Teach A Man to Fish: A few thoughts on why I chose conservatism

In 2018, we are inundated with 24/7 news coverage reporting on the divisiveness of modern American politics, without anyone willing to put down their sword.  This us vs them mentality is something that has plagued our society for at least the last two decades, and the people arguing for peace really seem to be arguing that those who disagree with them should see the light and join their side.  The “good” side.

When it boils down to it, I think we all want the same things.  We want to feed our children and raise them in a safe community.  We want to be free. We want to be able to go to the doctor when we need to, without having to decide whether to take care of ourselves or not based on the cost.  We want to have a good quality of life, take vacations, and enjoy our time with loved ones.

The problem is, we have wildly different ideas about how we get there.  

I was watching a recent Bill Maher interview with Ben Shapiro, when something Maher said really struck me, “I’d say right now, I’m a Democrat.  There are only two teams, and since all the Republicans are now backing Trump – except for the ones who are leaving – he totally owns that party now.  If you’re a conservative, aren’t you really ‘Team Trump’”?

Shapiro, a well-known conservative pundit and avid critic of President Trump went on to explain that sometimes he is in favor of the president’s actions, but he has just as many reservations about the president.  

In my opinion, Maher’s argument seems like a weak attempt to put conservatives into a box.  Donald Trump is a Republican president. He is controversial. In turn, if all Republicans do not flip to the other team in resistance, they must be in agreement with all of his controversial rhetoric. (Sidebar: I highly recommend watching the full interview here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGcdPakoytg)

For me, it has always been difficult to choose a “side”.  I first became interested in politics in grade school when we learned about the women’s suffrage movement.  I was so inspired by these brave women and so grateful to them, and I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to vote in my first election.  

This coincided with the Clinton/Dole election in 1996.  Like a lot of kids, I liked Bill Clinton and I wanted him to win.  My dad was conservative, however, and he was rooting for Dole. I like to call this my first political debate.  

While my dad disagreed with me and I was only eight, we have always been able to have an open exchange of ideas.  I learned at an early age that no one fits perfectly into any category. My dad was conservative, but that didn’t mean he loved everything that Republicans did.  My grandma was a devout Catholic, but she taught me not to believe in hell. It was better, I thought, to follow your own common sense, even if it goes against what the crowd wants.

After years of apathetically floating somewhere in the middle of the political spectrum and staying relatively quiet about my beliefs, living in Portland, Oregon in the aftermath of the 2016 election seemed to change everything.  I hadn’t done my research; I believed the hype and I strongly believed that Trump was a ridiculous pawn to get Hillary Clinton elected, so I voted for her anyway. While I never liked her, I cried on election night, fearing what was going to happen next.

Shortly after Trump was elected, I had to figure out how this happened.  Everyone I knew wrote him off. The only people I knew who did support him only seemed to do so because their distaste for Clinton outweighed their concerns for Trump.  But the more I dug, the more I found there was a lot I didn’t know.

Like many people, I scoffed at the idea of a border wall.  However, I still thought it was critical for anyone entering any country to follow the proper procedure.  Even I was once detained for mistakenly attempting to enter France without my passport – as I should have been.

I live in a radically leftist city, and I am surrounded by people who think that social programs and socialist principles are the answers to help people who are struggling to make ends meet.  I want these people to improve their lives too, but I don’t think it’s up to the government to make it happen.

The greatest thing about living in the US is knowing that you can be born with nothing, but if you’re willing to do the work, you can go so far.  This is made possible by working in a free market. Historically, capitalism has been the most successful economic system to pull the most people out of poverty.  While some social programs are useful, I fear the extreme direction things could go.

To me, Dana Carvey summed it up perfectly in his 2016 special: “Capitalism is an Apple Store, Socialism is the DMV”.  

There is no question that our current system is flawed, and we can always find ways to improve the quality of life for all Americans, but we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.  It’s not just about raising taxes; we need to build a good society with people who are accountable for their actions and equipped to sustain themselves. We need to stop glorifying perpetual childhood and develop a stronger sense of community that will unite us all.