Civil Liberties

If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government, then you are a Republican. If you believe a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group, then you are a Republican. If you believe your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does, then you are a Republican. If you believe our educational system should be held accountable for the progress of our children, then you are a Republican. If you believe this country, not the United Nations, is the best hope for democracy, then you are a Republican. – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger If the Republicans had more politicians like Arnold, I might consider myself a Republican.   And if the Democrats had more like him, I might consider myself a Democrat.   I've complained about the liberals; now it's time to gripe about conservatives. I have quite a bit in common with many conservatives – take a look at my defense of capitalism, my critique of centrally planned economies, and my numerous objections to unions. But I differ from the conservatives (and libertarians) in my views on the minimum wage, restrictions on outsourcing to low-wage countries, and opposition to virtually unrestricted immigration. Also, unlike many conservatives, I believe overpopulation is a serious problem.   While, with many conservatives, I do not support signing the Kyoto Treaty, I differ from them in believing we can probably achieve its ends without damaging the economy, by adopting an oil import tax.   I happen to believe that signing the Kyoto Treaty is less important than leading by example. While I consider myself to be tough on crime, I oppose the War on Drugs.   To be fair, many conservatives also oppose it.   Unlike many conservatives, though, I believe inner-city poverty to be a major cause of violent crime. Unlike many conservatives, I'm a strong believer in separation of church and state, and oppose mandatory school prayer. Unlike many conservatives, I do not believe the government can play no role in health care; I am skeptical, however, of national health insurance. The major reasons I differ with conservatives seem to be: Conservatives often believe "limited government" (which they claim to espouse) is the same as "no government" (especially in the areas of poverty, health care, and the environment). Conservatives, while rightly skeptical of big government, often are entirely too fond of big business. Conservatives sometimes forget their commitment to limited government (in such areas as gay rights, mandatory school prayer, the Communications Decency Act, the War on Drugs).

Top	Civil Liberties

Page Modified 6 Oct 2004