A Voice in the Wilderness In Defense of "Mere Conservatism"

Steyn on “Main Street”

Frequent visitors to this site will not find it shocking that I found Mark Steyn's latest column in National Review a must-read.  The guy is prolific.  This time out Senor Steyn addresses the back-lash from the conservative activism that was on display in August and September in response to Washington's blitzkrieg policy bonanza during the summer months. Remember that it has not only been liberals poo-pooing the events, but high-minded conservative "intellectuals" who become uneasy when real, average, tax-paying conservative Americans (who may be a little rough around the edges) actually get some face-time in the national spotlight.

Steyn begins by making the subtly brilliant point that it is almost counter-intuitive for there to be protests led by pro-individualism conservatives:

You need a bit of collectivism for street protest, which may be why conservatives have never been much good at it. I don’t mean merely in the philosophical sense that collectivist action for individual liberty is reminiscent of the old Steve Martin sketch where he’d get the crowd to chant along with his non-conformists’ oath:

“I promise to be different.”
(“I promise to be different.”)
“I promise to be unique.”
(“I promise to be unique.”)
“I promise not to repeat things other people say.”
(“I promise not to repeat things other people say.”)

And yet on the streets of Washington we have the Martinesque sight of hundreds of thousands of Americans (if not a million or more) standing shoulder to shoulder for the right to be left alone. Aside from the philosophical paradox, there are practical difficulties to be overcome. These people have jobs. I mean real jobs, not the kind where it doesn’t matter whether you turn up or not, or in which jumping up and down on the sidewalk all day is factored into the timesheet. These are not community organizers or union officials or college professors. If they decide to spend a weekend agitating  outside the Capitol, that’s time away from the hard slog of growing small businesses all across this land.

I don't want to copy and paste his whole article, but I could because it is really that good.  Read the rest here, and send it along to your friends and family who might not have fully appreciated the importance and purpose of the town hall and Tea Party events.