Brushfire of Freedom
Ram Rants
Considering all of the discussion of the climate, the earth, and other aspects of our existence, I thought it might be time to clarify a couple of points regarding Conservatives and the environment. There are some rather distasteful stereotypes floating about that create quite a negative impression of those on the right and how we treat the world in which we live. The misunderstanding, and the associated stereotype, are based in a fundamental difference between Conservatives and Liberals that centers around our views on the role of government in our lives.
Like many of the aspects of Liberalism and Conservatism, there is a distinct difference in environmentalism, the Liberal concept of respecting our world, and conservation, the conservative point of view. Before I go any further it is worth a moment to ensure that you accept the fact that there is a difference. At its core, environmentalism is a political position. Much like fascism, socialism, communism, and all the other “isms”, environmentalism has a hidden agenda beyond the stated goal. Thus, in order to be successful, environmentalists must have control of and be free to exercise power to drive their agenda. You will even find environmental “terrorists” like the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) who have burned properties and endangered lives to push their agenda. It’s difficult to find very many “conservation activists”, though some would say Ted Nugent qualifies.
Conservation on the other hand is the practice of managing and protecting the environment. There’s no need for activism because conservation is a standard set of practices based in respect for the environment. They are applied by the multitude of individuals who hike, camp, bike, and hunt in the forests and wetlands across this vast nation. Conservation is about preserving the natural beauty and the valuable assets that surround us and make up our world. Based on this single concept of activism vice preservation, you can see that there is a difference in conservation and environmentalism. There are many other aspects of each that further define their differences.
So let’s take a closer look at environmentalism. Environmentalists look at man as an intruder on the environment. They want to enforce regulation that will restrict man’s activity within the environment. They create isolated areas where man can do little or nothing with the idea that this will “protect” the environment. In the eyes of the environmentalist, man is of lesser value than the environment, and thus the environment must be protected from man. We must legislate and enforce laws that prevent man from destroying the blessed “Earth”. From this position, the environmentalist wants to cripple industry, prevent growth, and push man back into the “stone age”, all in the name of the environment.
The concept of man-made global warming (an unproven theory) stems from environmentalism. The idea is that the activities of man, since he is not part of the environment, are creating an imbalance in the ecosystem that will lead to its eventual destruction. That man is not part of this system is an interesting perspective considering that most environmentalists also support Darwin’s theory that man evolved from apes. This is the first major question for the environmentalist. If man evolved from apes, and thus was at one point a part of the environment, then when man and the environment become separated? The answer of course is industrialization and that is the real target of the environmentalist. If you listen to the proposals of the environmentalist, it is not about preserving nature, but about regulating man and his industry. It is about eliminating progress, pushing back capitalism, and eliminating the progress of man in the name of the environment. Environmentalism is not about the environment, it is about man, and about the industry and politics of man. All environmental policies are focused on man, the laws of man, and man’s activities. Environmentalism should be called “manism”.
Now conservation. A conservationist is focused on his or her interaction with the environment. They consider themselves stewards of the world around them, in many cases because that is the role that God assigned Man as a species. Conservationists aren’t interested in legal action, they are focused on personal activities that help preserve the environment. A conservationist knows the value of clearing the underbrush from a forest because they know that excessive dead wood creates fuel for massive wildfires that can destroy a forest. Environmentalists created legislation that prevents that type of clearing, resulting in massive wildfires that have destroyed large portions of forests. A conservationist sees the value in man’s intervention in the preservation process because a conservationist knows that man is in fact a part of the ecosystem, not apart from it. They understand the deer and elk herds that are not properly culled become sickly, and die horrible deaths that then infect other animals in the system, creating a spiraling decline. They know that as the stewards of this great land, Man must take responsibility for doing some dirty tasks in order to preserve the environment.
The conservationist is focused on nature and the environment. They understand man’s impact and role, and the necessity of man to help manage the environment. A conservationist is not focused on self, and has no real political agenda. There is no need for laws, regulations, speeches, or public displays, only practices and recommendations. A conservationist does not hold man and the environment separate, and is not so vain as to think man has the power to truly destroy such an awesome creation. Unlike the stereotype created by Liberals, most Conservatives are conservationists (note the similar root word). They practice ongoing stewardship of the environment through solid land-management practices such as clearing, cleaning, and culling. The Conservative conservationist believes that it is their responsibility to meddle, just a little, in the environment to ensure the preservation of the vast natural resources left to their care. Anything less would be a failure to live up to their role in the ecosystem.
I’ve outlined these differences and concepts to make a point. The Liberal environmentalist is not interested in the environment. They are focused on their own political agenda. The “Earth” is simply a tool to be used in a political pursuit. Much like “the children”, the environment will only be of value to the Liberal environmentalist as long as it can be used for political gain. So the next time some liberal environmentalist tells you that you need to drive a smaller car to save the planet, tell him you are providing carbon dioxide so that plants can live and thrive. You are in fact making the planet greener, for you understand the balance, and you know your part in the system. You are a conservationist.
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