Conservatism and American politics in general are sick. Ideologies have gone down the drain, replaced with moderate politics, that have no long term planned attached. Gone are the days of a Great Society, replaced with a sorta-okay Tommorow, I guess so ideology.

What do I mean? Goverment has been going downhill at a rapidly declining pace. The majority of young people are showing apathy to the goverment. More people distrust the goverment today, then ever before— including during the terms of Nixon and Watergate, the Iran-Contra Scandal, and the anti-vietnam 60s hippies.

People believe the goverment is out of their control. They think it's become a monster, that only the previous generation control, not us. Fewer and fewer Americans are choosing public service as a carrer. PoliSci majors are at a record low.

Kids are finding the only way to get there view points across today is with the barrel of a gun. Expressing it in words and ideas, is punished—sometimes with the same amount as committed a serious crime.

The leaders of today have been attacked by former leaders more then any other previous generation. Walter Mondale (D), Vice President for Jimmy Carter, and Presidental Candiate in 1984, said that Al Gore was taking the Democratic party in the wrong direction. Barry Goldwater was so disgusted at President Bush's dad, that he adovacated voting for the President Clinton in 1994.

The Democratic and Republican Platforms are getting so incredibly long, and full of so much useless crap that 99% of American's don't care about. The Republican and Democratic platforms are not clearly different, you do not see totally different road maps for each party. A Presidental candiate should have a dream of a great tommorow, not just some pot shots at the current problems.

Ralph Nader recieved more then 5% of the popular vote, because the American people said they wanted something different, something liberal, somebody who cared more about people then big business. Maybe the Green party will be the liberal party of the 21st century, but historically, the odds are against it.

George W. Bush shocked the American public by claiming "freedoms ought to be limited". This is a true break from the American idea. Bush plans to waste millions of dollars on a missile defense system that has not been proven able to work in the past 50 years of R&D. His defense budget goes against all principles of limited government, it could only be construed to promote totalarianism.

President Bush's view of conservatism is so badly designed and planned, it is far from the conservative dream of a better society. The Democratic Parties' current vision of the liberal future suffers from the same problems. If President Bush really cared about conservatism, he wouldn't order secret government, secret trials or design legislation that will forever curve civil liberties and rights in the United States.

If he were conservative, he would cut taxes— for all, not a just a few, and far more then what he has planned. Both Conservatives and Liberals agree on a need to protect the enviroment from a variety of sources of pollution. One would prefer a more business-like approach then the other.

George W. Bush is a sell out to bussiness and special interests. Clearly his conservative intrests are not a prority. He supports regulation, if it helps certian industries. A real conservative would support only as few regulations as possible to exist— in Goldwater's words "the purpose of a conservative is to repeal laws, not pass them".

He also fails to be a true conservative in many other areas. His Anti-Terrorism bill takes away basic privacy rights. Conservatism demands privacy as a basic staple of the ideology. He believes the goverment should interfer with people's private lives— certainly not a conservative idea. Abortion, Homosexuality, Drugs are what people do to themselves— they don't hurt society if they do. Even if you dislike these things— you got to admit they are none of your business.

If you dislike this ideas, then your job is to educate the public why they are bad— not to force your believes on them by passing laws. Persuasion is always better then force. That's the logic of a conservative.

Drugs are nobody's problem, except your own. If you wreck your mind, it's your fault— not society. You have had plenty of warning. It's not society's bussiness to protect you from yourself. If you kill or hurt somebody or something when you are on drugs, it's still as much your fault as if you were off drugs. Sucide is the same way.

And lets' not forget New York's Junior Senator, Hillary. She is trying to censor things she considers "violent" from our lives without rymth or reason. We can stop her progression. With a little bit of work, that is.

Both former President's Bill Clinton's and George W. Bush's leadership may be poor— but it's never to late to stop the progression of evil. You can change the goverment. They have to listen to you. Their office is on the line at all times.

Write your sentators. In primaries, support candiates that speak for the people, not just the privleged few. Consider running for office. Protest. Rebel. Think for yourself. Change minds. Support the ACLU, they care about civil liberties— for all— not just a few.