A Consequence of Not Defending Southern History
Conservative Republicans have been a disappointment lately. From voting for the most recent year end funding bill to not coming to the defense of the Southern history, Republicans from Southern states have failed.
Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi was one of 18 Republicans who voted for the most recent funding bill. His explanation was that the defense spending required funding for the sake of the troops and that China and Russia are real threats.
“The harsh reality is that, as China and Russia build up their militaries, the U.S. will not be prepared to prevent warfare unless we make the right investments in our national defense…” Wicker also said that “Every day we operate under a continuing resolution destroys our military readiness….” He either thinks we are stupid or that nobody reads his statements.
That is not the worst part. The funding contained $600 million for the water problems in the city of Jackson. This highlights the real challenge for conservatives.
Why does a state get money from the Federal Government to fix a city’s problem? Even more vexing for conservatives is why is a conservative senator advocating for it? I am sure the senator would answer by saying that is how it works. Other states are getting federal money so shouldn’t Mississippi? He would be right. That is the corrupt bargain. The federal government has the money and power, and the Congress allocates the money. You play along and your state gets her share, and it improves your reelection chances.
I only know enough Southern history to be dangerous, but I have a hypothesis. We will lose one of the intellectual foundations of American Conservatism if Southern history cannot be mainstream in conservative circles. Southern conservatives today, with only a few exceptions, are for a strong central government. Southern history and tradition represent strong states and weak central government. The country’s major political parties are broken if the only thing that differentiates them are social issues and tax rates.
