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Conservative Collectivism: Introduction
16 Jan 2012 by Jessica Hughes in Balance of Power, Economics, Education, National / 20 Comments
The following is the rough Introduction to my upcoming book, Conservative Collectivism: How the American Right is Feeding the Federal Beast (and Why We Must Stop!) In the weeks to come I will be posting this work in progress and I welcome your input. If it were not for the readers of this site (as well as its predecessor TheFoundersAlliance.org) and the thousands of Patriots who comprise the East Texas Tea Party there would have been no first book and surely no second. All of you have been part of this journey and I could think of no more qualified crowd of critics. Thank you – Jessica Hughes
Read Chapter 1 – There is No Common Good
Read Ch.2: The Indispensable Nature of the Individual
Recent scientific studies on the way humans perceive the world around them – and in particular the input from those with whom we disagree – suggest that we are biologically hardwired to seek triumph over truth. So whatever belief system we have, we want to win arguments more than we want to really discover the objective rightness of those beliefs. Ironically, my own belief in Christianity leads me to rebel against such a failing. Having come to God through reason and not simply as a bi-product of growing up immersed in religious sentiment, I have always considered reason, thoughtful contemplation, and questioning and logical exploration of the facts to be an important part of my life and my relationship to the Creator.I am particularly intrigued by the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s transformation. In the Book of Daniel, the King expresses a deep pride for himself and all he has achieved. God humbles him by making him as one of the beasts of the wild where he wanders until he again turns his eyes upon God, whereupon his reason is restored. When we disagree with others to the extent that we are unable to consider that their point of view may be at least partially valid or that we indeed may be mistaken, what can that be other than a sinful pride in the rightness of our own conviction? Do we not then become as beasts, refusing the light of truth in favor of the hive-mind of some crawling creature which carries out duty through its life never questioning the orders?
As a Christian I believe that God is the repository of truth, and if I am to fully experience the life He intended for me I must embrace reason, that quality with which He separated us from the rest of his creatures. When we refuse reason, when we choose triumph for our subjective beliefs over the objective and observable truth we become as Nebuchadnezzar: beasts who have willfully devolved from the elevated, thoughtful, inquisitive beings He created. The historical results of this devolution on a mass scale are terrifying, and much of what we see in today’s public dialog indicates we are primed for a repeat of such atrocities.
The people of our nation have become further and further polarized with the help of corrupt leaders who bank on us remaining divided. They maintain their power by appealing to that animal pride remaining in all of us. Pride that says we know best and no one who disagrees on any point can possibly be our ally. We become increasingly determined to keep power out of the hands of those we perceive to be our enemy, and we believe the demagogues who run on the correct platform – our platform – when they tell us the only way to keep power out of the hands of the enemy is to give ever more power to them. With the People thus divided and misplacing their faith in bureaucrats to save them, corruptocrats in both parties are able to feed like the parasites they are upon an unwitting citizenry who believes they only need fear those with the wrong party affiliation.
We have spent a century now pointing fingers at other voters and the only ones coming out ahead are the lobbyists, the crony corporatists and the politicians in their pockets. Over the past few years I have felt like King Nebuchadnezzar finally turning my eyes toward Truth; willing to reassess certainties I held all of my life and it is my sincerest hope that those of you reading this will be wiling to take a journey of introspection with me. If we are to see clearly we must remove the logs from our own eyes before tending the motes in the eyes of others. We must be righteous in our beliefs and never self-righteous in our conviction. Some have scolded me for being too hard on Republicans, but the fact is the enemy hiding among us is more dangerous by far than he who clearly distinguishes himself as an opponent. If we are to preserve the vision our founders had for us we need to reign in Washington, but that will never happen so long as we are proponents of Conservative Collectivism.
Some of you might be thinking that is an oxymoron; that these are mutually exclusive descriptors, but I would argue that Conservative Collectivism is a very real phenomenon and more importantly it is the Achilles Heel of the Conservative Movement. In the pages to follow I will begin by explaining the danger of such a doctrine and follow by identifying its strongholds in the Republican Party and among the conservative voting base. Please understand this is not an attack on anyone who votes or believes a certain way. In fact, every one of these concerns is with a doctrine I myself espoused vehemently not so long ago. This is an effort to share with my fellow patriots a path to harmony within the party and indeed within the populace at large.
A path that does not require compromising our beliefs.
A path that does not invite the dangers associated with centralized power
A path that will place us confidently in the footsteps of the men who founded this nation.
A path that will strip Washington politicos of the stranglehold they have on the American People.
A path that will restore our Republic not from the top down, but from the bottom up.
A path that we must embrace in order to defend our inheritance from the corrupt leaders who would destroy it. As Samuel Adams said
The liberties of our country, the freedoms of our civil Constitution are worth defending at all hazards; it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors. They purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood. It will bring a mark of everlasting infamy on the present generation – enlightened as it is – if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of designing men.
About the Author: Jessica Hughes
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20 Comments
William D. Chavis
First, I have met you having heard you speak and purchased your autographed book. I was impressed with your knowledge of governmental affairs from a conservative view. I have a high school education with good marks as a student long ago. In life’s journey I have always tried to maintain all items as simiple as possible with more success that I deserve from God Almighty.
Secondly, I have always cast my vote to the person who appears to have the greatest spiritual value among those running for the office. ALMOST, every time extending back to LBJ and Barry Goldwater election I began viewing the candidate with the highest moral background knowing that same person’s doctrines would best align with mine and our Constitution.
The same holds true today as I fast forward my thoughts to your new book.
Your book sounds interesting but appears to be loaded with much more complexities than the simple term of right versus wrong. Or RIGHT versus LEFT. Too many big words for me to get interested, in other words.
For you see, MS Hughes the American voter as you and I have never been able to shape political candidates to the mold of our beliefs in the past and will not be equipped to do so in the future. Truly, politics makes strange bed fellows as you and I have heard.
Take Mitt Romney as an example. I am not thrilled with his spiritual beliefs as BHO’s ‘alledged’ Christian beliefs. In fact, I truly view Mormon as a cult and not a Christian in any means. However, among the two BHO’s non christian values such as abortion issues and gay marriages disgust me. That is ONLY TWO of MANY.
So, who am I to vote for? It has become and will remain a matter of voting for the person with the “lesser of two evils”. Thus, I will vote for Romney. For you see, there has never been a perfect candidate in my lifetime to cast my votes.
Governor Huckabee is such an example. I knew him when he was a Baptist preacher at Immanuel Bapitst Church in Pine Bluff, AR where my mother attended. He conducted my father’s funeral at the same church. However, his political stance is a far too liberal than that of Rand Paul for example or Sarah Palin. If he were to compete with those two, he would not receive my support in spite of his superb spiritual beliefs aligning with mine. So, in short politics and religion do not necesessarily go hand in hand. It tis a moral compass that adopted our Constitution and by that same morals do we abide. Not Christianity at all. Granted great morals are nourished and adopted by Christians as our fore fathers who came here seeking freedom of religion. But, the Bill of Rights and all documents of freedom were written for ALL.
Finally, should we adopt a compromising position by trully getting a better grip on truth? NO. There is no way nor there shall ever be a means to compromise for anything less than truth. Period!
16 Jan 2012 05:01 am
admin
I remember you and thank you for your kind words and measured critique. You are absolutely correct that we can never shape a political candidate to all of our beliefs, which is exactly why I consider it essential that we strip the DC power base of much of the authority it has usurped over our lives. Otherwise there is always a large group of people suffering oppression. Even within Christianity there are different sects with different beliefs. Washington should be a hands-off government that sticks to the Constitution: Defend our country and leave the states alone.
I don't believe in compromising our beliefs at all. I believe there is, however, a common ground to be found across beliefs that will allow us to be a people united again rather than divided.
16 Jan 2012 12:01 pm
Clifford Lykke
You have my whole hearted support in writing and publishing your new book. I will be waiting to place my order(s).
16 Jan 2012 09:01 am
admin
Thank you Clifford! I look forward to your comments!
16 Jan 2012 12:01 pm
Rick Andrews
I like the sounds of your new book. Truly miss our conversations since your move. Hope things are going well for you and yours. Rick and Janie
16 Jan 2012 10:01 am
admin
Same here.
16 Jan 2012 12:01 pm
Randy B
Hello Jessica,
The “Tea Party” lives on and is quietly growing from the ground up. I like your book intro, there are many of us recent converts to freedom, and once you are able to perceive a threat to freedom your moral values are tested and put on trial. William is correct to want moral leaders but the President is just one man and your morality is just as important as his. Short of Calvin Coolidge it has been a long, dry spell. My advice to anyone in the world at this point would be if you are seeking morality, the last place on earth to waste your time searching for it would be Washington D.C. USA. Our greatest President’s are the ones you have never heard of because they didn’t tank the economy or start a war
16 Jan 2012 05:01 pm
admin
Amen. Madison said if men were angels we'd need no government; how has it taken me so long to see that because men are not angels we must be very cautious of government?
16 Jan 2012 06:01 pm
Mary Roan
Randy,
Where are you located? I wish our TEA Party would 'start up' again. I hope we have not waited too late. I am in Nacogdoches, TX. and if you are close by I would love updates.
Thank you.
Mary
19 Jan 2012 05:01 pm
Eve Marie
Sounds great, Jessica!
Revolt was awesome and this one will be as well. Thanks for all you do!
You can’t legislate morality- follow the constitution. Always.
Eve
16 Jan 2012 05:01 pm
admin
You're so kind Eve! Thank you!
16 Jan 2012 06:01 pm
Jay Spencer
I am heartened to see you write (above) that you are “willing to reassess certainties I held all of my life.” The title of my blog is “Everything I Knew Was Wrong.” I’ve been a Bircher, a fan of Goldwater, a Republican, and a Libertarian—before I switched back to Republican, so I could vote in the 2008 primary for Ron Paul.
I finally came to realize a truth I’d been suppressing since JFK was murdered in ’63: we are not ruled by politicians, but by the oligarchy which controls the banks, which control the military-industrial complex, which controls our politicians.
There is a peaceful act every individual can take to break the power of the bankster oligarchy, and I’ll be posting it on my blog soon.
16 Jan 2012 06:01 pm
admin
I love the name (and content) of your blog. I would love to give you a credited repost from time to time!
16 Jan 2012 06:01 pm
William D. Strinden
There are legitimate differences of opinion which split people politically, but generally they fall into three groups, from my perspective. 1) Bolsheviks and their descendants, “progressives/liberals/communists.” The original Bolsheviks laid out a game plan before the first shot was ever fired and their philosophic goals were initially six. 1. control the press and form public opinion. 2. eliminate the church as a source of social services and get the people dependent upon the government. 3. control the food supply 4. control the energy supply 5. monopoly on force- only the government can own weapons 6. religion itself. Religion is to be outlawed so that the people will not have a moral authority which might conflict with edicts of the state. Only after they controlled the land and people did they understand that they also must control the money and its supply and they had to control all business activities. A black market economy is capable of minimizing government control. How many of these goals are seen in the present day Democrat Party? The second group which I can discern are those who believe in the free market economy and call themselves religious conservatives, believe that the government should not be the givers of charity, which is rightfully and constitutionally the purview of churches. This group is also dogmatic against abortion, hostile towards homosexuals, and often vehement against drug use and other self-destructive behaviors. This group is very pro-military and a subset within this group like to implement it often to extend American beliefs.
The third group are the laissez-faire true libertarians, which actually are the antithesis of group #1. Libertarians are anti-communists. They are essentially the founding fathers who believe in the value of religion but don’t get hung up on which religion is “the only right and true” one. They understand the historian Will Durant’s quote, “Communist utopia and religion are equal empty buckets in the balance beam of history. When one is in ascendency, the other is in decline.” They are all about liberty, small government, military for self-defense only and not as an extension of diplomacy or to impose our views, they are Adam Smith followers who believe that a demand-driven economy is inexhorable and the government should not interfere with a person’s freedom to be self-destructive, but neither should the government put his neighbor on the hook to pay for someone else’s self-destructive behavior. The role of government to control business should be only to prevent direct injury to another person, such as dumping slag on the neighbor’s river or smoke into the neighbor’s backyard. They understand the psychiatrists’ quote, “Of all human sexual behaviors, by far the most unusual is abstinence,” and don’t much care what their neighbor does as long as it is consentual and doesn’t involve children unable to decide or defend themselves. Many of them don’t believe that a 20 gram piece of gelatinous tissue is actually a human being.
The irony is, the combined latter two groups far outnumber the communists, but they settle for communism again and again and again based upon the relatively minor discrepancies between them. In the words of Rodney King, “Can’t we just get along?”
17 Jan 2012 02:01 pm
Mary Roan
Jessica, it is sooooo good to hear from you and read your introduction! We miss you here in East Texas, come visit sometimes.
Keep writing. Keep sending out the message. I’m behind you all the way!
19 Jan 2012 04:01 pm
Monica Lambert
Jessica this sounds Great . Im so glad to hear you coming out with another book I know this is one of your passions and know you will pour your heart and soul into it!! Miss you all and hope to see you soon!!! Tell all we say HI : )
20 Jan 2012 09:01 pm
admin
We all miss you all too, lol!
21 Jan 2012 04:01 pm
Sharron Watson
Jessica, So good to hear from you! Steph and “the girls” and I go to the Tea Party in Tyler, now! It’s disheartening to finally realize that “most” of our elected officials are now “tainted” with the same brush as the Left! When one “stands for nothing, they fall for anything” God Bless and keep up with the good work!
25 Jan 2012 08:01 am
Conservative Collectivism: The Indispensable Nature of the Individual (Ch. 2) Freeze the Fascism
[...] and I could think of no more qualified crowd of critics. Thank you – Jessica Hughes Read Introduction Read Chapter 1: There is no Common [...]
Conservative Collectivism: There is no Common Good (Ch. 1) Freeze the Fascism
[...] Conservative Collectivism: Introduction [...]
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