Corruption and Marxism are not really all that different.

In listening to a podcast this morning on the roots of Marxism, it was stated that Marx saw organized religion itself as a tool of the owners (the bourgeoisie) as a method of control over the workers (the proletariat), a preoccupation of sorts.

And this should be easily discernable by most, in that, Marxism is a godless construct. The drive of the worker in a Marxist society is not based on any ideology but simply on the security of needs. In other words, the worker is not driven to or by something greater than himself, but simply to the satisfaction of his own needs and desires. And, of course, in such a system, the method of caring for those needs is simpler when the owner of the methods of production is the state. Because we all know that the state will do an excellent job of providing for those equitable outcomes.

But, I want to focus on the “godless” part of Marxism and make some comparisons. At the root of Marxism, is humanism. It is the idea that we as men are at the center of the story. With that, we should recognize how Marxist our American society and even the church to some degree has become. Our entire culture revolves around, “me.” And that is by design.

And what I would like you to recognize is the degree to which that mindset has infiltrated our political system, even in Republican circles.

Last weekend, Tennessee Stands held its very first fundraiser (after 3 ½ years of existence), Freedom First 2024. And it was a raving success. I am incredibly thankful for the community that has come around our mission to engage Tennesseans in the work of self-governance and to ensure that liberty is protected by acknowledging our God-given rights secured by the Constitution. And so, what does that have to do with Marxism?

Two of our key speakers for the evening, Trevor Loudon and Steve Deace, really knocked it out of the park in sharing the idea that it is our job as conservatives to hold the Republican Party accountable to the conservative values that it espouses to promote. It is no secret that Tennessee Stands is regarded as a threat by the Republican elites in our state. We are often criticized for talking badly about the party.

The truth is that many voters are disenfranchised by a party, both locally and nationally, that seems to have more of an interest in getting Republicans re-elected in efforts to hold power than ensuring that those carrying the Republican moniker espouse the conservative values that align with the party platform. I have said often and in many forums that the Republican Party is only as valuable as its ability to progress the conservative agenda. Beyond that, it has no intrinsic value.

But those in powerful leadership roles see that very differently. In their minds, the party has a great deal of value as long as it serves to keep the status quo of maintaining their positional power and influence. And oftentimes, keeping that power and influence comes to the detriment of everyday people and to the benefit of powerful corporations and special interests. After all, they fund the Party’s war chests.

This sentiment is no better displayed, in Tennessee at least, than the next couple of examples. It is known in political circles that all Republican Tennessee House freshmen legislators go through an orientation with Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison. In that orientation, Rep. Faison’s first rule laid out to the freshman class is, get re-elected.

Now think about that for a moment. What are some things you would expect to see from elected representatives whose first order of business is to “get re-elected?” Well, you would expect a lot of compromise. You would expect a House to be run in such a way that it is, you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours kind of politics. You would expect a few unsavory or unprincipled actions in favor of a campaign contribution or support from the notable political action committees in Tennessee politics. Essentially, as a voter, you would expect to be thrown under the bus by a representative whose chief aim is to satisfy the power brokers who they suppose wield the kind of influence to secure their re-election.

The second example is a statement recently made by Ward Baker at a meeting of the Republican Women of Williamson County. Ward is a highly sought-after political strategist for the Republican Party and runs campaigns for the likes of State Senator Jack Johnson, US Senator Marsha Blackburn, US Senator Bill Hagerty, and others.

In describing his political prowess and how Republicans ought to think about winning elections, he stated that his mission in running a campaign is not simply to win, but to “humiliate the opponent.” Again, consider what that actually means. The central mission is not the principle, the best ideas, or the conservative ideal. The mission is to win with the outcome being the retention of power.

Now think back to the central theme of Marxism. There is no God, and therefore, there is no submission to God. The submission is to man and the drive is always the end result of satisfying self. When we think this way, the ends justify the means. And when the ends justify the means, we will resort to evil to get to those ends, even if that means trading the truth for a lie.

I would argue that in many ways, this is the battle that we currently face in the Republican Party right here in Tennessee.

We are facing tremendous odds in terms of fighting against corruption both at the state and federal levels. And if we ever hope to win this battle, we must be willing to clean the inside of our own house first. Frankly, it is tiresome to continually see the finger pointed at the left side of the aisle, especially in Tennessee, when 77% of the General Assembly is Republican. However, that does not mean that 77% of the General Assembly is conservative. In fact, it’s not even close.

We must learn to look past the headlines and become an educated citizenry on the issues at the state level. We must be willing to engage our legislators on a consistent basis in terms of both educating them and staunchly advocating for conservative values in our state. And, we must be relentless at the ballot box in holding elected officials accountable when they fail us at the State Capitol.

Here is the only thing that I can promise you. As long as you continue to stand alongside us in fighting for liberty here in Tennessee, we will continue to relentlessly stand by you. We are unwavering in our commitment and our resolve to bring accountability to our elected officials with an expectation that they uphold constitutional provisions in our state and consistently secure conservative values. We are not interested in political gamesmanship. We are only interested in passing on liberty to our posterity to the glory of God.

Thank you to everyone who came out to Freedom First 2024 and continues to support the work of Tennessee Stands. Thank you for being in the fight.