May 06 2009
A Path To A Better Future
Addendum: I hope DJ doesn’t mind me adding my two cents to this, but we have in these quotes she resurrected the potential to rebuild the conservative movement in a manner palatable for a broad coalition. These words of wisdom should be the litmus test of our policy proposals. We cannot run to the pure fringes and hope to right this country. If we can get back to AMERICAN principles – not conservative principles – then ownership and participation will grow under those principles. People are much more willing to reinvigorate America for the future than anything party allegiance.
If one group tries to own these principles, they bar others from sharing in them. We need to respect and learn from others who share these principles, but are not willing to take the same action or go as far as others. We need to define and accept common ground. It means compromise, but the result is a renewed America based on America’s founding principles, which is much more important than either party. AJStrata – end update
I despise people who go to the gutter on either the right or the left and hurl rocks at those in the center. — Dwight Eisenhower
After listening and watching the Republican party and conservatives implode upon themselves, and the Democrats and liberals disrespect anyone who opposes them and Obama, I decided that the best way to get back on the path towards success for this country is to look back to our founding fathers, founding documents, and some former Presidents.
We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience. — George Washington
This country was founded based on the fundamentals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as well as other inalienable rights. When our country was founded we had just won a war fighting for our independence and for the opportunity to make our own decisions about our government and our country. And those patriots bring me to my first problem with society and this country today.
America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand. — Harry Truman
The founding fathers and the patriots who fought for our independence believed that you had to work hard to earn things in life.
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. — James Monroe
Nowadays people believe that they are entitled to everything. And that the entity that should be providing everything for them is our government.
A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned – this is the sum of good government. — Thomas Jefferson
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. — Thomas Jefferson
Our government was not designed to provide for the lazy.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. — Abraham Lincoln
People cannot blame the government or other people for their own failures or for their circumstances. Only that person can change things for themselves.
If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month. — Theodore Roosevelt
Probably the greatest harm done by vast wealth is the harm that we of moderate means do ourselves when we let the vices of envy and hatred enter deep into our own natures. — Theodore Roosevelt
Our government was set up to govern the United States, but the power was to remain in the hands of the people and the states.
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. — Thomas Jefferson
The people in this country need to understand that concept of you earn what you work for. We do not need the government to give us hand outs. We are better than that. The first step is to take credit for our problems and issues and to find a way for us as a people to fix them.
How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them. — Benjamin Franklin
The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight. — Theodore Roosevelt
If the people want to continue to let the government try to invade and run our lives I suggest that they take the advice of Dwight Eisenhower:
If you want total security, go to prison. There you’re fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking…is freedom.
But to be able to fix our problems we still have to remember that liberty and justice are the basis of our government and that the power to govern is in the hands of the people.
The happy Union of these States is a wonder; their Constitution a miracle; their example the hope of Liberty throughout the world. — James Madison
When the American spirit was in its youth, the language of America was different; Liberty, sir, was the primary object. — Patrick Henry
Just a parting thought to keep in mind as well as those above…
The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. — Benjamin Franklin
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[This is only the first of many posts, due to the fact that I have a full time job. Keep an eye out for more to come]
DJSTRATA
Not a bad thing at all, when the leadership in Washington is out of control, to look back and see the great men who have brought us so far and what they have said.
Full time job??? I thought all you bloggers sat at your bedroom desk in your stripped pajamas and slippers! I guess the MSM mischaracterized you guys.
Now there’s a surprise!
mikedido58,
I’m glad to see that out of the whole post you focused on that unimportant fact.
Excellent job DJ! Thanks for all the hard work. Looking forward to the next installment.
AJStrata
Too funny … this is my favorite political quote:
“The middle of the road is all the useable surface. The extremes of left and right are in the gutters.”
– Dwight D. Eisenhower
I agree [in principle] with the theme of this article. That said, I believe that successful, competitive [modern] societies must be a blend of social programs [which include not just Social Security but things like building and supporting the maintenance of an inter-state highway system] and [as lightly as possible] regulated capitalism.
The hard part is finding the optimal blend.
Nice post, DJ. It would do all Americans well to know their country’s history.
“Compromise” is an interesting subject. However, it is complicated and multi-leveled. Did our Forefathers compromise? They did. They had to. But, did they compromise on the fundamental principles of what they were building? I don’t think so. They knew the goal, and compromised on secondary levels to reach those goals. “Compromise” also doesn’t happen peacefully and in a night’s sleep. Sometimes it has to wait, or can take years. And, sometimes the debate is heated and passionate. Our Forefather’s taught us that also. In fact, there are some quotes I wouldn’t dare post. So, maybe “some things never change”. And, maybe the “conservative/moderate” debate is a good thing. Maybe some sound, wise, and agreed upon “principles” will come out of it. Moderates can sometimes be squishy. Conservatives can sometimes be stubborn. But, on “principles” they both stand strong. It’s time to define the “principles”, and stop the name calling (which only benefits the liberals Democrats).
Certain quotes in this post relate to the fundamentals of how a Country’s government is administered. These [IMHO] transcend time … the wise quotes could apply to any Republic in the last 2,500 years [or, probably, any Republic in the next several thousand years]. [IMHO] the Eisenhower quote falls into the “wise†category.
Other quotes relate to public policy. [IMHO] this wisdom is dependent on the current state of technology, economics and international affairs. For instance, if one Republic’s health care system precipitates a situation where their businesses are less competitive than other Republics, adopting elements of the health care system in these other Republics seems to make pragmatic, logical sense.
Although socialized health care is flawed in many ways, it appears to be [on a macro level] less flawed [re: international, macro economic competitiveness] then the system we currently have in the U.S.
Regardless of what is decided politically, I hope we approach this logically and pragmatically. Not ideologically.
It’s funny that in spite of the advances in science and technology, deep down man hasn’t changed much in 200+ years. The wild untamed dream that once was America attracted hearty souls whose hard work and perserverence made this nation the best on earth. But there have always been those who would sit back and watch the hard battle being waged and step in afterwards to reap their “fair share”. Which is one of the only things I need from government—protect me from these people, don’t encourage their laziness, ignorance and self centered behavior. That is where this government (and the ideals of the leftists) have done this country a huge disservice——not letting people live up to their potential but making them think they are the victims of “arrogant American behavior” and punishing those who succeed in striving to get ahead (under the assumption that they must have cheated—-truly the thinking of the ignorant and lazy).
Nothing in this world is easy—get used to it.
[IMHO] This post is replete with quotes intended to relate to public policy that are wise, meaningful and [possibly] antiquated.
Many of these quotes do not appear to apply to the current global economy; to policies that will need to “work†against the economies that the U.S. is currently competing with.
The U.S. has the largest gross national product in the [history of the] world, but lags in health care and education. As I recall, the U.S. is not a top-10 ranked county in: math, science, reading, longevity or infant mortality rates.
It would appear that some changes are needed that all sides of the aisle can compromise on.
[IMHO] attempting to build a strategy based on quotes from the 18th, 19th or 20th centuries [regarding policy] for how we, in our lifetimes, and our children after us, compete with other countries, does not appear to be prescient.
The principles of America are spelled out in The Declaration of Independence and then protected by The Constitution and Bill of Rights. The great thing about principles is that they are changeless. No matter what happens they are true. Stephen Covey talks about principles a lot. His example is the principle of maintaining your farm if you plan to grow crops. If you violate any of the actions in terms of planting etc., crops won’t grow. If you do it correctly, crops grow. So it doesn’t matter what is happening in the world, our principles will work. 6 principles helped create the greatest country in history. Principles are the foundation. They are deep. Our problem today is not only the violation of our founding principles, but also that people get hung up on positions on issues, even when they agree on the principle. I’m actually doing some work on this very thing in a few areas.
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his livelihood depends upon his not understanding it.”
– Upton Sinclair
“The world went mad. What we learn from history is that people don’t learn from history.”
– Warren Buffet
Extremism in defence of liberty is no vice, and moderation in pursuit of justice in no virtue. We need clear choices in this country. In the last election will had one man who was a moderate and another who claimed to be a moderate. Moderates lack conviction and are not needed in our system. If conservativism fails then so be it. If modern progressiveism fails–good. But lets not make a bad omlet of the two. The protection of individualism and not collectiveism should be our goal , with no compromise.
IMHO Ser russellshih: most of us [posters] are mature, adult, cognitive beings that can parse the “extremism in defense of liberty†with the “defense of civil liberties” [based on the constitution].
Regardless, to play with the adults, I suggest that you need to spend another couple of decades reading the Bible, the Constitution, and a couple thousand other books to play in the blogshere … this is also, MHO.
I’m surprised to learn that Eisenhower thought that everything that isn’t in the center of the road is in the gutters.
Most roads I travel have a right side, middle, left side and ditches on either side.
thinking of Interstates, which Eisenhower is the daddy of, most of them have a ditch in the middle. So if his analogy is right, if you are in the middle, you are in the ditch.
I should like to share some of my favorites:
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.â€
-Benjamin Franklin
“To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.â€
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, April 6, 1816
“The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If ‘Thou shalt not covet’ and ‘Thou shalt not steal’ were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free.â€
-John Adams
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.â€
-James Madison, 4 Annals of congress 179 (1794)
[T]he government of the United States is a definite government, confined to specified objects. It is not like the state governments, whose powers are more general. Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government.â€
-James Madison
“I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution, and I do not believe that the power and duty of the General Government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit.”
— President Grover Cleveland vetoing a bill for charity relief (18 Congressional Record 1875 [1877]
“I cannot find any authority in the Constitution for public charity. [To approve the measure] would be contrary to the letter and spirit of the Constitution and subversive to the whole theory upon which the Union of these States is founded.”
— President Franklin Pierce’s 1854 veto of a measure to help the mentally ill.
“There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”
— James Madison
“It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.”
— Mark Twain, 1894
“I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground that ‘all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people.’ To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power not longer susceptible of any definition.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“I see,… and with the deepest affliction, the rapid strides with which the federal branch of our government is advancing towards the usurpation of all the rights reserved to the States, and the consolidation in itself of all powers, foreign and domestic; and that, too, by constructions which, if legitimate, leave no limits to their power… It is but too evident that the three ruling branches of [the Federal government] are in combination to strip their colleagues, the State authorities, of the powers reserved by them, and to exercise themselves all functions foreign and domestic.”
— Thomas Jefferson
And I don’t wish to get the wrong idea across. It isn’t that charity by government is bad, it is that the *Federal* government doesn’t have that right. If State governments want to give themselves that right, that is fine. And the people have the right to vote with their feet.
Thank you for this great post and wonderful quotes. [update — and yours as well, crosspatch!] The big stumbling block of course will be that this general common sense world-view, which launched our country successfully into its now decaying orbit, would be portrayed by the Democrat party and the media (same thing) as the most uber-right-wing selfish hate-mongering platform to come down the pike since well ….. Carrie Prejean.
I do sense however a certain reawakening out there with previously unconcerned people. Books on the founding and founding principles are topping the lists. “Atlas Shrugged” has seen a surge in sales. Books on Woodrow Wilson and FDR (not the flattering kind) are also very popular of late.
So hopefully a little education by books like these, and websites like this, combined with attractive candidates (ahem) who can reintroduce/reinforce these basic principles in an appealing, positive fashion will rise above the media typhoon and prove sufficient to right this left-listing ship before it slips beyond the point of no return.
[…] stole the quote from an excellent commentary DJ Strata has at StrataSphere.  Then AJ Strata wrote the following: “…We cannot run to the pure fringes and hope […]