As an engineer and scientist, I am never happy to accept “what is” but am always in pursuit of “why is it?”

For many years I have pondered why there are so many militant “ground troop” Democrats.  These are the local people who constantly fight for liberal causes and are perpetually miserable as has been observed and discussed by many authors, citing just one here, but any internet search will reveal dozens more.  These are the white people who contribute to BLM and march in their protests.  These are the transgender activists (and probably not transgender themselves) who assaulted NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines when she spoke out opposing the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports.

I differentiate these people from elected Democrats who have figured out how to “game” the system and obtain great wealth by assuming a liberal stance.  Do they really believe the socialist propaganda that they espouse?  Maybe, but one then must ask was David Koresh a real Christian or a person with natural skills to influence and manipulate people to satisfy his evil personal ambitions? 

I also differentiate these people from what I call the “Democrat lemmings” who just go along to get along; voting Democrat because they always have, or because they are influenced by their family, associations, or media, none of which they have the mental courage or stamina to challenge.  These people aren’t typically unhappy, they just aren’t terribly aware of the long-term consequences embedded in the liberal agenda, instead they believe what the media feeds them without question.   As a good friend of mine (a happy Democrat) once told me “Why would they lie?”  Another very good friend of mine, another happy Democrat, while wearing his mask shouted at me “If we’d all just get the shot the pandemic would be over!”

Conservatives span a wide demographic spectrum, but are typically people with family, faith, and a sense of self-worth. Conservatives believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. Conservatives believe in the constitutional role of government to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals. Conservatives believe it is up to the individual to solve problems, not the government.  It is no wonder, then, that people with conservative values represent the majority of small business owners.  CNN even admits that the vast majority of large public corporation CEOs contribute to Republican causes rather than Democrat. Another study finds that “American Billionaires Are Overwhelmingly Conservative.”

Why is that?  The answer lies in the basic conservative premise of personal responsibility and accountability.  An entrepreneur moves forward confidently in risky ventures not because of the promise of reward, but for the prospect of it.  An entrepreneur does not expect to receive unemployment in a failed business venture, nor does he expect to get his money back even if he invested his life savings in it.  A true entrepreneur does not accept handouts but instead figures out how to solve the problem.

A liberal, on the other hand, believes government should provide equal opportunity and equality for all. Liberals believe government should alleviate social ills and protect civil liberties and human rights. Liberals believe government should guarantee that no one is in need. Therefore, liberals generally believe it is up to government to solve problems.

If one is not confident of solving his own problems, providing for his own welfare, or feeling comfort and satisfaction in personal accomplishment or even his own skin, that obviously leads to insecurity. Misery is rooted in insecurity, as many prior authors have noted about Democrats.  Also, insecurity can lead to envy, jealousy, and shame.

Democrat manipulators know this, which is why they constantly wage war on success.  Bernie Sanders shouts “The rich must pay their fair share!” while remaining clueless what courage it takes to have earned that wealth at massive personal risk. 

I am an entrepreneur, having started several successful businesses, and have several patents in my portfolio.  A friend of mine who is a militant liberal expressed interest in buying one of my businesses a few years ago because he was dissatisfied with his nine-to-five and wanted something different.  Although the business was successful and an ongoing concern, there were always risks going forward with any business and we had many conversations about that.  In the end, as expected, he failed to have the courage to move forward and continues working his nine-to-five.  He seemed to become even more militant on his liberal views knowing that he looked opportunity in the face and failed to embrace it, therefore succumbing to envy, jealousy, and shame. 

What is the ‘so what’ of all this?  In recent decades the notion of personal entrepreneurship and developing skills in trades where you can go home each night tired but with the satisfaction of a job well done has taken a back seat to the notion of going to college (on loans that the government might forgive) and landing in a cushy job behind a desk and raking in the big bucks. 

If conservative values are to prevail, we need to work on shifting these priorities in our schools.  Fight hard against government-funded college education.  Skilled trades need to be emphasized and respected equally to the path to college.  Our children need to understand the trade-off between risk and reward; that greater rewards are only possible with greater risk, and that it’s okay to try.  We need to teach our children how to accept failure as merely a stepping stone to success, and how to learn from failure, not identify with it.  Encourage a curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, not blind obedience to such things as “man-made climate change” that is beginning to filter into some State’s DoE educational objectives.

Get involved in your schools, whether you have children in school or not.  The future of our country depends on these developing adults who will eventually choose the path of believing that government should solve all problems and make everything equal leading to a mediocre existence at best, or believing that they have the power to be successful and wealthy in family, faith, and a job well done. 

Image: Montecruz Foto