Core Principals

April 20 2009, 1:35am

I recently exchanged a few emails between an old coworker friend of mine.

I appreciated his taking the time to compose a thoughtful message in response to a Tax Day Tea Party link I posted to Facebook. In his email he described himself as "socially conservative, yet fiscally liberal." If you're like me you're probably asking yourself, "WTF?" Dude, you can't have it both ways.

I always enjoy an honest discussion into deep, complex issues; no matter what the subject. Especially with someone who's taken time to really think about why hold certain viewpoints. If nothing else it's an interesting reality check; and at best I will learn something new!

So naturally I had to call him out on this inconsistency. I urged him to take a step back from the issues of the day (the economy and the mainstream media's sensationalism) and "do some further introspection on [his] core principals, and what it is [he] really believe[s]."

To paraphrase my response...

I believe that...

  1. all men are created equal,
  2. and that we all have unlimited potential,
  3. we all should be able to live our lives unimpeded, as long as we do not impede the lives of others,
  4. that hard work deserves reward in the form of private property, and that
  5. we reserve the right to defend ourselves against tyranny, and to protect our private property.

These principles are not negotiable. They apply to all people in all situations. They are a benchmark, and a foundation upon which any life decision can be made. Therefore they can be applied to any situation or circumstance, even politics and Government policy.

Our country and our federal government was founded upon these (and other) principals. Our elected officials took an oath to defend the Constitution which explicitly names these principals. So when I hear stories about taxpayer-funded bailouts, nationalized healthcare, etc. I ask myself "does this policy violate any of these core principals?" If the answer is yes then I oppose it. Otherwise I would probably support it.

... And once you establish your core framework of principals, be consistent and follow them in your every day life, and ultimately take those principals with you to the voting booth.

I went on to provide an example of how these principals could be applied in addressing our economic "crisis."

To address your points about our current economic situation... I love spending money. There are lots of things I'd like to have, or improvements I'd like to make around the house, etc. We have two children in daycare, which is expensive, so much of our money goes to cover that expense, plus other extracurricular activities like piano lessons and dance class. Not to mention clothes, [baby] formula, food and other basic necessities. This means I have less "disposable" income for myself.

IF I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY INCOME TAX THIS YEAR, I WOULD GLADLY SPEND EVERY DIME OF IT ANYWAY. Whatever I didn't spend, I'd invest or save at my bank. And by investing/saving my money, it would be made available to the bank so that someone else could get a loan. I'd earn interest on my investment, and the debtor would have the opportunity to acquire something he wouldn't have otherwise, and the bank also earns interest. EVERYONE BENEFITS by keeping money in the hands of the person who earned it, and letting them decide how to spend it. And everyone chooses to do these things freely, without coercion.

I'm hoping that my friend will consider my responses and conduct an honest evaluation of his core principals.

Thoughts?