The Role of Government

What is the role of government?  What is the governments primary purpose? What was it organized for? These questions are a very important ones. Our leaders have very competing views of what the governments role is in our lives should be. This question is also the root of the majority of political arguments you may read about in the opinion section of the paper, or on the comment chains that correspond with a number of online blogs and news posts. So what is the role of government? At what point do the elected officials over step there authority? 

"If a nation were founded on this basis, it seems to me that order would prevail among the people, in thought as well as in deed. it seems to me that such a nation would have the most simple, easy to accept, economical, limited, non-oppressive, just, and enduring government imaginable-whatever its political form might be." Bastiat- The Law

The "basis" that Frederic Bastiat talks about in his book  The Law, is the more common view of what government should be. Government should be a government of law, were all are equal before the law, not made equal by it. The government should moderately regulate trade not create or distribute wealth or try and directly control commerce. The governments laws should be applied equally to all, not differently for different people. There are other factors a just government should have but theses are the ones that i feel are most applicable to the issues that are being debated in our government today.  Another way to think about these points is in the game of Monopoly.

In the board game of Monopoly from Hasbro, Hasbro makes the rules, then we play by them. It doesn't matter what piece you play with or with who you play with, the rules are always the same. This should be the same of the government. They create the rules they don't play the game.

Leadership Conference

he 2010 West Coast Leadership Conference will be held November 12-13, 2010 at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California.  You are invited to send the Left a message by learning conservative ideas, networking with like-minded peers from across the country, and visiting the Reagan Ranch.  The early-bird rate is only $75 if you apply by October 15 and $99 after.  For more details, please email Roger Custer at rcuster@yaf.org or call (800) USA-1776.

This conference is held at the beautiful Reagan Ranch Center, includes the opportunity for all attendees to visit President Reagan’s beloved Rancho del Cielo, and gives you many opportunities to hear and meet top-notch conservative speakers.  They will be listed here when confirmed.  Past speakers include Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Dana Rohrabacher, Kate Obenshain, Lynn Vincent, Michael Reagan, Dennis Prager, Kiron Skinner, Peter Robinson, Joe Wilson, and many others.   
At the conference, you will:

• Learn conservative ideas
• Interact with conservative heroes
• Receive valuable activism resources
• Improve your debate skills
• Visit the Reagan Ranch
• Become a young conservative leader

  

Creating the Nanny State: A Nation of Children

I was listening to the radio on my way to work the other day. I was going through the stations looking for something to preoccupy myself with as i slowly cheeped foreword in traffic on the freeway. I finally arrived upon a 90's rock station. After about one song they went into a recent headline segment were the two hosts provided commentary on the comings and goings of the world at large. It was mildly funny but one of the thing they sad out of jest really hit home with me and it really made me think. There was a minor news report about a young adult playing a prank on some people, and how it backfired. The radio hosts commented on how they would have expect that from a 14 year old, not person in there adult years. This created of a rabbit trail of comments on the idea, are Americans becoming more immature?  Are people become "adults" later on in life?

Once i got to the office i decided to do some research into the idea. After awhile i came to see the truth in that statement. The signs where everywhere, the crime statistics about young adults, the economic situation of young adults in their 20's, even laws that are being pushed through the legislature all led to the same conclusion. The conclusion that my generation is maturing slower and later on in life. Under Obama's health care plan young adults can stay on there parents plan till there 26 (New American Media) . The income of people age 55 and older is higher then those 21 to 28. Another fun fact, 77% of college graduates are moving back home with there parents. (Pittsburgh Post)

After realizing this fact the question came to mind, why is this happening? The answer is simple this trend is because of the creation of what some have call the "Nanny State". Then it donned on me, in order to have a nanny state you have to have children to take care of. The creation of adult children or institutionalized dependency is the legacy that my generation has been given, and the logical cause for the decline in rate of maturity among young adults. This conclusion explains why people want a bigger more controlling government, and more of the "Nanny State" that conservative Americas fighting against. But if indeed the youth are not mentally maturing or becoming "adults"  in the same rate as before, what could that fact have on the culture of American, and the future of our nation?

The Tipping Point

With November coming closer with each passing day, the divide between the republican and democrats narrows. Recent polling show on a 2% difference between the political candidates running in Washington state. Getting out and voting is going to be very important this election. The voter turn out rate is normal very low for none presidential elections years which mean every vote counts. Check out the candidates on their website or at one of the rallies. This election could go any direction, WE CAN DECIDE THE FATE come November. So get out there and Vote!

What Might Have Been (Video)

GetFree.TV

Recapturing the American Dream

Can we ever recapture the American dream?  How do we fight the culture that we were raised to emanate? The answer as non-tangible as the American dream itself. In one of my college philosophy classes my professor asked us this question; " At what point does a castle cease to be a castle and instead become a pile of stones?" The simple answer is the castle is a castle as long as you believe to be one. In this truth as odd as it may sounds lies the path to the reviving the American dream.

Americans are not defined by an ethnic group, nor a religion or by geographic boundaries. Americans are defined by there beliefs and the view that the American dream can be realized. The American dream in our generation has been damaged, our view in it's truth has been shaken, and to a point destroyed. So how do we "rebuild", how do we recapture the American dream?

"At what point does a castle cease to be a castle and instead become a pile of stones? If the castle is "destroyed" is it still a castle? If all those that remembered it as it was, were killed, does it cease to be? Once people no-longer believe that it can be rebuilt, and restored, then it is destroyed. For no matter the stones shape or location, they will always be stone, but only in our mind can castles ever be created and destroyed."

The way we revive the America dream is simple yet in its own way challenging. To Recapture the American dream we once again must believe that the American dream can be possible again.

Learning the tools of the Trade

Youth Leadership School- Provided by The Leadership Institute 

2 days and nights, $30 (meals included)
The Leadership Institute’s flagship school, nicknamed “the boot camp of politics,” provides you with effective techniques to organize and lead mass based youth efforts for candidates and causes of your choice.

The Youth Leadership School has launched more successful political careers than any other Leadership Institute training program.

Topics covered include:

• Building an effective student organization
• Getting out the vote
• Earned media (favorable publicity)
• Developing a public relations strategy
• Launching a successful career in politics

This school is held on college campuses across the country and at the Leadership Institute in Arlington, Virginia.

October 2-3 at The University of Washington

Register Here