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Conservatism Defined

By: plumely (Diary)  |  December 13th, 2012 at 11:38 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

This is not the final word on Conservatism. But I thought I would get the ball rolling by beginning to formulate a simple definition of the ideology. So, here goes nothing.

On the economy:  A Conservative believes that the economy will prosper if people can keep more of their hard-earned money. As a result, they will actually pay taxes  and contribute more to the country through their hard work.

On government:  A Conservative believes the smaller the government the better.  A smaller government means a freer society.  They also believe it is the citizen’s job to reign in a goverment if it grows to unweildy. As a result, we have in place the 2nd amendment to protect us against tyranny.

On Culture and Country:  A Conservative believes in the sovereignty of the nation.   They believe in maintaining our country’s individual identity.  To do that we need to protect our borders , language and culture.

On family:  A conservative believes that our society is stronger when we have a traditional nuclear family structure .  This structure will guarantee the survival of the human race .

On religion:  A conservative believes in God. It is this faith in the Almighty that guides our personal decisions and comforts us in times of hardship.

Well this is a start.   Feel free to comment and try to revise this definition or add things to it

 

COMMENTS

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  • westcoastpatriette

    This is a nice starting point, but I would expound on a couple of points.

    On the second point re: government, I would add that conservatives emphasize the importance of federalism and demand that State sovereignty be respected as guaranteed under the 9th and 10th Amendments.

    Also, on religion, I would add the quote (paraphrased) by one of our founders that our form of government — a Constitutional Republic — can only be maintained by a moral and religious people and is wholly unsuitable to any other. (Was it Franklin? Would have to look that one up.)

    This nonsense of attacking God-fearing people who are trying to uphold morality in the land has got to stop. People need to be reminded that these great freedoms that we enjoy are because of the belief by the founders that we are “endowed by our Creator” with definite inalienable rights — that our rights come from God not the government and carry with them responsibilities. (Liberty is not license nor lawlessness.)

    IOW, America’s “chain of command”, so to speak, is, from the top down 1) God; 2) We the People; 3) the Constitution; 4) the government.

    • plumely

      some very good additions… I plan to revise this and write another diary at some point with a clearer definition. Thanks for the crtitique.

    • mtmnd

      It was John Adams.

      But John Adams also wrote in the Treaty of Tripoli, 1797, that “the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” The passage is kind of interesting given the our tenuous relationship with the Muslim World today. Here is the complete paragraph:

      As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims],—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan [Muslim] nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

  • Grice Kim

    Everyone should research the two main types of Conservatism (NeoConservatism and PaleoConservatism). Our progressive Republican leadership has for decades scorned & destroyed any significant Classical Conservative movement. The Neocons and Liberals are the Classical Conservative’s enemy!

    Checkout: http://files.meetup.com/359195/%23%20The%20Classical%20Conservative.pdf