Pro-family Policy

The Party of Sam's Club

I'm only going to touch this briefly and make a general criticism. You may reply in the comments box if you want me to go futher and deeper into this.

The breakdown of the family has been a topic of conversation for more than 20 years now. Divorce rates are up, numbers of single-parent families are up, the nuclear family has been thrown to the dustbin of history. Or that's what some people think. Thus, conservatives are dreaming up of schemes (short of something politically damaging) to make the family whole again. So of course, they propose all sorts of incentives for people to stay together. Basically, what these two people propose is more government tax loopholes and scores of government regulations for health care and other types of social intervention.

But the thing is that the government CAUSED the breakdown of the family. The family has been the cornerstone of civilization for centuries. Then Social Security came along, so that parents didn't have to take care of their parents, breaking down that social bond. Then the Great Society came along, making it easier for someone to continue living without the support of a husband. Then liberalized divorce laws made things easier for couples to get a divorce. Scores of government laws, regulations and rules have made it easier for families to break apart. Not to say that government is completely responsible for all these things, but for alot of them.

So the solution is pretty easy. Just repeal the laws. Of course, a lot of people would say that you're turning back the clock to a time when society was much worse.

But was it really?

Yes, there is no way to literally turn back the clock. We're not going back to the 50's no matter what. So the question is whether the traditional family is sustainable in the 21st century is a good question. Technology makes it easier for a woman to become pregnant without a husband. Single people can survive without the need for a second income. The social stigma of a broken home no longer exists. So is there a real need for the family to rework itself?

And that is ultimately a decision that cannot be politicized. Who am I kidding? Of course it can be politicized. But the solution only favors one party.

The Libertarians.

Repeal the patchwork of laws that creat social engineering and I'll guarantee you that families will stay together because they have to. If you want the traditional family to be a fixture, then support the law of the jungle. Safety comes in numbers. (Although, once I think about it, that doesn't apply to the inner city. But that's something that the government can't control ANYWAY). But in normal society, people tend to clump in groups. No man is an island.

So if you like the traditional family (and I do), then you'd much rather see government get out of the way and have human nature take care of things. 5000+ years of history can't be wrong.