Dear Reader,
I was in Holland recently, and a friend picked me up at the airport. I mentioned that I was aware of the newly elected, right-wing Prime Minister, and I asked my friend how he felt about it. "Do you agree with him?", I asked. "No. I'm a socialist." was his response. I had never heard anyone admit openly that they were socialist, and it really caught me off guard. It got me thinking, and spurred the question,"If there are conservatives in a socialist country, are there socialists in America?" I believe the answer is yes, as I'm pretty sure I've met a few socialists in America, though they probably wouldn't call themselves by that name.
So what then, does this mean? It means that there are people within the U.S. that want to use the instrumentalities of government to radically alter America as we know it. As Mark Levin writes in "Liberty And Tyranny" , "The Statist in America is no less resolute than his European counterpart but, by necessity, he is more cunning- where the European lurches and leaps, the American's steps are measured but steady." Despite socialism's utter failure to provide for a prosperous environment for the individuals under it's rule in virtually every place it has been implemented, some still fall victim to it's allure, equality. Sir Winston Churchill touched on this issue in saying, "The inherent vice of capitalism is the uneven division of blessings, while the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal division of misery."
Now, as a songwriter, I have the glorious task of focusing, at times, on my own miseries. Wording the misery so as to be relevant to many, and arranging music around said misery to make it more palatable. It's often easier to write the sad songs since the misery of life is so much heavier than the joy. The feeling of a serious hangover, the shock after a car accident, the pain of a broken heart, all outweigh the bliss that precedes these traumas. The pleasures of life are so fleeting when misery creeps around the corner and blindsides you with the horror of defeat! And this, my friends, is the problem. We humans, have a high tolerance for suffering. Throughout history, the weak have fallen victim to the powerful. Manifested in more ways than I can count, it has been the great battle of human nature, "Treat others as you would be treated."
We are so selfish! Even at the beginning of life, children have to be taught manners, shrouding the selfish in a smile. When given the chance, we have, time and again, proven to be nothing but tyrants!
Socialism, is an attempt to take the struggle between the powerful and the weak, and flip it on its head. A strong central government trying to level the playing field by taking the property of one and delivering it to another. The "big business" is painted as evil and the individual a pawn in the evil scheme. Class warfare ensues and Paris Hilton is called a "lazy trust fund baby" by someone in line at the welfare office. This serves only to allow one thing; the powerful fall victim to the weak. Mr. Hilton is told by the government that 9 hours out of his 10 hour workday "belong to the people". The top achievers have no incentive to continue earning at higher levels and the country suffers as a whole. This is exactly what the Founders wanted to prevent. Among other things, by empowering the individual, the Founders set up a system in which every single individual in this country has an equal opportunity to pursue his own personal interests, hopefully, tempered by respect for fellow man. Is there one among us today who can't, through his own choices, rise well beyond the levels of his birth, or for that matter, fall from high family standing? I think our newest president is the most glowing example of what any American can accomplish if only he strives to better himself through hard work.
We modern Americans, do not know tyranny like others around the world, or more importantly, like our Founding Fathers knew it. We take for granted the liberties we enjoy like free speech, freedom of religion, voting rights in legitimate elections, etc. We assume that tomorrow, we will still have all of the same freedoms that we have today, and yet, our elected class works everyday on issues that can and will affect our freedom. I am going to work continuously, educating myself, preparing and exercising the right to articulate my position. Even though this right is guaranteed by the Constitution, I am not assured that it can't be taken away. As with other rights guaranteed by that document, like property rights, there may come a time when the people that claim to represent our interests conclude that we have too much freedom. This can only happen when those charged with interpreting the Constitution abandon prudence for political expediency. As James Madison once wisely stated, "I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."
We cannot allow our elected class to trample our rights at their every whim. We must engage them and voice our concerns wherever necessary. The Founders were conservatives and conversely, conservatism is the answer to tyranny. Please educate yourself and get involved in what is going on in D.C. They currently have more power than ever before and they are not satisfied. We must all stand up before it is too late. Women, we need you to be articulate and fervent in your stance because if the conservative movement is to have any legitimacy, it must include your perspective as it is invaluable to the cause. I thank all of you for taking the time to read these words and I hope that it's at least been entertaining. That is, after all, what I do best.
Sincerely,
Marc Broussard
I have decided to start this blog so as to temper my rhetoric and spend time crafting my words. Many of you who read my words will more than likely disagree with my positions, and there is nothing wrong with that. I believe that freedom of speech is a cornerstone of the American Dream, and I encourage everyone to speak out when the time comes. We have to remember, at all times, that each of us wants only to see this country thrive and prosper, even if we have different methods of attaining that goal. In any event, I can be silent no longer, and thus, you have read my first blog.
