The Southern Male Democrat

“I’ve even learned to speak the language some
down on the beach drinking coke and rum
You wouldn’t know me with this golden glow
soaking sun in Mexico

I’m eating right and I’m living good
doing everything I said I would
I should have left a long time ago
who needs you, I got Mexico”

– Eddie Raven

Los Cabos, Mexico is a strange place for a political epiphany. Sitting on the beach with a margarita in hand can provide “deep thoughts” (note the quotation marks, meant to denote my sarcasm…) out of nowhere.

For the last week, I have been down in Cabo (though much to Sammy Hagar’s dismay, NOT face down in Cabo Wabo) spending my days drinking fruity cocktails at the swim up bar and spending my nights immersing myself in real Mexican food. It should noted that a tropical vacation is the only time that a male can drink fruity cocktails and not have to turn in his man card. As soon as I was back in the States, I returned to my manly drink of choice – Crown Royal and 7-Up.

Mrs. SMD and I absolutely love Mexico. We went for the first time a year ago and now plan to make Los Cabos our annual winter vacation spot. We love the food, the culture and the people. Everyone is so friendly. However, once you get beyond the resorts and the restaurants, a picture emerges of a country with many problems. While were there, we saw –

A dead cow on the side of the road. The carcass stayed there the whole week because there was no government agency to pick it up.

Six year olds selling gum on the streets, all by themselves because there is no child welfare system to stop them and the parents need everyone to help bring in money.

Soda bottles filled with urine at construction sites because there is no law saying that construction companies must provide porta-potties.

Jersey barriers on the highway that were crumbling from previous car wrecks without being repaired.

Seeing these and other similar situations in Mexico made me realize that to a great extent, our quality of life here in the United States comes from our government. We as a society, use our democracy to ensure that our collective resources are spent on items such as dead cow removal.

And therein lies my greatest beef with conservatism. How many times do we hear conservatives say some version of the following – “We don’t need government services, people can achieve for themselves via the free market.” My week in Mexico popped that balloon rather quickly.

I’ve got absolutely no problem with anyone’s opposition to Government Program X based on the notion that the program in question is not efficient, the private sector can do it better, etc. But conservatism doesn’t operate that way. As an ideology, its main goal is to starve the government across the board, rather than looking a programs on a case by case basis. (Of course, looking at all the spending when the Republicans had both the White House and Congress, we can see that the crying over spending is largely crocodile tears that helps win elections.)

The rhetoric of conservatism has always said that government is the problem in and of itself. But without government, who would clean up the dead cows, repair the highways and provide basic sanitation? Government can’t do everything, nor should it. And everyone knows that there are tons of pork barrel spending that should be cut. I am for all the government we need and not an ounce more.

But acting as if government is the problem in and of itself is just intellectually lazy. If you don’t believe me, go with us to Cabo next year and tell me who is going to remove that cow.

(If you’d like to read about our trip to Mexico, click here.)