I agree. Conservatives shouldn’t feel the need to defend Trump from every point of criticism or support everything he says no matter how ridiculous or un-conservative. It is our job to call it like we see it and stay true to our principles.
Where I disagree with Shapiro is the idea this is a new expectation with Trump.
Too often, conservatives defended McCain and Romney, even when they offered big government policies or made indefensible gaffes. Conservatives tacitly endorsed the un-conservative policies of George W. Bush—going along with Medicare Part D, No Child Left Behind, the explosion of earmarks, multiple “stimulus” packages, the bank bailouts and uncontrolled spending increases. And it became heresy—certainly “unpatriotic”—to question his war strategy.
We can’t make the same mistake again.
Building a multi-billion-dollar wall isn’t a conservative priority. Waterboarding—based on the logic that the terrorists behead prisoners, so we must up our violence—isn’t conservative. Massive tariffs that would devastate our economy certainly isn’t conservative.
Now, I’m not writing as a “NeverTrump.” Nor am I “NeverHillary”. Rather, I think this presidential election is silly nonsense.
What I am suggesting, as I’ve have before, is that this election creates an opportunity for true conservatives to talk about what a real conservative-libertarian agenda looks like.
Here is an agenda we should be talking about.
- Reduce executive authority. For decades we have allowed the president to accrue more power to act unilaterally and circumvent our constitutional checks and balances. It is time to reject the idea of a superhero president and empower congress.
- Restore Federalism. Our constitutional system is based on leaving power in the hands of the states and local governments who are closest to the people. Progressives shifted the balance of power to the federal government. As conservatives, we must push to devolve power back to the states and preserve the 10th amendment.
- Block grant Medicaid and other welfare programs to the states—giving states greater flexibility to develop reforms that work and control costs.
- Repeal Obamacare and replace it with Large HSAs and increased competition.
- Reduce federal control over education, while states should expand educational choice programs empowering parents with the power to improve their child’s school.
- Reform entitlements. Social Security and Medicare are not sustainable. We must overhaul those systems and giver younger workers more control over their own retirement.
- End corporate welfare subsidies at all levels of government. Taxpayer-funded handouts undermine economic growth.
- Repeal alternative and renewable energy mandates. Politicians should not be picking winners and losers.
- Tax reform that makes America more competitive for jobs. The US has the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world.
- Regulatory reform. Why are companies moving jobs overseas? Because our unnecessary regulations drive up the cost of doing business and are “out-forcing” jobs
- Restrained foreign policy. We can’t be isolationist, but we should stop trying to be the world’s police force, stop engaging in wars without a plan for victory (or without a Congressional declaration of War), stop sending planes full of money to support foreign regimes, and stop letting fear be used to trample our civil rights.
- Cut waste in all parts of government, including the Department of Defense. Yes, there is a lot of unnecessary and reckless spending in the name of “Defense.”
- Reduce the corruptive power of public sector unions at all levels of government.
We need to focus on the ideas that will make America greater than it already is.
No comments:
Post a Comment