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How do you define what a *true* conservative is?
Is it someone who accepts change cautiously? Is it a moderate thinker? Is it a whack job far-right-winger who never gives an inch? Is it defined by Goldwater and/or Regan? Is it something else, maybe a mix-and-match?
In your own words, please.
To me, the part in red is the epitome of a *true* conservative.To me, a true conservative is not eager for change, but neither is he afraid of it, and so makes major decisions with great caution and discussion.
A true conservative abhors extremism of left or right.
A true conservative is not an appeaser, but neither does he refuse outright to negotiate in good faith even with those he opposes.
A true conservative acknowledges the necessities of duty and honor and dignity in service to the nation.
A true conservative is willing to use force in time of necessity, but is not willing to waste lives on military adventurism.
A true conservative is not a lemming blindly following a leader who tells him what to believe and what to reject.
We've had a few true conservatives...but not many.
To me, a true conservative is not eager for change, but neither is he afraid of it, and so makes major decisions with great caution and discussion.
A true conservative abhors extremism of left or right.
A true conservative is not an appeaser, but neither does he refuse outright to negotiate in good faith even with those he opposes.
A true conservative acknowledges the necessities of duty and honor and dignity in service to the nation.
A true conservative is willing to use force in time of necessity, but is not willing to waste lives on military adventurism.
A true conservative is not a lemming blindly following a leader who tells him what to believe and what to reject.
We've had a few true conservatives...but not many.
How do you define what a *true* conservative is?
Is it someone who accepts change cautiously? Is it a moderate thinker? Is it a whack job far-right-winger who never gives an inch? Is it defined by Goldwater and/or Regan? Is it something else, maybe a mix-and-match?
In your own words, please.
As difficult as it is for me to admit, not only is the above the very best post I've seen you author, but it's also one of the most well written posts I've seen on the subject in years.
Don't do that anymore. It messes with my general view of your on-line persona.
How do you define what a *true* conservative is?
Is it someone who accepts change cautiously? Is it a moderate thinker? Is it a whack job far-right-winger who never gives an inch? Is it defined by Goldwater and/or Regan? Is it something else, maybe a mix-and-match?
In your own words, please.
You make good points re Bush I.And the truest of compliments is the one that comes from one's opponent, whether it be online or on the field. Thank you very much - I do appreciate it.
In all honesty, I empathize somewhat with Reagan - just as he said that he didn't leave the Democratic party, but the party left him, I feel much the same about the Republican party - between a combination of Iran-Contra, the rise of the Religious Right as power brokers within the GOP, and the increase of "white identity" politics, I felt the GOP left me. I voted for Reagan and for Bush 41, and I hold Bush 41 to be one of our most underrated presidents. By his refusal to march on Baghdad and by his decision to raise taxes even against the wishes of his party (and so set the stage for our mid-90's economic boom for which he - and not Clinton - should be credited), he showed more courage and wisdom than most presidents I can think of.
How do you define what a *true* conservative is?
Is it someone who accepts change cautiously? Is it a moderate thinker? Is it a whack job far-right-winger who never gives an inch? Is it defined by Goldwater and/or Regan? Is it something else, maybe a mix-and-match?
In your own words, please.
Good post. Thanks.I've given this a fair amount of consideration... "True Conservative" - it is now entirely undefinable.
And I entirely blame politics as to why we can no longer define the term.
It used to be that you looked at Conservative in terms of a more practical definition. Something along the lines of someone who holds onto traditional attitudes of social and governmental ideologies while resistant to changes, or innovations, or evolution in those same areas probably most due to political and/or religious reasons.
You could say that "Social Conservative" gets roots in religious ideology, and by perception looks back to a time where things were more simple, more "moral," and more based on a notion of adherence to values as established by the church. And I say church in a general and probably more local community level sense. Our issue is that never actually existed in a more national context, it existed pocket to pocket across the nation with plenty of other areas on some other social guidance path or perhaps even without that level of guidance at all.
At the same time you get to talk about "Constitutional Conservative" that gets their roots in our founder's terms (and probably in Constitutional terms before a few key Amendments changing the nature of the Senate, and balance between Federal and State powers.) Our issue there is the nation back then *was absolutely not* some sunshine and roses period where everyone got along, everyone adhered to the law, economics was stable, and we had some sense of equality among the people.
So what you have left is "Conservative" in a general sense that entirely boils down to opposition to anything not deemed Conservative (i.e. Liberal, Democrat, Independent, Socialist, what have you.) Because today's Conservatives are effectively up against utopian thinkers from their political counterparts.
The bottom line is neither has ever existed, no matter if you are talking about utopian <insert anything left leaning as a title here> or "<insert any right leaning qualifier here> Conservative."
Thanks to politics there are no valid definitions for these terms, it all comes down to fantasy. Which is why I often say that Social Conservatism is entirely incompatible with Constitutional Conservatism causing much divide in right wing politics, and utopian views on Socialism has never been realized in terms of lasting and stable national existence causing left leaning politics to be nothing more than a dream.
What this nation should have done is applied being a Republic to equality among all here, then let the chips fall where they may on people being responsible for themselves as much as practical. But both right wing and left wing politics entirely ignored that. So all that is left is made up terms... like "True Conservative."
That would be a No True Scottsman Fallacy on their part anyways. They can't decide who is and isn't a "true" Conservative.Good post. Thanks.
It is not uncommon for far-right whack jobs to openly and loudly refer them themselves as the "only true conservatives", which I think is bunk, but ok, whatever. I used to describe myself as "a conservative in the dictionary definition of the term, not the current political definition", but I gave up even on that several years ago. To paraphrase a well-known sentiment, I didn't leave the Republican Party, it left me.
I've given this a fair amount of consideration... "True Conservative" - it is now entirely undefinable.
And I entirely blame politics as to why we can no longer define the term.
I second that thought.As difficult as it is for me to admit, not only is the above the very best post I've seen you author, but it's also one of the most well written posts I've seen on the subject in years.
Don't do that anymore. It messes with my general view of your on-line persona.
To me, a true conservative is not eager for change, but neither is he afraid of it, and so makes major decisions with great caution and discussion.
A true conservative abhors extremism of left or right.
A true conservative is not an appeaser, but neither does he refuse outright to negotiate in good faith even with those he opposes.
A true conservative acknowledges the necessities of duty and honor and dignity in service to the nation.
A true conservative is willing to use force in time of necessity, but is not willing to waste lives on military adventurism.
A true conservative is not a lemming blindly following a leader who tells him what to believe and what to reject.
We've had a few true conservatives...but not many.
Good post. Thanks.
It is not uncommon for far-right whack jobs to openly and loudly refer them themselves as the "only true conservatives", which I think is bunk, but ok, whatever. I used to describe myself as "a conservative in the dictionary definition of the term, not the current political definition", but I gave up even on that several years ago. To paraphrase a well-known sentiment, I didn't leave the Republican Party, it left me.
I would blame time. The damn stuff just keeps on coming! Some people want to conserve (or restore) stuff from 50 years ago, some from 100 or 200 years ago. Some from even earlier, as Paleocon highlights.
To me, a true conservative is not eager for change, but neither is he afraid of it, and so makes major decisions with great caution and discussion.
A true conservative abhors extremism of left or right.
A true conservative is not an appeaser, but neither does he refuse outright to negotiate in good faith even with those he opposes.
A true conservative acknowledges the necessities of duty and honor and dignity in service to the nation.
A true conservative is willing to use force in time of necessity, but is not willing to waste lives on military adventurism.
A true conservative is not a lemming blindly following a leader who tells him what to believe and what to reject.
We've had a few true conservatives...but not many.
I like that.not bad....not bad at all
but i like this one better
This reminds me of one of my all-time favorite meditations on conservatism from my friend Yuval Levin:
To my mind, conservatism is gratitude. Conservatives tend to begin from gratitude for what is good and what works in our society and then strive to build on it, while liberals tend to begin from outrage at what is bad and broken and seek to uproot it.
Gratitude captures so much of what conservatism is about because it highlights the philosophical difference between (American) conservatism and its foes on the left (and some of its friends among the libertarian camp). The yardstick against which human progress is measured shouldn’t be the sentiments and yearnings that define some unattainable utopian future, but the knowable and real facts of our common past.
Defining Conservatism -- No Easy Task | National Review
How do you define what a *true* conservative is?
Is it someone who accepts change cautiously? Is it a moderate thinker? Is it a whack job far-right-winger who never gives an inch? Is it defined by Goldwater and/or Regan? Is it something else, maybe a mix-and-match?
In your own words, please.
not bad....not bad at all
but i like this one better
This reminds me of one of my all-time favorite meditations on conservatism from my friend Yuval Levin:
To my mind, conservatism is gratitude. Conservatives tend to begin from gratitude for what is good and what works in our society and then strive to build on it, while liberals tend to begin from outrage at what is bad and broken and seek to uproot it.
Gratitude captures so much of what conservatism is about because it highlights the philosophical difference between (American) conservatism and its foes on the left (and some of its friends among the libertarian camp). The yardstick against which human progress is measured shouldn’t be the sentiments and yearnings that define some unattainable utopian future, but the knowable and real facts of our common past.
Defining Conservatism -- No Easy Task | National Review
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