3 Comments:

Horse manure can be used as fertilizer for the apple trees and grains needed to make apple pies.

By  Nathan Empsall, at 8:27 PM  

Nathan's point is actually more pertinent than it might sound: Big government conservatism feeds on the ability to sell itself as small government conservatism (just like apple trees feed on fertilizer;) More to the point, I reject the entire notion that conservatism/republicanism inherently favors small government. Libertarianism is just a non-partisan mask ideologs of both parties wear to get elected. Once they have power, they inevitably gravitate to big government, whether it be in the form of war, tax hikes, regulating what people do in the bedroom, or abortion rights. Why should conservativism inherently oppose big government? It's what they sell us, but I just don't see it.

By  Justin, at 1:12 AM  

I agree. There are several different forms of conservatism, some of which do not inherently clash with big government - resistance to change, for instance. As John Dean suggests in his new book, Conservatives Without Consience, an appreciation for tradition and a distrust of change are big parts of conservatism. That has nothing to do with the size of government. Religious conservatives urging for MORE restrictions - on marriage, on abortion - are hardly urging smaller government. Neocons, advocating the Patriot Act, ignoring FISA, etc., are the same way. Only business conservatives, urging less regulation, truly seem to put forth smaller government as their main concern.

By  Nathan Empsall, at 3:20 PM  

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