I can hear the boots in the distance...

Ok. I'm nervous. The Conservatives have come out with their "Statement for the 21st Century." I can hear the thunder of marching boots in the distance. The basic position is we should change back to the constitution. Fantastic strategy. It offers change, something everyone wants, and it implies what we are currently doing is unconstitutional, or evil.
What will never be communicated directly, thus missing a majority of Americans, is that they are going to define for you what the Constitution says, and they promise you it will be just like it was when you were a little child and had no problems in the world. The former is scary to me and why does the latter remind me of the witch in "Hansel and Gretel?"
What I have done is put the complete statement in block quotes. Inside the block quotes I have italicized words that concern me. In bold letters are my comments and thoughts. Tell me what you think.

The Mount Vernon Statement Constitutional Conservatism: A Statement for the 21st Century
We recommit ourselves to the ideas of the American Founding. [Keep in mind, everyone wants this. It is a good emotional statement with no material content. What were the ideas of the "American Founding" in your mind? Mine is peace and the pursuit of happiness.] Through the Constitution, the Founders created an enduring framework of limited government [Not really. The South lost that argument when the Confederation was rejected for the Federalist Constitution.] based on the rule of law. They sought to secure national independence, provide for economic opportunity, establish true religious liberty and maintain a flourishing society [Where did this come from?] of republican self-government.
These principles define us as a country and inspire us as a people. They are responsible for a prosperous, just nation unlike any other in the world. They are our highest achievements, serving not only as powerful beacons to all who strive for freedom and seek self-government, but as warnings to tyrants and despots everywhere.
Each one of these founding ideas is presently under sustained attack. [Which ones? national independence? Economic opportunity? True religious liberty ? (Maybe the Muslims.) Flourishing society?] In recent decades, America's principles have been undermined and redefined in our culture, our universities and our politics. [Probably true. Slaves were freed, women can vote. That's why they call it democracy. We can redefine ourselves every day. We are free to do that.] The selfevident truths of 1776 have been supplanted by the notion that no such truths exist. The federal government today ignores the limits of the Constitution, which is increasingly dismissed as obsolete and irrelevant. [No. The Supreme Court has that responsibility. Lawyer Meese and the others know that so why do they include this other than an emotional barb.]
Some insist that America must change, cast off the old and put on the new. But where would this lead -- forward or backward, up or down? Isn't this idea of change an empty promise or even a dangerous deception?
The change we urgently need, a change consistent with the American ideal, is not movement away from but toward our founding principles. At this important time, we need a restatement of Constitutional conservatism grounded in the priceless principle of ordered liberty [There is your first subtle fascist comment.] articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
The conservatism of the Declaration asserts self-evident truths based on the laws of nature and nature's God. It defends life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It traces authority to the consent of the governed. It recognizes man's self-interest but also his capacity for virtue.
The conservatism of the Constitution limits government's powers but ensures that government performs its proper job effectively. It refines popular will through the filter of representation. [This is true. BUT, that is the second subtle fascist comment.] It provides checks and balances through the several branches of government and a federal republic.
A Constitutional conservatism unites all conservatives through the natural fusion provided by American principles. It reminds economic conservatives that morality is essential to limited government, [I don't even know what this means.] social conservatives that unlimited government is a threat to moral self-government, [No correlation. You can have a moral despot and immoral anarchy.] and national security conservatives that energetic but responsible government is the key to America's safety [In other words, war is the pursuit of happiness.] and leadership role in the world.
A Constitutional conservatism based on first principles provides the framework for a consistent and meaningful policy agenda.

• It applies the principle of limited government based on the rule of law to every proposal. [We all support that.]
• It honors the central place of individual liberty in American politics and life. [We all support that.]
• It encourages free enterprise, the individual entrepreneur, and economic reforms grounded in market solutions. [You got to be crazy to support this. That is what got us into this mess.]
• It supports America's national interest in advancing freedom and opposing tyranny in the world and prudently considers what we can and should do to that end. [Uhmm, I don't know about this. Sounds imperialistic. I'd just as soon other countries choose their own way unless they are a real threat to us. But then again, I feel some moral responsibility toward Darfur. I wonder if these guys do?]
• It informs conservatism's firm defense of family, neighborhood, community, and faith. [Don't know what this means. Sounds good.]

If we are to succeed in the critical political and policy battles ahead, we must be certain of our purpose. [We are certain of one thing: you're mad and you are not getting your way. Join the club. Everyone is mad. No one is getting their way.]
We must begin by retaking and resolutely defending the high ground of America's founding principles. [Gimme a break.]
February 17, 2010

There you have it. Sounds good, but if you read between the lines, its a little scary. It is scary because it is fairly sugar coated for the mindless but it asserts itself as having the righteous answer. Think about it. The Nazis started with the premise that "they" did this to us, "they" being big business and the people they control in government. And that the Nazis know how to lead us back to the better times we used to enjoy. Who signed up first? The loud mouthed bullies. Then the mindless masses that just wanted relief from recession and inflation. The Nazis bolstered national pride, Germany for Germans. It all sounds so familiar.