It's Time to Abandon Big Government Conservatism

Though you've couched your arguments in the issue of online gaming -- and after reading your bio I see why -- you've hit the nail on the head: there's no such thing as a "big government conservative".

True traditional conservatism entails minimizing the impact and power of government on people's lives.

The "big government conservatives" are REALLY "big government rightists" or "moralists" who want to use the same cudgel of government to enforce their life views on everyone else that the libs do; just to achieve a different result.

If people are foolish enough to gamble themselves into bankruptcy, how is that any business of the government? It's not government's role to indemnify people from making bad choices.

Why was Terry Schaivo a federal issue? That's absolutely NOT the traditional conservative position, which is to honor states rights and keep government to a minimum.

"Big government conservative" may well be the ultimate oxymoron.