Dear Mr. MacGowen (and various other commenters):
In the first place, let me apologize for having given free rein to my sarcasm; my argument is not served by acting like a jerk. It’s unfortunate that the blogging medium tends to promote quick commenting, but I can’t claim that that’s an excuse.
I would like to re-emphasize my basic point. President Calderón is as good an ally as the U.S. has south of the border. Humor is in the eye of the beholder, and given that we are short of allies, it is better to not spit on the ones we have.
I am not envious of PJ Media… I am glad that an independent media voice has arisen that can publish truth about issues that most mainstream media outlets ignore or would like to suppress. I do think Mr. MacGowan is doing a poor service to PJM, which normally publishes well thought-out pieces that don’t involve sarcastic ridicule of allies.
Conservative thought bases itself on the undeniable truth that people are more important than governments, which is precisely what liberal (and socialist) thought denies. Well, Mexicans are people too. The glory of America is that we are living proof that a nation based on the principles of free people and free markets can function *better* than other systems (like the Spanish one) that rely on making everything and everybody the property of the State.
Do we want Mexicans to start adopting the basic principles that made the U.S. great? One way to start would be to avoid public ridicule of Mexican leaders who are doing their best to put those principles into practice. Mexicans are a great people, as you would know had you spent extended time in Mexico. It is a tragedy that they are trapped in a Marxist-inspired, tremendously corrupt system. Really, given the human and natural wealth that Mexico enjoys, the Mexicans should be as wealthy and free as we are. President Calderón is, in fact, doing yeoman’s work to help Mexico leave that corrupt and atavistic legacy behind.
So, I invite you to think about that point… by having the opportunity to publish in a great medium like PJM, you can either do harm or do good. I suggest that sarcasm towards Mexico, Mexicans and President Calderón is not the way to convince thinking Mexicans to embrace the basic principles of the conservative movement. Rather, it would be better to start thinking about what can be done via *conservative* principles based on individual freedom and the wisdom of markets to correct the dramatic problems both we and the Mexicans face. Ridicule isn’t conservative, it’s just jingoistic. You know this… just listen to the Rev. Wright as he ridicules white people, and you’ll know what I mean.
So, here’s hoping that your future posts will reflect an awareness that words have power, and that you can help or hurt (albeit in a small way), the spread of conservative ideas. The conservative movement is about ideas that make individuals free, so it’s worth remembering that there are many millions of individuals who live in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin American who need to hear that message. It’s good for them and good for us.
Cheers,
Erik Norvelle
