Why I am a Conscientious Conservative

I have purposely avoided starting this blog until after the election due to the nature of this political season. I will start this post with some of my thoughts on how to most effectively help the "poor" from both a personal and public perspective. However, this blog will hopefully not be a political sounding board, but will display more about my life and family than politics. However, I felt it necessary to begin with a discussion of poverty, as it permeates our political atmosphere.

One of the primary influences in my view on poverty comes from Alexis DeTocqueville, a political philosopher/historian, who published an oft cited book called "Deomcracy in America." More important to my views experessed here is a less often cited essay called a "Memoir on Pauperism. While this has certainly not formed all of my political beliefs, it's view of poverty and how to solve it has always resounded strongly with me (based on my liberterian leanings.)

This essay provides a strong foundation upon which to erect an appropriate system to help the less fortunate. Since I was young, I have been told (particularly by my maternal line) that Democrats are the only ones that care for us. I have consistently challenged this notion as I have always (at least for the last ten years) taken the notion that liberty is far more important than material possessions (and of course the greatest liberty we have is the freedom from sin laid out by God and his Son.)

It is in that vein that we run into the rub with Democratic Party ran government. Democratic Party ran government (at least modern) presumes that liberty is only achieved through equality of the masses. However, I find egalitarianism to be contrary to the principles of liberterianism, and the new progressive system proposed by Obama underscores this point with the institution of higher wage floors, redistribution of income, and taxes on production (carbon auctions) all in the name of "helping the less fortunate."

Being devoutly Christian, there is additionally a biblical point to be made, one of "earn your keep." In 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 Paul lays out the following message:

10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." 11We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.

Thus, while the Democrat party ideal of "helping the less fortunate" appears on its face to be a Christian goal, the means to that end is not Christian at all. In fact, Christ is entirely unconcerned with how the government responds to poverty. It is our Christian responsibility to give a hand up to those "less fortunate" and allow them to earn their keep, not the "less fortunate" who have a right to the property of others.

Tocqueville hits on a point that highlights the more appropriate method of providing charity. He suggests charity is better served when done privately. This I truly believe, and I think connects well with Pauls adomonition written above. Private charity creates a connection between rich and poor encouraging the poor to earn their keep, while public charity encourages the poor to remain idle. This is one of the many reasons why I believe liberterianism more closely comports with biblical principles, and why my belief in private charity makes me a "Conscientious Conservative."