Monday, October 19, 2009
Opps maybe I'm a conservative?
What I have suggested so far are conservative ideas; reduce tax expenditures and thus taxes paid by citizens and eliminating government intervention into our private lives. Are they not the cornerstone of conservatism? Or does conservatism actually mean spending tax dollars to enforce religious theocracy on all citizens? If that is the case, then what is the difference of spending tax dollars on religious theology enforcement and spending money on social services that benefit society? Just asking...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Now have a look at this abstract from the encyclopedia and especially at Ambrose Bierce definition of a conservative, THEN you will understand Bobs relevant question:
ReplyDeleteQuote:
Conservatism is a preference for the historically inherited rather than the abstract and ideal. This preference has traditionally rested on an organic conception of society—that is, on the belief that society is not merely a loose collection of individuals but a living organism comprising closely connected, interdependent members. Conservatives thus favour institutions and practices that have evolved gradually and are manifestations of continuity and stability. Government's responsibility is to be the servant, not the master, of existing ways of life, and politicians must therefore resist the temptation to transform society and politics. This suspicion of government activism distinguishes conservatism not only from radical forms of political thought but also from liberalism, which is a modernizing, antitraditionalist movement dedicated to correcting the evils and abuses resulting from the misuse of social and political power. In The Devil's Dictionary (1906), the American writer Ambrose Bierce cynically (but not inappropriately) defined the conservative as “a statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others.” Conservatism must also be distinguished from the reactionary outlook, which favours the restoration of a previous, and usually outmoded, political or social order. unquote