Conscience of a Conservative
by Barry Goldwater
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Book Summary Information
Author: Barry GoldwaterEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-11-13
ISBN: 9563100212
Number of pages: 120
Publisher: Bnpublishing.com
Book Reviews of Conscience of a Conservative
Book Review: Made Sense In 1960 - Makes Just As Much Sense Today
Summary: 5 Stars
I finished reading The Conscience of a Conservative on 28 January, 2009. The edition I read was published by Princeton University Press, edited by CC Goldwater and contained a new forward by George F. Will and a new afterword by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
First off, I should have read this book long ago. It would have saved me a lot of time and trouble. Senator Goldwater put on paper his ideas on conservatism back in 1960. He discussed states rights, civil rights, freedom for the farmer and for labor, taxes and spending, the welfare state, education, and the most overwhelming concern of that time, the Soviet menace.
What I find remarkable is that everything he said back in 1960 is pertinent in 2009, including the Soviet menace. Just replace the word Soviet with Islam Fascism and everything he wrote is still true.
In a nutshell, what Senator Goldwater is stating is that the Federal Government is involved in areas of our lives that not only it has no business being in but is also against the United States Constitution.
The Preamble of the United States Constitution states "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
The U. S. Constitution Online web site - http://www.usconstitution.net/ - explains the term "domestic Tranquility" as "One of the concerns of the Framers was that the government prior to that under the Constitution was unable, by force or persuasion, to quell rebellion or quarrels amongst the states. The government watched in horror as Shay's Rebellion transpired just before the Convention, and some states had very nearly gone to war with each other over territory (such as between Pennsylvania and Connecticut over Wilkes-Barre). One of the main goals of the Convention, then, was to ensure the federal government had powers to squash rebellion and to smooth tensions between states." The site also states "Welfare" as "Welfare in today's context also means organized efforts on the part of public or private organizations to benefit the poor, or simply public assistance. This is not the meaning of the word as used in the Constitution."
Senator Goldwater's argument is twofold. One - the Constitution means what it says and we risk being a unique nation by not following this document and two - the Constitution is not a living document. It does not change according to the times. If you want the Federal Government to do something that is not in the Constitution, than there are procedures set forth in the document in order to do that. The most prominent example of this is the use of the term "...promote the general Welfare." Today's politicians - Republicans and Democrats - take that to mean they can legislate in order to help the citizens. That is not what the Founders meant.
Notice also in the Preamble that it is the "People" that formed the Federal Government, not the other way around. Too many liberals and leftists conveniently forget this fact.
Senator Goldwater also references the Tenth Amendment which states - "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Basically, the Supreme Court twisted this amendment which allowed the Federal Government to get involved in the business of the states.
The only item that taints this book is the afterword provided by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He uses the afterword to write a diatribe against President George W. Bush. In my opinion this afterword add nothing to the book even though RFK, Jr., attempts to make the point that if Senator Goldwater were alive today, he would side with the Democrats against today's Republicans. RFK, Jr., - as well as many others - tends to miss the main point of Senator Goldwater. He was not siding with Democrats or Republicans when he wrote this book. He sided with the U. S. Constitution and the United States of America.
I am sure that Senator Goldwater would be appalled at today's Republican Party - as many conservatives are as indicated in the 2008 General Election. He would probably be appalled at how the Republican Party voted to extend Medicare and Medicaid just as sure he would be appalled at how his successor - Senator John S. McCain - pushed through an anti-First Amendment law, at how a Republican President signed it, and how the Supreme Court upheld it. I cannot say with certainty if Senator Goldwater would be appalled at how President Bush ordered our intelligence agencies to listen in on calls coming in from overseas but I am sure he would be upset about Robert F. Kennedy, Sr., illegally wire-tapped Martin Luther King, Jr. What say you RFK, Jr?
I will not waste anymore precious time on the afterword. I do recommend the book for all to read. I give the book five stars while ignoring the afterword.
Summary of Conscience of a Conservative
"For a man who proudly described himself as "simple," Barry Goldwater remains a historical puzzle."Barry Goldwater IS the conscience of a conservative.
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