor, keep 'em depending on handouts, and you will keep 'em voting democrat."
In conjunction with those. borrow from Europe the idea of lower and flatter income taxes across a broader base (fewer or no non-business deductions and exclusions) plus a national consumption tax with a Boortz-Linder prebate/prefund--in order to make the USA more attractive for investment, growth, and resulting job creation.
Have the strongest military in the world (target stronger than the next two countries combined) but don't bog it down in quagmire limited wars, because nobody dares pick a fight with us and we don't go around picking on them.