One of the significant differences between today’s conservatives and today’s liberals is that conservatives generally have a dim view of human nature and a deeper faith and trust in God.  So we are anthropological pessimists and theological optimists.  On the other hand, liberals want to make government bigger because they think it possible for human agency to procure well being, while conservatives want government to be small–with the exception of the military, for we believe that power corrupts and therefore government needs to be severely limited in scope and size, but that being said, the military is necessary because the world is an evil place and we need protection from other human entities such as terrorists and hostile foreign powers.  The liberal, on the other hand, optimistically wants to put power into the hands of bureaucrats as the solution to human woes, sees nothing but benevolence coming from larger government, but wants to reduce the military, evidently because there is no serious threat of terrorism or foreign invasions–i.e., anthropological optimism.

Conservatives are increasingly longing for the gold standard and today are buying large quantities of gold.  Liberals tend to support Keynesianism.  The difference again comes down to anthropology.  Liberals believe it is possible for an all benevolent bureaucracy to control the money supply.  I would generally agree that Friedman’s monetarism, as a middle position between Keynesianism and the gold standard, is probably the best system, but only when guided by wise and prudent leaders.  But when manipulative control-freaks are in charge of government, monetarism is too easily manipulated to rob the population through inflation.  Therefore, I’ve concluded that a gold standard, while placing limits on growth, would lead to greater stability and prosperity.  The gold standard places limits on human manipulation.  It would therefore prevent inflation, because gold is scarce and cannot be easily made un-scarce, as can fiat money; and it would lessen the swings in the business cycle, for the ability to demand gold for bank notes would greatly limit the expansion of credit.  Keynesians actually believe that an all benevolent government can prime economies for the well-being of all.  It is the replacing of of faith in God who cares for his creation with faith in humanity.  The gold standard recognizes human corruption and therefore seeks to curtail the evil tendencies in mankind–this may also slow growth, but that is the price that has to be paid to prevent the money system from falling into the hands of inept (viz. Bernanke) or corrupt (viz. the Democrat party) leadership.

It all comes down to a basic principle of St. Paul in Romans 3.23:  “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”