The Welcome Mat is Out

We are a land of immigrants. Millions have flocked to this land for a better way of life, a better life that they helped create. We should continue to allow people from around the world, who recognize and love the greatness of this nation and who want to contribute, to come. That does not mean, however, that we should have open borders through which anyone can enter and exit as they please.

The welcome mat is out, but we should still keep the doors locked, so that we can control who is coming in. We need to secure the borders for this reason, so that we can defend our country from those who try to enter and do us harm. It is such a simple principle that so many in Congress have shown no motivation to do anything effective in securing this nation. They are too caught up in the overall immigration issue that they fail to take the most important and necessary step. Once we secure all our borders, we can then take steps to address what to do with those who have come illegally.

As mentioned above, this is a land of immigrants and a land that should welcome immigrants, however, it is also a land of laws. As such, we should not reward those who have come here illegally. Some will say that they do the jobs that others will not, and that our economy is too dependent on the illegal immigrant workforce. Immigrants can still do these jobs, they just need come through proper legal channels, but this does not mean amnesty. Those here illegally need to go back to their home countries and come back through legally.

So how do we get the illegals out? Many have said that we cannot deport them all, and for the most part this is true. We can, however, clamp down on those who employ illegals and make it so they will no longer find it in their best economic interests to do so (i.e. heavy fines). If the illegals cannot get work they will be forced to leave and they and others would be encouraged to go through the proper channels.


Let's keep the welcome mat out and our doors locked. How many of us would accept coming home to see that someone had broken in to our house? How many of us would then let the intruder stay because they were doing house work that we dislike and may not even do? How many of us would then say to the intruder that we gave them all the same benefits of all the other family members? Perhaps some of you can answer that you wouldn't mind, but I'm sure you would feel differently if the same intruder killed one of your family members. Let's keep safety first!

Too Late to Isolate

While isolationism is a very tempting, even comforting thought, it is too late for us to return to that mind set. During the first part of the last century we stepped out onto the world stage, and there was no turning back. We are the Super Power in the world, and that carries certain responsibilities. This is not to say that the other countries should not do their part, but it is up to us to take the lead in promoting peace and economic prosperity throughout the world, whether that be through diplomacy or military strength. This is in our best interest.

There are many who say that we should give up the Super Power status and would rather that we yield to the United Nations (UN). The UN was nice in principle, but it has long been lacking as it is bogged down by corruption and has become the pulpit from which our enemies denounce our way of life and the forum from which they plan to weaken us. Simply put, the UN won't lead, nor would they wish that we lead. If we were to devolve any of our power, our nation and our freedoms would be in great peril.

Ther are others, mainly in Hollywood, who would have things both ways. They cry that we do nothing in Darfur, and scream that we are doing anything in the Middle East. They do not want us to use military force, saying that we should negotiate until our faces turn blue. There are only so much we can do diplomatically. In the Darfur case, how many more sanctions can you put on a poor isolated African nation? Negotiations and sanctions only go so far, and then we only are left with a choice of doing nothing, or using military force.

In the case of Iraq, we chose to use our military force. While it is debateable whether or not it whas been carried out in the best manner, there is no question that we should have done something. For all of you WMD disbelievers: Sadaam had them and he used them, enough said! That however, was not the main reason why it was important to go into Iraq. Look at a map. Iraq and Afghanistan sandwhich which country? Yes indeed, Iran. Don't you think our build-up in the Middle East puts us in the best place to act quickly? Also, let us not forget Iraq is a magnet for Al Qaeda and other terrorists. Is it not best to take the fight to them, and have the frontline be Baghdad instead of Boston? We need to stay in Iraq and get the job done; we must be victorius. We knew going into this global war on terror that it would take along time, and it would take sacrifices, even the lives of our beloved, brave, patriotic soldiers. FromVietnam and Somalia, our enemies view us as weak and not having the resolve neccessary for victory. Each time we cut-and-run, it emboldens our enemies and weakens us. We cannot afford to have the terrorists think they can put us on the run, we need to keep the fight to them and keep them on the run!

If you are in grave danger, putting a cover over your head does not make you safe, it just disables you from making the right moves to protect yourself. For our own safety we cannot withdraw from the world, nor can we put down our sword when so many are waiting to strike us with a fatal blow. We seek for peace, but do so in a realistic manner.

Why Tax Cuts Work

A balanced budget is something to strive for, but not at the risk of the economy and ultimately your pocket book. When balancing the budget, we should not seek an increase in taxes, but rather an elimination of wasteful spending.

The fact that cutting taxes boosts the economy, or conversely the fact that increasing taxes (and thus wasteful spending) is quite apparent during a period of recession. I will try to illustrate this point below:

When Total Income (Y) decreases in a recession, Tax Revenue (TR) also decreases. Government Expenditures (E) will increase during a recession (i.e. unemployment benefits). As E>TR there is a defecit.

Given:

Y=$10 tril.

TR=$2 tril. (assuming a 20% tax rate)

E=$2 tril. (assuming a balanced budget)

Note: There would be $8 tril. left in the people's pockets to consume, save, or invest. (Y-TR=$8 tril.)

~~~~~~ENTER A RECESSION~~~~~~

Y=$9.9 tril.

TR=$1.98 tril.

If E=$2 tril., there now would exist a defecit of $20 bil., given E-TR (of course the actual number would be even higher as E would increase due to higher unemployment benefits, etc.)

Note: There is now only $7.92 tril. (a reduction of $80 bil.) in the people's pockets for consumption, investmets, and savings.

To resolve this the government only has a few options: 1) Increase Taxes, 2) Cut Expenditures, 3) Decrease Taxes, or 4) Decrease Taxes and Expenditures.

Lets look at these options individually using the same example from above.

1) Increase Taxes

Given:

Y=$9.9 tril.

TR=$2 tril. (assuming an increase in taxes by .2%, or an increase of $20 bil.)

E=$2 tril.

Note: Again there is only $7.9 tril. (a further reduction of $20 bil.) for consuming, investing, and saving. Fewer dollars in the pockets of the people means the economy falls deeper into recession. Increases taxes further until there is a surplus would only exacerbate the problem.

Results: Increasing taxes is a terrible idea.

2) Cut Expenditures

Given:

Y=$9.9 tril.

TR=$1.98 tril.

E=$1.98 tril. (assuming a cut in expenditures to balance the budget, without any change to taxes)

Note: Great now the budget is balanced, no defecit. However, there is still only $7.92 tril. ($80 bil. less than before the recession) for consuming, investing, and savings. There is no economic stimulus from just cutting expenditures. In fact less spending by the government would actually deepen a recession, due to less money in the pipelines. Also, the people must rely on the government to make the right choices in what to cut and what to keep (i.e. a cut in defense spending might not be a prudent decision right now).

Results: Cutting expenditures alone, doesn't help the economy.

3) Decrease Taxes

Given:

Y=$9.9 tril.

TR=$1.9 tril. (assuming a decrease in taxes by .8%, or a decrease of $80 bil.)

E=$1.98 tril. (there is now defecit spending of $20 bil.)

Note: There is now, once again $8 tril. for consuming, investing, and savings (back to the pre-recession ammount). More money back in the pockets of the people would allow for increases in consumption and investments, which would lead to an economic recovery.

Results: Cutting taxes is a great idea. It provides an economic stimulus.

4) Cutting Taxes and Expenditures

If it is important to people that the budget be balanced, then the government can cut both taxes and expenditures (a combination of options 2 and 3.)

CONCLUSION

Large tax cuts and elimination of wasteful spending puts money back into the pockets of the people and thus stimulates the economy. Not all spending is bad by any means. Wise goverment spending can help the economy as well. For example. when the government buys a military fighter from Boeing or Lockheed, they pay tax dollars to private companies, who in turn pay their employyees, who then put money back into the economy as they consume and invest, not to mention the security boost due to strong defense. Defecit spending, in moderate ammounts is not necessarily a bad thing. As mentioned above a surplus, however, is very damaging to the economy, as the government takes more money than is necessary; and that money will often be earmarked for pork barrel projects that no one needs. To keep the economy healthy, which will lead to increased employment and standards of living, Congress must back the President in keeping taxes low, if not decreasing the tax burden further. Make expenditure cuts that reduce waste, but fully fund that which benefits us such as the military and border security projects. Finally, schools should have both Macro and Micro Economics as required courses, so that the populace can be brought out of the depths of ignorance, and then break free from the chains that some politicians use to pull them around. It is key to remember that the tax dollars are your money, not the government's; so we should make sure our taxes are low and used wisely.

Keep It Simple, Keep It Small

Bureaucracies by nature are inefficient. The larger and more complex they get, the worse off the people being governed are. The inefficiencies of big government includes long waits, wasting of resources (financial and otherwise), corruption, etc. Big government also leads people in the government as well as those addicted to the government's service (which is mediocre at best) to be unwilling to take any personal responsibilities. In other words, big government, to which the people look to take care of their every need, leads to a perpetual welfare state where we are all equal to the lowest common denominator.

If we look to government for all things, that also means that we devolve certain freedoms to the government, and thus negate the efforts of all those brave souls who have fought and continue to fight to establish and maintain our freedoms.

Our legal framework was put in place not to replace an authoritarian king with an unwieldy bureaucracy that also dictates our whole lives. Instead it was enacted in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. Government is there to secure our borders and defend us against our enemies; it is there to enforce the laws, to protect the innocent from the guilty; it is there to maintain the economic freedoms that allow us to care for our needs; and it is there to protect our God given freedoms. Government is nothing less, and certainly nothing more.

Let us eschew the desire to ever increase the size of government, and thus ruin any chance at establishing Justice, Tranquility, and a more perfect Union. Take upon yourself responsibilty, responsibility for yourself and for your families. The government can promote general Welfare, but it is up to the people to take advantage of this free land by striving to better themselves and to bring others up with them. Do not sit idly by as people try to seize your basic freedoms. Let us choose a small and simple government, one that is more fitting to call Of the People, For the People, and by the People.

What of Religion?

Our forefathers were men of faith and recognized that this land was established so that we could worship God as we please. They felt so strongly of this that religion was addressed in the very first amendment to the Constitution, writing:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise therof...

This provision supports that while the government shall not establish a religion and dictate what the people should believe, as was the case in mother England, it should not empower itself to restrict the various beliefs and exercise of faiths.

There have been many activists who have wished that this phrase merely read, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." They focus on the first half of the phrase to justify their desires to rid the public domain of God, thus stripping the rights of all believers, because they claim that expressions of faith are offensive to them. In many cases, activists have been successful in getting the judiciary to in fact prohibit the free exercise of religion, which the Constitution clearly is in objection to. An act of denying a child from offering a prayer in school, or even reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, is unconstitutional. How then have the activists been successful in subverting the Constitution? Simply, we Conservatives have been too silent, too long! We as a people must be actively engaged in protecting this and other God given rights, or we risk losing them all.

The Constitution of the United States of America

The Constitution is the legal framework, based on Judeo-Christian beliefs, that provides the bonds that hold this great country together. This venerable document ensures citizens of this land freedoms that no other nation has ever afforded its people. While it does not guarantee that everyone will be rich, it affirms the rights of all Americans to pursue happiness. It is a living document that can be changed, but only by amendment, not by opinion. It is not desired, nor just, for the few to interpret the law based on what they think to be the popular will, or on the precedents created only by the laws of other nations. We should all take it upon ourselves to know what is written in our Constitution, and more importantly, it is imperative that we defend it, so that it can continue to protect to us.