Hypocrisy #1: Republicanism.

I don't understand the modern conservative American party in this country. Their moral/political views seem to contradict each other, selectively placing priorities on results that they want. I personally don't think ends justify means (and I suppose the republican ethos needs that), but there is a downright hypocrisy going on here.

Here's what I mean.

<-- premises -->

1. Republicans want a limited central government

1.1 They insist on the sovereignty of states and those states’ rights to police their peoples.

2. Republicans want freedom; they don't want the burden of the federal government invading their privacy and telling that what to do.

2.1 They don't like gun control, they don't support big spending programs, they don't like high taxes, and they want a big military - not to police its people - but to protect these freedoms.

2.2 These values (even if they aren't yours) are consistent; Republicans want freedom and limited government, so, in order to be consistent, they side with positions which protect freedom and limit government.

<-- conclusions/consistency test -->

Let's look at some other sides that are classically republican, and see if it passes our consistency test.

3. Republicans are often pro-life.

3.1 They feel that the protection of an unborn infant infant's life is more important than her mother's wishes.

3.2 They feel that the federal government ought to impede the mother's privacy

3.3.1 They feel that, while the federal government ought not to interfere with our own personal life, the same government ought to be able to make personal decisions for individuals.

3.3.2 In this case the decision whether or not to have an abortion is a perfect example of the government overstepping its bounds. Isn't that a serious Republican concern?

3.3 Pro-life legislation, which republicans also support, would increase the federal government jurisdiction into the wombs of its citizens. Is this limiting its powers?

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A pro-life stance is blatantly inconsistent with the value of a limited government. Making abortions illegal would violate the very intrinsic notions of freedom that we raise large militaries, so voraciously, to protect.

Let's also take gay marriage

4. Republicans are frequently against same-sex marriage.

4.1 They feel that marriage is a covenant between two people and God

4.2 They feel that, because traditionally, same-sex couples have never been married, that this practice will somehow spoil the sanctity of this relationship.

4.2.1 What they don't realize is that by legislating against same-sex marriage, you take that "sanctified" "holy" relationship and instead bring in the cold calculated logic of the law.

4.2.2 If marriage is a contract between two individuals and God, certainly the federal government has not say over what is a valid contract and what isn't. Wouldn't that COMPLETELY destroy the very sanctity that you are striving so hard to protect.

4.3 In rejecting the same-sex marriage, they bring the law into their morality. This impedes on the FREEDOM of others by EXTENDING THE POWER OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. And I thought we were trying to limit this beast here...

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A rejection of same-sex marriage is inconsistent with the value of personal freedom and limited federal government. Making same-sex marriage illegal would take a proclaimed "holy union" and turn it into a legal affair. I'm not saying that this hasn't happened already...

These seem to me to be two such examples of republican moral hypocrisy. On TV, pundits claim to be pro-life and yet pro-freedom, they are anti-gay-marriage while anti-federal government. These positions seem to me, on a purely basic level, to be completely inconsistent.

Next week we'll take a stab at the democrats.