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I don’t intend this to be a definition of conservatism; this blog entry is a set of highlights from my interpretation of modern-day American conservatism…
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Conservatives are not opposed to all change.
But we do view change with a healthy skepticism. We’re of the mindset that, if you want to change a system that already works, you’d better have a damn good reason for doing so. Otherwise, you don’t need to tinker with something that has worked well for several generations.
As an example– The United States Constitution was brilliantly written because its underlying principles have stood for 200+ years. The Constitution may be amended, but it is not open to different interpretations at different times; it is not a “living document.” There’s no reason to believe that the principles upon which our system of governance is based (i.e. life, liberty, property) are not sufficient to sustain it for another 200+ years.
America is the greatest country in the world.
We may not be #1 in every category, but we are the best combination of everything. We have the best military, the best higher education system, and the lowest unemployment rate. We are the engine that drives the world’s economy; we’re the nerve-center of the world’s innovation. We enjoy unparalleled freedom– to speak, gather, worship, and criticize our own government. We enjoy unparalleled affulence– low tax rates, access to all sorts of entertainment, and an overall comfortable living to anyone who works hard enough to earn it.
Why anyone would want to live anywhere else is beyond me.
Capitalism is a superior economic system next to socialism.
Socialism is a utopian ideal. As a system that hopes to benefit everybody, it’s a colossal pipe dream. It stifles creativity and provides no incentive for people to develop their talents or work any harder than they need to survive.
Capitalism rewards the hard-working and the talented. Yes, it creates an income gap but losing out on your standard of living is what you deserve when you’re a lazy shmuck.
It is your responsibility to take care of yourself.
…especially when it comes to your health, your education, and your retirement.
The government doesn’t have money sitting in a pool that it doles out to people. The government takes money from person A and gives it to persons B, C, and D. (To be fair, maybe it gives a little bit back to person A.) When you pay your taxes, the government forcibly takes the money that you have earned and doles it out as it sees fit. You’re lucky if you get back a fraction of what you put into the system. Any way that you slice it, that kind of wealth redistribution is communist.
And I’m sorry, guys, but I don’t want to pay for your health, your education, or your retirement. If you genuinely value freedom and invidual choice, you’d agree– because people should be allowed to spend their money on what they want. They shouldn’t have to comply with some government edict to cover somebody else’s ass.
Today’s systems of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are, in large part, forced charity. That’s crooked. I’m not saying we should take Grandma Jones’ medication away, but I am saying that Grandma Jones should’ve had enough foresight to realize that her health wasn’t always going to be like it was when she was 20, and she should’ve saved enough money to pay for her own damn meds. It’s not your responsibility or mine to bail her out.
(For the record, if she were a friend of mine, I probably would help her out– but my point is that doing so should be my choice.)
I’m saving money for my health. I’m saving money for my retirement. You can’t sit there and tell me that you expect somebody else to take care of you when your health fails and/or you don’t have a steady paycheck– that’s about as selfish as it gets.
“God” and “morality” are not dirty words.
I have three points to make here. First, that talking about religion doesn’t have to make anybody feel uncomfortable. Okay, there are times when people go too far with the topic– which is why I close and lock the door when I see Jehovah’s Witnesses touring the neighborhood. But aside from those types of situations, there is nothing wrong with explaining your faith (or lack thereof) and how it influences your life. And there is nothing wrong with citing your religion as a reason for making an important decision. Emulating Jesus’ life is one way to remain free of sin and guilt. Asking God for guidance is one way to remain humble. Following the Ten Commandments is one way to live life with moral clarity.
Secondly, all of us are perfectly within our rights as human beings to render judgment on actions and ideas. Judging people (i.e. their true motives, their inherent nature) as good or bad is best left to a higher authority.
And third– There is a huge difference between tolerance and acceptance. You and I tolerate lots of crap from day to day but we don’t need to accept any of it. Look– I may be required by law to tolerate the things that people say or do but I do not need to accept anyone’s actions or ideas. And I have no problem making that fact plainly obvious– I don’t accept rap music as harmless; I don’t accept gay marriage as legitimate; I don’t accept the tenets of the Islamic faith; I don’t accept that abortion isn’t murder; and on and on.
And by the same token, you don’t need to accept any of my arguments. But for heaven’s sake, don’t resort to the childish labeling of people whose ideas you don’t agree with as “intolerant” or “bigotted”. If that’s all you’ve got, then the chances are that you have no worthwhile reason to believe what you believe.
America is a religious nation.
Our founding fathers left Europe so that they could freely practice their own religions. The original thirteen colonies were overwhelmingly Anglican/Christian– Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopalian, Quaker, Puritan– you name it. And the drafters/signers of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution were overwhelmingly Deists, if not also Christians themselves. So although the United States does not establish an ”official religion,” to deny that we began as a religious nation is beyond ignorant.
And although nowadays our citizens practice a multitude of faiths, the United States continues to be, in the good majority, a Christian nation. Therein, the nation will tend to follow Christian principles and its laws will reflect Christian values.
The fact that many of our elected leaders and their constituents are Christian does not make this nation a theocracy. (Yes, I’ve heard people say that. Those people really need to choose their words more carefully because sometimes they sound incredibly stupid.) And the fact that the United States won’t establish an official religion doesn’t mean that religious principles are absent from our country’s governance (nor should they be).
You don’t need to subscribe to Judeo-Christian theology (e.g. the belief that Jesus is a prophet or actually the son of God) in order to agree with Judeo-Christian philosophy. Even outright atheists can recognize the importance of treating others with respect, acknowledging personal property, avoiding extramarital affairs, and not causing harm to your fellow man– all of which are certainly Judeo-Christian principles.
