The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
The quote, "the facts of life are conservative," is attributed to Margaret Thatcher. Maybe Claire can tell us if Thatcher ever described in detail what she considered those facts to be. I devised my own list some time ago on my blog, here.
Here's what I came up with:
#1. Behavior has consequences. And attempts to mitigate against them are ultimately cruel;
#2. Life is not fair. And nothing tried by progressive government makes it so;
#3. Common sense is indispensable. And increasingly uncommon;
#4. There is no such thing as a free lunch (Milton Friedman). Ever -- period;
#5. Human nature is fallen. This necessitates the weakest government possible while maintaining the rule of law and the sovereignty of free citizens.
Agree or disagree? Does anyone have additions?
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Dec '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
I think it's beautiful. For # 2: I always tell my kids, "if anything in life was fair I'd be taller than your mother," when they make a claim to fairness. The change I'd make to #3 comes from another Ricochet member (I can't remember who, though) who said that good sense is the proper term because it is so uncommon.
Jun '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
Agree with all of them. Here are three more suggestions:
"No one (well, hardly anyone) cares how you feel about yourself--they do care what you do."
"Compound interest is the key to riches or penury--it all depends on whether you're earning it or paying it."
Corollary to No. 5: "God loves each of us, though it's hard to understand why."
Edited on Jun 22, 2011 at 4:26pmJun '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
That reminds of a great story about Ralph de Toledano, a great conservative, that Ed Fuelner (head of the Heritage Foundation) tells. Ralph was writing a novel and insisted on capitalizing Heaven and Hell. The editor kept changing them to lower case, and Ralph would re-capitalize them. Finally, the publisher called Ralph and asked him why he kept capitalizing the words. Ralph's response: "Because they're places. You know, like Scarsdale."
Edited on Jun 22, 2011 at 5:08pmAug '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
Western Chauvinist:
#4. There is no such thing as a free lunch (Milton Friedman). Ever -- period;
You could amend this to "Only God can give you a free lunch."
But as even clergy can't seem to distinguish reliably between divine plenitude and material scarcity, on second thought, we're probably better off leaving it just the way ol' Uncle Miltie said it.
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Edit: The example I gave earlier of God giving a free lunch earlier was clearly too confusing. But God's creation of the universe ex nihilo, His infinite love, and His gift of life to each of us are free lunches, since God is not diminished by making these gifts.
Edited on Jun 22, 2011 at 8:26pmDec '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
Midget Faded Rattlesnake
Western Chauvinist:
#4. There is no such thing as a free lunch (Milton Friedman). Ever -- period;
You could amend this to "Only God can give you a free lunch." (After all, what is salvation but the biggest free lunch there is?)
But as even clergy can't seem to distinguish reliably between divine plenitude and material scarcity, on second thought, we're probably better off leaving it just the way ol' Uncle Miltie said it. · Jun 22 at 4:41pm
Salvation came with the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross -- no? God, Himself, had to die. That's why we call him the Redeemer.
Dec '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
Blushing. Thanks.
Good point on #3 and a worthy amendment.
Jul '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
I'd add one I learned from my grandmother.
"Kenneth," she said, her eyes twinkling, "Remember: violence is always the answer."
Dec '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
tabula rasa:
"No one (well, hardly anyone) cares how you feel about yourself--they do care what you do."
Edited on Jun 22 at 04:26 pm
Dennis Prager says, "The world doesn't care how you feel. It only cares how you behave." Another good addition.
tabula rasa:
"Compound interest is the key to riches or penury--it all depends on whether you're earning it or paying it."
Corollary to No. 5: "God loves each of us, though it's hard to understand why." · Jun 22 at 4:26pm
Love these. Let's add them.
Dec '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
Kenneth: I'd add one I learned from my grandmother.
"Kenneth," she said, her eyes twinkling, "Remember: violence is always the answer." · Jun 22 at 5:03pm
Your grandmother was a wise woman. But, our political opponents already believe this about us. I'd like to withhold the evidence until we need to spring it on them.
Jun '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
Kenneth: I'd add one I learned from my grandmother.
"Kenneth," she said, her eyes twinkling, "Remember: violence is always the answer." · Jun 22 at 5:03pm
I think I'd have liked your grandmother. And if violence doesn't work, there's always guilt.
Jun '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
Western Chauvinist
tabula rasa:
"No one (well, hardly anyone) cares how you feel about yourself--they do care what you do."
Edited on Jun 22 at 04:26 pm
Dennis Prager says, "The world doesn't care how you feel. It only cares how you behave." Another good addition.
I listen to him quite a bit, so I probably stole it from him. However, since I'm non compos mentis, they'll never convict me of plagiarism.
The key to feeling creative is to steal stuff from others, but then convince yourself you thought it up.
Edited on Jun 22, 2011 at 7:43pmMay '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
"Power corrupts" belongs on that list.
May '11
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
My Dad taught me that some things in life (the not fair ones) must simply be understood and endured. He did so by his standard phrase of comfort... "It'll feel better when it quits hurtin', son."
Dec '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
Oh, yes. A glaring omission on my part. Perhaps we can build it into #5, though. Man is fallen.
Aug '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
Sep '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
One of my favorite ways of expressing some of the same ideas comes from Chris Rock,"No matter what a stripper tells you, there is no sex in the champagne room"
Aug '10
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
Western Chauvinist
Salvation came with the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross -- no? God, Himself, had to die. That's why we call him the Redeemer. · Jun 22 at 4:59pm
God died, yes, and entered Hell. But was that a loss to Him, or rather, the great victory? If God had merely died to save us, rather than being glorified in the Resurrection, then yes, salvation would not be a free lunch.
But God wasn't in any way diminished by His sacrifice for us -- God, as far as I know, had no opportunities foreclosed to Him because He chose to save us. Instead, God was glorified, and His love -- His essence -- fulfilled. Surely, that's not "cost" in the way we typically think of it.
God's sacrifice was not an earthly sacrifice, after all.
Mar '11
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
One of the fundamental laws of engineering seems to be apt: you can't push a rope.
Feb '11
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
As Captain Aubrey said, "Always choose the lesser of two weevils"
Mar '11
Re: The Facts of Life Are Conservative, But What Are They?
Mrs Thatcher is perhaps most famous for pointing out that the problem with Socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.
In the UK they have reached this point and are making a somewhat half-hearted attempt to rectify the situation.
In the US we have reached this point and have made a thousandth-hearted attempt. Paul Ryan articulates the problem best, but apparently does not feel the situation serious enough to make the patriotic sacrifice and run for President.
Where is the US's Thatcher? Um, oh, but she is too stupid.