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This site is full of ideas. Some of them might make you cringe. They may not align with your worldview, perspectives, or experiences. That’s a great thing.

Conservatives and economics

Obviously, there are a lot of nuances and factors in economics. But I think it boils down to two opposing worldviews: conservatives see the world as a dynamic place that will go in whatever direction the market (people) want it to go, while liberals see it as a static place that can be micromanaged and planned. For liberal planners, this is the way things are and the way people are, and this is how it’s always going to be. It’s one pie, and the bigger the piece one takes, the smaller pieces everyone else gets. Conservatives believe that the…

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When romance meets cleanliness

A few years back, I thought I would go the classic romantic route for Valentine’s Day. I thought ahead, called a flower shop, and ordered a few bags of rose pedals. Before my wife got home, I laid out a route that went from the front door to the bedroom. (Like I said, classic…) It ended up being more fun than I thought and looked pretty great. I was excited to see her reaction when she got home. And excited, her reaction was. Before I could even say, “Happy Valentine’s Day,” she was already into, “What the hell is…

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Suppression vs free flow of information (guess who’s for which…)

You will never hear conservatives calling for the elimination of any news source – no matter how useless or biased they are perceived to be. (And there are a number from which to choose.) The mainstream media is essentially the propaganda wing of the Democrat Party. (Or, perhaps, the Democrat Party is the propaganda wing of the mainstream media…) But you simply don’t hear conservatives insisting they close up shop. At the same time, with the Fairness Doctrine or through internet regulations, some liberal politicians are consistently trying very hard to shut down conservative talk radio and conservative news…

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Socialism vs capitalism

There are books upon books about the differences between and the merits of both Socialism and Capitalism. I’d like to simplify it a bit. Socialism exists under the premise that rights come from government, or man. Under Socialism, the government controls the economy and society lives to serve it. People rely on the collective for everything and the governing body attempts to impose – not equality of opportunity, but equality of results. American Capitalism presupposes that rights do not come from man, but from a higher power. And the rights are not specific to conditions like being employed or…

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The origin of playdates

More than one set of parents has rolled their eyes at the idea of a playdate. That we’ve evolved to the point where our kids have scheduled play times with friends, much the way we’d schedule a work meeting with a vendor, is yet another way we’ve taken the spontaneity out of childhood. Who do we have to thank for the playdate? Well, like most things, it’s not an entirely simple answer. Working parents. Helicopter moms. Over-scheduled kids. These are all contributing factors. But logistically, we can thank the smart phone. Back when land lines were common, a kid…

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Friend groups

Social media was supposed to make the world smaller and help us all connect. Predictably, it’s had, in so many ways, the opposite effect. If you want to talk in terms of quantitative data, you can argue we communicate more, and with more people. But qualitatively, people’s preferences to communicate via social media and their mobile device is seriously hurting our ability to connect, as humans. This is especially true for teenagers, who’re still developing their social skills. (Or, in this case, still stunting their social skills.) With the help of apps like Snapchat, friends are organizing their conversations…

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Why conservatives don’t like government

It’s an idea we take for granted, but do people truly understand the issues conservatives have with government. 1. Government workers are not accountable. We think of government workers as the politicians we elect, but that’s a small fraction of government workers. Most government workers are bureaucrats that work behind desks creating or enforcing rules with no accountability. In the private sector, business thrive or fail based on how well they serve their customers. A business can deliver a great product, but if they fail on customer service, it could put them under. One unforeseen twist of fate can…

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The value of privacy

Back in the days of routine attacks on the “religious right,” liberal politicians would often say that conservatives want to know what’s going on in your home. But the truth is that’s simply not the nature of conservatives. Conservatives usually want to be left alone and, in turn, want to leave others alone, as well. Conservatives have a strong sense of right and wrong, and they are certainly judgmental. But being judgmental is not the same as telling everyone how to live. Telling people how to live is creating restrictions on salt intake, trans fats, what we can eat,…

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The virtue of capitalism

What makes one think a government employee or elected representative is more virtuous than a private sector employee or CEO? What’s the difference between the government workers and the private sector workers? The difference is that government workers and elected representatives get to decide what’s best for people and make the rules with absolutely no accountability. Government workers – especially unelected bureaucrats, don’t answer to anyone. But when it comes to the private sector, you have to answer to the consumer. One can do business however they want – honestly or dishonestly, shrewdly or poorly – but only market…

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The conservative perspective on charity

There’s two ways to dole out charity: Lower taxes so people can keep more of their own money. Then let those people give some of their money (and time) to the charity they choose to support. That charity, which usually knows best how to spend that money, will make sure to get the most for that dollar, or.. Allow the government to forcefully take as much money from people as they decide is right so they can redistribute that money to the people they decide need it most, while tying up a greater percentage of every dollar in the…

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