transplant friends in seattle have observed both dems and repugs are hesitant to spend any money on anything in today’s political climate. everyone crows about ‘no/less taxes’ without considering how to pay for government.
Conservatism is somewhat beneficial when it acts as a brake system in a society that’s rapidly changing/evolving because too many changes, happening too fast can lead to undesirable consequences (social unrest, Leninism etc.).
As others have said, what is happening in the GOP at the moment has little to do with Conservatism. Instead, it is the result of a global political movement (alt-right/illiberalism?) that is pushing back against global federalism, towards which the Liberal Democracies are naturally evolving. While this push-back movement has not gone past ~15-25% in most democracies, it has essentially taken over the GOP, probably due to the demagoguery sensitivity of the party’s base and the lack of alternative political options (most other democracies do not have a binary political system).
If Illiberalism consolidates itself, the Left/Right political balance of the 20th century will cease to exist in the coming years/decades.
This country is far better off when we have healthy conservative and progressive parties competing on the basis of ideas, and compromising as needed to run the country. The GOP is not currently capable of participating in what used to be American Democracy. They’re trying to move of us to another form of government altogether, one in which “one man, one vote” is an obstacle to be defeated, not the basis of the system.
Conservative, I can see it. Consistent conservatives, I can respectfully disagree with them.
Reactionaries, Authoritarians and/or theocrats, no thanks.
Unless you are an Age of Wonders III Theocrat.
I record SE Cupp’s show on HLN as a frequent reminder that some real conservatives still exist and disapprove of so much that is happening with Republican party. Regardless of your ideology, I believe it is always useful to have somebody with another viewpoint around to challenge you. Unfortunately, that requires the other side to do something more than just scream contrarian things and label everyone else the enemy.
A laneway is another word for alley.
Conservatives still exist, yes, but they voted for Trump. In 2 years, they will get a second chance and if they cast the same vote, Conservatism is dead in America. We are what we do, not what we say.
I agree. Similarly, I have a couple dozen conservatives in my twitter feed to keep things balanced. SE Cupp is definitely included in what I consider the “wrong about almost everything, but very bright and worth listening to” category.
SE Cupp is worth more than just listening to. She is right purdy she is.
Part of me is with Armando in his answer. The other part of me knows that things really fall toward personality types and personal situations in regards to voting issues. Roughly half of the population gathers information based on, “what they see, what they hear, and what they touch,” versus the ability to see through just data into the theoretically possible. Also roughly half of the population makes decisions based on logic and consistency versus how things affect actual people. I’m loosely quoting Jung here.
But what that means is that the right and left of conservative and liberal somewhat (but not entirely) overlay with those major personality points. There will always be those who push for more political actions for marginalized people, just as there will always be those who continually look at how much money is spent on things to help those marginalized people.
Is there anything good about being conservative? Very much so, in that it is the theoretical balance of the other side. There are uses for both.
What we have today is when one side has run amok, to the point that even what they are supposed to represent has been tainted by power, greed, and ignorance. Being conservative as defined today is akin to willfully not giving a shit about anyone but yourself or those you follow.
She definitely has the standard Conservative obsession with how terrible Bill and Hillary are, and what stupid thing they are up to now. However, credit to her for covering Trump’s stupidity, the separation of immigrant families, a clear-headed perspective on the kneeling thing, and giving Hurricane Maria more air time than most of the media. Also kudos for panelists that don’t do the whole talking over each other thing.
Conservative thought would make cautious, slow changes. It wouldn’t make sweepings, reactionary policies based on narrow referendum results, nor attempt dramatic changes to trade and regulation in a very narrow time frame, damaging business and investment across the country.
And that’s why the Conservatives favour a fast, hard Brex- wait.
Pretty much this. The conservative party should be mistrustful of change for change’s sake; they should be asking the question “If it ain’t broke, why should we be monkeying with it?” They should be looking at every proposed law through the lens of “does this new thing take away any rights that we had before?”
However, they are actively working regressively in this current administration and rolling things back socially.
I feel like it’s worth noting here, since Trump just imposed a 25% tariff on $50B of chinese imports (and tanked the market, again).
This kind of economic protectionism is NOT conservative. It is exactly the type of bullshit that conservatives fought tooth and nail against, as recently as 2 years ago, because it doesn’t fucking work.
No kidding. Two years ago. It really shows how wedded they are to their principles, right? I mean, this isn’t even an ethical thing, this is a fundamental belief in how economic systems work best.
Feckless cunts, the lot of them.
To their credit, SOME of the folks in congress (generally ones who are leaving) have tried to wrench control of tariffs back from the executive branch… but the GOP leadership refuses to support it.
Yep, and you’re right, a lot of them are the ones leaving. Which is craven and cowardly beyond belief.
Stay and fight for your principles, at least, even if you end up losing in the end. By walking away they’re just enabling the GOP takeover.
But, “one man, one vote” gets in the way of our Freedom to vote more than once! Are you saying Freedom is not important?
In my book, a conservative is someone who speaks up for the wisdom of the traditions of the past and casts skepticism on the perceived progress of new social and political innovations. Being a conservative in the US is a weird thing, as we’re a fundamentally liberal polity without a deep historical political tradition (we can look back to European politics, but we never had an aristocracy, monarchy, etc.).
Those who label themselves or are labelled “conservative” in the mainstream political world–Republicans, basically, whether establishment or Trumpian–are really no such thing. The easiest way to assess this is to look at their main arguments. They are rarely appeals to tradition or a defense of such. They don’t stand athwart so-called progress, they just propose a different version of it: unfettered capitalism, poisonous individualism, the liberation of corporations. Most of the time, their social conservatism is hollow rhetoric, or grounded on a “biblical” view that prevents them from having to make an argument based on reason or the common good.
The values of the true conservative are:
- Family against nationalism
- Community against individualism
- Faith against materialism
- Ownership against wage slavery
- Personal charity against bureaucracy
- The sanctity of life against the instrumentalism of the human person
The conservative doesn’t want to unleash Wal-Mart upon the world. He wants to unleash a million local craftsmen to provide for the needs of their neighbors. The conservative doesn’t want to foster a world full of atomic individuals, free from all constraints. She wants to strengthen the bonds of family and community. The conservative doesn’t want to empower his nation to be a global economic or military powerhouse. He wants to empower a local government, small enough to understand its citizens’ real needs, to provide for what the people cannot provide themselves. The conservative doesn’t measure goodness in material terms like prosperity or life expectancy or luxury. She measures a life by quality, commitment, honor, and love.
None of that sounds like a typical Republican today. It certainly doesn’t sound like Trump.