“The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of ‘liberalism’ they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.”

Socialist Party presidential candidate Norman Thomas


Thursday, November 11, 2010

Does fiscal conservatism = social conservatism?

Republican senator Jim DeMint had this to say a couple of days ago.....

Jim DeMint: “You can’t be a fiscal conservative and not be a social conservative”

To put his statement in context, he was saying that the frame of mind that makes you a fiscal conservative will most likely make you a social con. as well. But is this statement true in a general sense? What about libertarians? It seems to me that if you, like DeMint claims about himself, are in favor of limited government and oppose on principle the nanny-state, then accepting a government role in modifying behavior of the citizenry, is incongruous at best. Either you are for limited government and the individual right to pursue happiness in any way he or she sees fit, or you are not.

As a libertarian, I don't care of gay folks want to marry each other....nobody has made a bigger mockery of the institution of marriage than we heteros. I think marijuana-use laws should be relaxed. I don't care if a teacher is gay or pregnant and unwed, as long as they are good teachers and don't try to indoctrinate my kid into their lifestyles. I believe that individuals should be able to pursue happiness any way they like, right up to the point that it infringes on somebody else's pursuit of happiness.

DeMint's statement just got me wondering what other people thought. Does your small-government, fiscal conservatism necessarily make you a social conservative as well?

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