The right to challenge authority is not enshrined in the Constitution; it is part of the Declaration of Independence, but it is not Official government policy or law. You have freedom of speech and associations to do with as you please, but there is a line.

 

Where is the line?  Who determines this line?  Does this line change when you have a republican president or a democratic president? 

Your views on custom and order are rather strange. Custom and order is just whatever  is the status quo. And well the status quo works for some people, and not so well for others.  It took various challenges to authority to change views on racism, misogyny and homophobia. 

 I'll agree with you that tea party are socialists in their own way.  Either party doesn't mind the pork and the dough when they are the one in power.  Every year the leviathian grows no matter who's power.  I'm happy there's a fight over the government spending.  Sure the fight is just a big show, and the government wins every time, but public needs to be aware than spending more than 100% of GDP just isn't sustainable. 

But really comparing the tea party to the Red Guard I found rather hyperbolic. The Cultural Revolution had the tacit of approval of the government to crush dissent.  For all the terror of the tea party, the public gave Obama a second term. They voted in a democratic majority in the senate. Terror isn't working very well when the press and Jon Stewart cracks jokes at tea partiers everyday.  

Perhaps we should be talking about the real terror of government that would indict mere hackers on espionage charges or raid law-abiding marijuana dispensaries.

Order is not static either, it is the nature of normal life. People go to work, buy groceries, invest in business ventures, and have families. While its details has changed, for 4000 years people have done all the aspects of "order" those are core conservative ideals or human customs that we accept.

For people who view custom as maleable status quo, it becomes dangerous to society as a whole, allowing revolution to trump common sense.

Why Tea Party and red guard comparison, if tea party has no government support. Ah, here is the Cultural revolutions saddest truth, there was very little actual government involvement. Chairman Mao said a few words, he was going senile at the time. The. Communist party were changing leaders, but a small element wanted more power. Oeganizing rallies, starting national and local branches of the red guard, and inciting anger over the changing leadership.

As for who determines the line between just cause and unjust cause, it is the victor. Realistically challenging authority has not always worked or been good for society.

The US experimented alcohol abolition in the 1920s, because groups of Americans wanted to remove the vice. What happened next? A surge in crime and bootleg speakeasies.

Popular ideals may not seem wrong on its surface, but they enforce issues that cannot be balanced against reality.

Racism has not ended in the US, it is less pronounced and politically corrected, but it is still here.

Liberals attempt social engineering through legislation , but is the end results truly their goals.

Finally on the debt, I own a piece of it through my 401k around about 1/ billionth. Other Americans own more.

While the Chinese and Japanese own $2 trillion, Americans own close to $7-8 trillion. Debt can be reformed if the American public is willing to work out a plan with government. More Americans now own a piece of this country than ever before. We have skin in the game.

The heart of traditional conservatism is that property rights must be defended. should my money in US debt be undefended?

Years ago, when Bluesox and I argued over the US debt, my argument of its weakness was the growing need for foreign capital vs. Domestic. Now the pendulum is back in American debt holders.

My desire for the US debt is one based on domestic ownership creating a nation with a reciprocal need between people and state. Owning American Debt is patriotic in a way that no other ownership is. You are buying a piece of this country and have a vested interest in its survival

The members of Congress all take an oath of office to both protect and defend the United States and it's Constitution.  Passing a budget is defined as part of their constitutional duty.  Their dereliction of duty bordered on treason.  Even several members of the Republican Party gave speeches in the House and in the well of the Senate reminding members that there are three branches of government and that to pass a law, it must pass both the House and Senate and be signed into law by the president.  

I see exactly the point W_L is trying to make and he is right.  The current resolution, just kicks the can down the road with no substantive resolution of the underlying problems.  The GOP's strict adherence to "no new taxes" interpretation as also preventing them from closing egregious loopholes  or passing anything that would enhance revenue, like comprehensive immigration reform is counter-productive.   There is plenty of blame to go around but I think the polls showing the American people are tired of the dysfunctional Congress are correct and all members need to be wary of the next round of elections in November 2014.