Part habit, part addiction ....all hypocrisy.

As the end of another month approaches, I marvel at how quickly this year is passing.

Looking forward, November is just around the corner and there is so much that must be done in such a short time, in order to prevent Obama from once again taking up residence in the White House…this time possibly for a much longer period than currently.

He has clearly stated that if Congress does not act in the manner he wants it to; he will bypass Congress and lead through executive order. Many Presidents have used Executive Orders to direct the Country as they want it done…but few have brazenly stated that they will use this Presidential power to bypass Congress…to, in fact, do the exact opposite of what Congress does.

This is not the way a democratic republic is governed.

For years liberal educators have spoken of the great political system called a democracy. They have imbued within their students a belief that America is indeed a democracy.  Walk down the street and ask anyone what a republic is and they will define a democracy…ask any high school student to define a republic and they won’t know.

Even our President never speaks of the Republic…he speaks only of the democracy.

So…friends, we have our work cut out for us.

We must first educate the masses. We must explain that a republic and a democracy are not the same. We must educate people that America is NOT a democracy (at the risk of being called fools…everyone KNOWS that America is a democracy – even the President calls us that!)

So, as I ponder the huge task ahead of us, and the short amount of time available, it occurs to me the end of this month…April 2012 has a personal significance that can actually help understand how we must move forward.

Let’s look at some numbers for a minute…

330,000 –  the estimated number of cigarettes I smoked since I started at age 18

3 –  the number of years cigarette free at the end of this month (when I say cigarette free, I mean absolutely zero smokes…not even a puff!)

50,000 – the estimated number of times I wished I could stop smoking

25 – the estimated number of times I really tried to stop smoking

1 – the number of times it took to ACTUALLY stop smoking

You see…smoking is a lot of things….

-          It is part addiction

-          It is part “cool” factor

-          It is part habit

-          It is part enjoyable

-          It is part peer pressure

-          It is part crutch

To successfully stop smoking, it does not matter what aids you use….it does not matter whether you need the patches or Chantix or acupuncture….or any of a million different ways of aiding the decision to stop…the one thing you need…the single thing that you MUST have is…the willpower and desire to change.

I smoked for over 30 years…a good deal over 30 years actually.

I can remember my first cigarette…I remember clearly how my head spun, how it burnt my throat and lungs as the hot smoke was drawn deep…how the nausea made me bend in two until it passed…and how I couldn’t wait to have another.

You see for me…all it took was the first one and I willingly had another…and another. It was not the addiction that did that…the addiction came much later. I found something fulfilling, almost spiritual, cleansing perhaps, in those first drags.

Over the years I heard all the health warnings. I understood the risks. I knew I was filling my body with poisons. I always knew that I would stop one day…but of course, that kind of thinking means that “one day” will never come.

Many times, I decided that I was going to give up…after all, my health was at risk, my kids hated it, my wife hated it….but I always failed…because I LIKED it. I liked the way I felt …even standing out in the cold, huddled in a winter coat squinting against the rain that was pelting my face…I STILL enjoyed the smoke.

Why am I telling you this?

Because this is what the conservative movement has to deal with.

You see, liberals/progressives are no different than the smoker I used to be.

They have heard ALL the arguments about how liberalism will destroy the country. They know that socialism cannot possibly work. They know that the seat of power within the progressive economic function relies solely on governments’ ability to keep as many people addicted to the government teat as possible.

(I am speaking of the mildly educated folk…not the hordes of addicted who are already a lost cause.)

So why are these people who know the truth still tied so closely to the progressive movement?

Because they like the way it makes them FEEL.

Just like I clung to my cigarettes because I liked the way they made me “feel”…progressives do the same thing.

They like to feel good because:-

-          Liberal policies help the poor, feed the hungry, heal the sick and house the homeless

-          Liberal policies take away their guilt because government takes these responsibilities away from them personally

-          Liberal policies ensure equality and fairness

-          Liberal policies will save the earth from the dangerous destruction that capitalist societies will cause

Wanting these things allows them to feel good about themselves…they can beat their chests and say they support the poor, the sick, the elderly, the homeless…they “feel” like they are doing something….when in reality they KNOW they are contributing to the problem.

My theory is that this is why so many liberals are so often angry…what they want to “feel” is represented in their minds by an ideology that they can’t live up to.

They see themselves as hypocrites…wanting to desperately believe in the liberal nonsense that they know is wrong…because if it is right, they “feel” good…

But where do they go when the sun drops behind the horizon? They go to their secure and safe house, with the fences and dogs for protection. They work to pay the big mortgage and car loans and credit card bills that are the result of living a capitalist lifestyle.

When the sun rises and they look in the mirror the next morning….they see a sell-out looking back at them. They see a person who says one thing and lives another.

The see a metaphorical smoker who knows that smoking is bad for them, but who cannot wait to put another smoke in his mouth.

Understanding that liberalism is in many ways similar to smoking we can look at the task ahead from a different perspective.

All the warnings about progressives will fall on deaf ears. They already know that stuff.

And they don’t care…because it makes them feel good (even if only for a few moments)…the next morning when they wake up with a smokers cough, it doesn’t feel so good…but is easily forgotten with the next nicotine fix!

The health industry has made great inroads with educational campaigns about smoking and the health risks involved…but the reason that smokers are stopping is far more basic…they stop because they no longer “feel” good.

So…the simple solution for the liberal addiction…it no longer feels good.

Or…better yet…educate them that other beliefs can feel just as good…and will free them from the hypocrisy they face every day.

You see…conservatives feel no guilt, no hypocrisy. They feel good knowing they have earned what they have. They feel good knowing that they have created a legacy for the next generation…a legacy built on hard work, opportunity and responsibility. They feel good about their charitable works knowing that is driven by a truly personal desire to help someone less fortunate. They feel good about the opportunities they create for others.

When they look in the mirror each morning they see someone who not only believes but whose actions match those beliefs…they do not see a hypocrite staring back at them.

It is my opinion that we must work towards showing liberals not so much that their beliefs are wrong but that their beliefs do not match their actions…that their actions actually match those of the conservatives they hate so much.

The education will be slow…will be frustrating…will be like swimming uphill…but I guarantee that if you can show a liberal friend that he can do more for the poor, the sick, the needy by utilizing conservative principals, and will be happier in his own life as a result…then you will have a friend that will slowly see the light and the darkness will drop from his eyes…

Conservatives live their beliefs…progressives live a lie.

And the simple reason for living a lie…is to make them feel good…but that feeling is short lived.

It’s time to reach out to all who are lost…and to show how conservatism is the answer they are really seeking. It is not the life of a lie…but rather a life of freedom.

They will stop when they want to stop…no secret pills, no special patches, no techniques will ever stop the liberal from believing the liberal lies until he is ready and willing to secure a different life for himself. Then..and only then…will he be ready to understand the truth behind conservatism.

Our job is to gently direct them…gently encourage them…and be ready to welcome them into the fold when finally they see the truth.

Yes…a big task and very few months….and the truth is, after 10, 20, 30 or more years…the decision to let go of smoking and find a different lifestyle is not an easy one.

After all…part addiction, part habit, part peer pressure and part enjoyment are hard factors to overcome….

But it can be done…

…and the battle against liberalism is no different.

…..devereaux