What Is a Conservative?

I consider myself to be a conservative.  I suspect that most people reading this consider themselves to be one as well. Except the previously discussed leftists. Maybe they will learn something, but I won’t hold my breath.

“Conservative” comes from “conserve.” Thus, I endeavor to conserve things. Natural resources. Money. Time, if possible. Notice that I didn’t say “preserve” things. Somethings should be preserved: pickles, fruit, precious artifacts, good relationships.

But natural resources should be conserved: used wisely, not wasted nor used extravagantly without purpose. Many Leftists – enviro-nazis, as the late great Rush Limbaugh described them, believe that all of our natural resources should be preserved, that we should buy them from other countries, especially those countries that would like to see us destroyed. The primary reason for such a position is to see this country destroyed and the people subjugated. Fortunately, we now have President Donald J. Trump to prevent that.

But it’s still wise to conserve our resources. To use them wisely. One of the Executive Orders require a real cost/benefit analysis on all regulations. Such analysis has been required previously, but most of them were not real. The benefits were greatly exaggerated and the costs greatly inflated. Thus, while the agency met the criteria of doing the analysis, the agency itself, set the parameters. Sort of like creating, filing, and grading your own test. A+ Every Time!

Recycling is a good example. I recycle (much to the aggravation of my dear sweet wife). Recycling used materials must be sorted, either at the start or at the end. Plastics in particular present a challenge to the recycler. Some recycle easily, others not so much. Is it cheaper and more efficient to use new raw materials or recycled? What is the use of the end product? Vests for Walmart employees or bottles for hospital IV fluids. Both can use the same plastic. Which would you choose?

Some plastics – and virtually all other materials CAN be recycled, but at what cost? Especially compared to the production stream of new material. ALL products contain energy. For most, the energy to extract, refine, transport, and manufacture the raw material is a substantial part of the raw material cost. And the energy to transport, separate, recycle and render into an acceptable condition for used materials as a raw material is greater than to produce new material.

Yet the enviro-nazis using their cohorts in the EPA and other agencies manipulate the cost/benefit analysis to skew reality into their “reality.” What the market will actually pay is a good starting point for the EPA and other agencies to use to determine what should be recycled and what should be used as incinerator fuel to recover energy and reduce the landfill requirements. I’m anxious to see the results.

ciao,

The Snark