Now that the Republicans
have captured both houses of congress, advice on how they should proceed is
coming from every quarter. Much of this
counsel is sensible. After years
wandering in the wilderness, conservative thinkers have learned many useful
lessons.
Why then am I about to
provide yet another compendium of recommendations? The six points that I itemize below will not
come as a surprise. Others have tread
the same ground. In later columns, I
will offer details, but in the meantime, I provide an overview.
I also suggest a framework
for these proposals. They can be thought
of as targeted reforms. Too often, conservatives are regarded as
backward looking. This is anathema to
many American voters. They want a
brighter future, not a return to the good old days that were not always so
good.
“Reform” promises to fix
what is broken. It likewise undertakes
to introduce improvements. Given how
much has gone wrong under left-liberal tutelage, there is a great deal that can
be done to restore the nation’s greatness and to build a more glorious
tomorrow.
Nevertheless, reforms need
to be specific, achievable, and beneficial.
Pragmatism and hardheaded realism have to be the order of the day. Juvenal fantasies, soaring rhetoric, and
liberal whitewash must therefore give way to adult problem-solving.
The following list is in no
particular order, nor exhaustive. New
issues are bound to come up.
Nonetheless, it is intentionally circumscribed. It is limited in that efforts to do
everything usually wind up doing very little.
1)
Healthcare.
ObamaCare must be dismantled.
This need not be all at once; nor ought it return us to the status quo
ante. Many correctives are possible. Tort reform and portability spring to mind.
2)
Immigration.
The border must be protected.
This is indeed the first order of business. Illegal immigrants should not be provided a
path to citizenship. Many can be offered
a resident-alien status, but this should come with restrictions.
3)
Military.
Our armed forces must be returned to adequate strength. Political cuts have to be rescinded and a
military doctrine appropriate to contemporary challenges developed.
4)
Tax reform.
The tax schedule should be simplified and incentives for growth put in
place. Less social engineering and more
fairness should reduce the temptation to use the tax code to micro-manage the
economy and/or coerce spurious “social justice.”
5)
Tame the Bureaucracy. Government regulations must be pruned and
arrogant agencies brought under control.
Step by step, rogue programs should be consolidated and incompetent
administrators removed.
6)
Energy.
We need rational energy policies.
A mass techno-commercial society depends on adequate supplies of
power. Practical strategies should not
be held hostage to half-baked theories of climate change or crony capitalism.
Let us also celebrate the
achievements of the free market, democracy, and personal responsibility. We ought as well commend the value of the family. The government cannot do everything; nor
attempt to. Much of what needs to be
done rests on the shoulders of ordinary citizens.
Left-liberal overreach has
soured millions of Americans on the virtues of progressivism. Now they need an alternative. Politicians who place the nation’s interests
above their own can supply part of this.
But part can only come from the day-to-day commitments of the rest of
us.
Governments specialize in
rules and coercion. To some extent, this
is necessary to protect us from ourselves.
Nevertheless, it is not the entire ball of wax. Our culture, and especially our moral
convictions, must take up the slack. If
they do not, then the government, no matter how wise, can’t make us whole.
Targeted reform is
essential. Only it can stave off a
return to collectivist government. Yet
personal maturity cannot be overlooked.
Only adults, who are committed to helping themselves, can keep us safe,
prosperous, and free.
Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology
Kennesaw State University
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