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Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sharon Statement 2.0 (modernized with one edit)
Posted by: Matt Lewis at 3:19 PM
In 1960, young conservatives met at William F. Buckley's home in Sharon, Connecticut.  They ended up authoring a succinct and articulate document outlining conservative principles.  It served as the founding statement for Young Americans for Freedom, and helped inspire a generation of young conservatives.

As modern conservatives once again seek to define and articulate what we believe in, The Sharon Statement is well worth reading (or rereading) today -- which is probably why Bill Pascoe suggested I post it here ...
In this time of moral and political crises, it is the responsibility of the youth of America to affirm certain eternal truths.

WE, as young conservatives, believe:

THAT foremost among the transcendent values is the individual's use of his God-given free will, whence derives his right to be free from the restrictions of arbitrary force;

THAT liberty is indivisible, and that political freedom cannot long exist without economic freedom;

THAT the purpose of government is to protect those freedoms through the preservation of internal order, the provision of national defense, and the administration of justice;

THAT when government ventures beyond these rightful functions, it accumulates power, which tends to diminish order and liberty;

THAT the Constitution of the United States is the best arrangement yet devised for empowering government to fulfill its proper role, while restraining it from the concentration and abuse of power;

THAT the genius of the Constitution- the division of powers- is summed up in the clause that reserves primacy to the several states, or to the people, in those spheres not specifically delegated to the Federal government;

THAT the market economy, allocating resources by the free play of supply and demand, is the single economic system compatible with the requirements of personal freedom and constitutional government, and that it is at the same time the most productive supplier of human needs;

THAT when government interferes with the work of the market economy, it tends to reduce the moral and physical strength of the nation; that when it takes from one man to bestow on another, it diminishes the incentive of the first, the integrity of the second, and the moral autonomy of both;

THAT we will be free only so long as the national sovereignty of the United States is secure; that history shows periods of freedom are rare, and can exist only when free citizens concertedly defend their rights against all enemies;

THAT the forces of international Communism (Terrorism) are, at present, the greatest single threat to these liberties;

THAT the United States should stress victory over, rather than coexistance with, this menace; and

THAT American foreign policy must be judged by this criterion: does it serve the just interests of the United States?



View in ascending order View in descending order
bizkid writes: Wednesday, January, 14, 2009 1:15 AM
Collectivism (Communism, Socialism, etc)
Amazing how timely the Sharon Statement is and the modification is completely unnecessary, unless done as L.Zimmer suggests.

Terrorism is not as great a threat as any of the current forms of Collectivism, which seeks to enslave us all and denies that terrorism is a threat. Progressives won't believe terrorism is a threat until the terrorists wipe them all out. That would be a great day except for all of the rest of us that will go with them.

The war on terror is an unavoidable distraction from the war (and don't kid yourself that it's anything but a war) between those who believe in individual freedom, liberty and responsibility, and those who believe in collectivist fairy tales, and who would trade their birthright as free men and women for those comfortable chains.

As for Scarlet, I guess someone has to prove Lenin right about the useful idiots...
foxmustang writes: Tuesday, January, 13, 2009 10:39 PM
Scarlet
we all know it's you, the WindowCleaner AND Lola C.
No need to TRY and mask your rhetoric at all.
Anxiously awaiting your tired old references to "wingnuts", "rightwingnuttia", and "rethugs".
It'll be like old home week!!!!!
Steven Den Beste writes: Tuesday, January, 13, 2009 7:02 PM
Communism
I think the forces of communism, in its modern guise as "progressivism", is still the greatest threat.

The terrorists are few, and all they want is to kill us. The progressives are many, and they want to enslave us.

And they just managed to elect one of their own to the US Presidency.
Nee writes: Tuesday, January, 13, 2009 6:32 PM
oooh, Scary
Scarlett aka Lola aka Monkey girl2
Do facts matter at all, or are you in need of what the symptoms of the Screaming Monkey Syndrome are?
What are the principles of Liberalism? Do as I say, not as I do, it's all Bush's fault? Nothing new there.
Kathy writes: Tuesday, January, 13, 2009 4:26 PM
Thats funny Scarlett
Death spiral huh?

Seems to me your side is the one fascinated with death (Read infanticide).

Had to get a new handle here too I see, just yesterday you were Lola C.

You have an identity crisis.
Reset writes: Tuesday, January, 13, 2009 3:44 PM
I would amend that line to say...
"THAT the allied forces of international Socialism and Terrorism are, at present, the greatest single threat to these liberties;
Kathy writes: Tuesday, January, 13, 2009 3:42 PM
The Left
Unfortunately the left will never buy into the Sharon Statement, it poses too much Self-Responsibility.

That is sad, and I weep for this country as it is so far removed from what our Founders fought and died for. :(
IrishMensa writes: Tuesday, January, 13, 2009 3:32 PM
Some Things Are Timeless
I would hope that whomever is leading the Republican Party will take the time to read this and convince those who choose to run or serve to govern by these principles.

One caveat that I'm sure others will catch is how one protects economic freedom while protecting national sovereignty. While I don't see it being that difficult, I'm almost certain that certain elements will read different ideas...one side in favor of free trade and the other demanding protectionism. There is also the divergence among attitudes to immigration...with the protectionists wanting no differentiation between legal and illegal. We need to be careful how we define the terms.
Kenny Z writes: Tuesday, January, 13, 2009 3:31 PM
Conservative Beliefs
Makes a grown conservative want to cry with what's happening to our country presently.
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