User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:26:03 PM EDT
[#1]
The Constitution, small government, fewer regulations and government intrusions.
*I left out for me, total fiscal responsibility. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:29:11 PM EDT
[#2]
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:32:49 PM EDT
[#3]
• Freedom
• Faith • Family • Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life • American Exceptionalism • The Founders’ Wisdom and Vision • Lower Taxes • Limited Government • Peace Through Strength • Anti-Communism • Belief in the Individual as defined by Ronald Reagan I'll go with these |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:37:03 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryPretty much. Everyone disagrees with each other on what a true conservative is. There has to be some common ground on the definition though. Also if someone follows the requirement 90% does that still count or does even 1% deviation from the definition count? For example Ted Cruz preaches fiscal responsibility, yet on numerous occasions he has voted for bills with increased government deficit spending and no way to balance that spending. Of all the candidates he is more serious about it than anyone else, yet he doesn't follow it 100%. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:42:43 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: • Freedom • Faith • Family • Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life • American Exceptionalism • The Founders’ Wisdom and Vision • Lower Taxes • Limited Government • Peace Through Strength • Anti-Communism • Belief in the Individual as defined by Ronald Reagan I'll go with these If you put less importance on human life and possibly limited government, then you have what Trump is saying. Remove the importance on human life and it is close to what Ted Cruz says. Cruz has advocated carpet bombing areas where ISIS is at which will kill many innocent women and children. So he can't claim he respect all human life. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:46:06 PM EDT
[#6]
Salon.com. That's where i stopped reading.
You Trump guys and your fascination with salon, huffpo, and Bloomberg News as "sources". |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:46:43 PM EDT
[#7]
Nobody agrees on any political definitions.
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:47:41 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If you put less importance on human life and possibly limited government, then you have what Trump is saying. Remove the importance on human life and it is close to what Ted Cruz says. Cruz has advocated carpet bombing areas where ISIS is at which will kill many innocent women and children. So he can't claim he respect all human life. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
• Freedom • Faith • Family • Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life • American Exceptionalism • The Founders’ Wisdom and Vision • Lower Taxes • Limited Government • Peace Through Strength • Anti-Communism • Belief in the Individual as defined by Ronald Reagan I'll go with these If you put less importance on human life and possibly limited government, then you have what Trump is saying. Remove the importance on human life and it is close to what Ted Cruz says. Cruz has advocated carpet bombing areas where ISIS is at which will kill many innocent women and children. So he can't claim he respect all human life. If you strike: - Freedom - The Founders’ Wisdom and Vision - Limited Government Reduce the importance of : - Faith - Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life Then you have Trump. The first 3 you need to strike are entire basis of conservatism. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:48:03 PM EDT
[#9]
Ask Donald. He seems to have good grasp on conservationism.
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:48:30 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If you put less importance on human life and possibly limited government, then you have what Trump is saying. Remove the importance on human life and it is close to what Ted Cruz says. Cruz has advocated carpet bombing areas where ISIS is at which will kill many innocent women and children. So he can't claim he respect all human life. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
• Freedom • Faith • Family • Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life • American Exceptionalism • The Founders’ Wisdom and Vision • Lower Taxes • Limited Government • Peace Through Strength • Anti-Communism • Belief in the Individual as defined by Ronald Reagan I'll go with these If you put less importance on human life and possibly limited government, then you have what Trump is saying. Remove the importance on human life and it is close to what Ted Cruz says. Cruz has advocated carpet bombing areas where ISIS is at which will kill many innocent women and children. So he can't claim he respect all human life. Wrong answer When has he advocated for limited government? Freedom? I don't think his support of Kelo and healthcare mandates jive with that Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life? Not if you're cutting checks to Planned Parenthood Founding Fathers' Wisdom? Have you ever heard him speak of the constitution? Demonstrate any knowledge of it? Lower Taxes? He is planning on raising taxes on the rich Belief in the Individual? Again, not if he believes in Kelo and the heathcare mandates This is only if you take him at his word on his CURRENT positions. If you look at his past, you may as well throw them all out |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:49:21 PM EDT
[#11]
An American conservative is a mixture of classical liberalism and conservatism. An American Liberal is a mixture of classical liberalism and socialism.
Neither of the ideologies that make up American conservatism or American liberalism mesh perfectly together, which is why there is such debate about what constitutes a "true conservative", or "true liberal". ETA: Salon.com is staffed by functional retards who would fail an introduction to American government class due to their inability to construct a coherent argument. I hope their entire staff swims with an AIDs infested dolphin wearing a rusty cock ring. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:50:47 PM EDT
[#12]
I'd say that having Salon say that about Cruz more than proves that yes, in fact he is a Conservative.
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:51:55 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
• Freedom • Faith • Family • Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life • American Exceptionalism • The Founders’ Wisdom and Vision • Lower Taxes • Limited Government • Peace Through Strength • Anti-Communism • Belief in the Individual as defined by Ronald Reagan I'll go with these I like the sounds of this. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:53:48 PM EDT
[#14]
Try defining "libertarian"! Holy shit balls, that's an elusive target!
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:57:58 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
An American conservative is a mixture of classical liberalism and conservatism. An American Liberal is a mixture of classical liberalism and socialism. Neither of the ideologies that make up American conservatism or American liberalism mesh perfectly together, which is why there is such debate about what constitutes a "true conservative", or "true liberal". ETA: Salon.com is staffed by functional retards who would fail my introduction to American government class due to their inability to construct a coherent argument. I hope their entire staff swims with an AIDs infested dolphin wearing a rusty cock ring. I disagree with the American liberal. They are more mixed with communism than socialism. They want need the fedgov to tell them what they need/want. They care less about individual liberty than they do about being collectivist. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 4:58:37 PM EDT
[#16]
Conservatives are people whose primary moral axis is divinity/disgust, rather than well being/harm as in liberals or justice/injustice as in libertarians and others (fractured axis because of two party system). The correlation is so strong as to be the same thing. Although everybody possesses all three axis, in differing ratios, the primary one is by far the most powerful, the secondary axis is also apparent in peoples political opinions. Disgust is actually really important, it's what protects us from disease and keeps our tribe strong. Millions of years of selection for the trait. The political landscape makes a lot more sense once you understand this, people make all sorts of bad assumptions about others because they don't. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:02:15 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I disagree with the American liberal. They are more mixed with communism than socialism. They want need the fedgov to tell them what they need/want. They care less about individual liberty than they do about being collectivist. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
An American conservative is a mixture of classical liberalism and conservatism. An American Liberal is a mixture of classical liberalism and socialism. Neither of the ideologies that make up American conservatism or American liberalism mesh perfectly together, which is why there is such debate about what constitutes a "true conservative", or "true liberal". ETA: Salon.com is staffed by functional retards who would fail my introduction to American government class due to their inability to construct a coherent argument. I hope their entire staff swims with an AIDs infested dolphin wearing a rusty cock ring. I disagree with the American liberal. They are more mixed with communism than socialism. They want need the fedgov to tell them what they need/want. They care less about individual liberty than they do about being collectivist. The way you describe communism is really not communism, and is filled with normative assertions that are not empirical. They are socialist, and have been so since FDR. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:03:56 PM EDT
[#18]
The test for Conservatism is if and only if a new policy or law meets the enhancement of personal freedom AND also limits Government. A Conservative Candidate would be a person who uses this as a guide on any given subject or law.
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:07:16 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Salon.com. That's where i stopped reading. You Trump guys and your fascination with salon, huffpo, and Bloomberg News as "sources". Oh, so you are saying is some people in this country don't count even though they vote. You just ignore the opinion of others who think differently than you do. How exactly do you expect to be an informed voter when you only listen to the people telling you what you want to hear? I'm pretty sure that is the definition of an ignorant voter not an informed voter. The Cruzettes should love the description of Cruz that Salon.com gave him because they said he goes way beyond a regular conservative. Do those extreme ideals make up what a true conservative is? That source of information is valid for the discussion. Why are so many here afraid to read articles from liberal magazines? Are you afraid they will turn you into a liberal? Sure they are completely biased and agenda driven but voters in this country still believe some of it, just like the 9/11 truthers or the birthers. Ignoring them makes a person ignorant of the real world around them. Listening to them doesn't require you to believe what they are saying. It is just information gathering in order to look at an issue from multiple angles and then make your own informed decision. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:07:46 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Salon.com. That's where i stopped reading. You Trump guys and your fascination with salon, huffpo, and Bloomberg News as "sources". |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:09:53 PM EDT
[#21]
This thread illustrates why the left will win.
Conservatism is a range of values, not a point. Liberals don't have nearly the focus on whether or not their guy is liberal or how liberal or this test or that test. They simply want to beat the right and that's how they vote. we sit around and debate the meaning of conservative and then stay home from voting because our candidate isn't conservative enough. We get hung up on finding the perfect candidate. Meanwhile, the left votes for the guy that isn't a republican and wins. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:11:17 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I'd say that having Salon say that about Cruz more than proves that yes, in fact he is a Conservative. He goes way beyond Conservative as a Messianic Crusader would ignore the freedoms in the constitution, force religion, and kill/destroy/imprison those who don't fall in line. It would be a reverse ISIS. But the people in GD who push him the most seem to agree those things would be good things. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:15:45 PM EDT
[#23]
If you live on an island, all alone, with no other people on the island, and there is no government, you are a conservative.
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:34:25 PM EDT
[#24]
Limited government listening in on all your phone calls.
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:42:10 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistorySo true, and yet at the same time insisting that if the GOP would just run a Real Conservative, a silent majority of like minded people would flock out of the woodwork and usher him into office in a landslide victory. All this from people who think most of this site isn't conservative. Conservatism has always covered a wide spectrum from the Ricky Bobby types to the Thomas Sowell types, it's pretty foolish to think they really have much of anything in common. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:45:41 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Nobody agrees on any political definitions. There's a reason Orwell referred to "meaningless words" - the people who use them have a vested interest in their being no agreed definition, and words without shared meaning are meaningless. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:48:13 PM EDT
[#27]
It seems synonymous with "flatlander."
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:50:20 PM EDT
[#28]
I really don't know anymore.
These days, I'm content to just let people assign whatever label they'd like to the whole of my political positions. If you want to know where I stand on something (and most importantly - why), just ask. When you're done, feel free to assign whatever label works best for you. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:51:53 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
He goes way beyond Conservative as a Messianic Crusader would ignore the freedoms in the constitution, force religion, and kill/destroy/imprison those who don't fall in line. It would be a reverse ISIS. But the people in GD who push him the most seem to agree those things would be good things. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I'd say that having Salon say that about Cruz more than proves that yes, in fact he is a Conservative. He goes way beyond Conservative as a Messianic Crusader would ignore the freedoms in the constitution, force religion, and kill/destroy/imprison those who don't fall in line. It would be a reverse ISIS. But the people in GD who push him the most seem to agree those things would be good things. What liberal sites have you been on that you actually believe any of that shit? He's going to force religion and kill/imprison those who don't get with the program?  Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 5:58:40 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
What liberal sites have you been on that you actually believe any of that shit? He's going to force religion and kill/imprison those who don't get with the program?
Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I'd say that having Salon say that about Cruz more than proves that yes, in fact he is a Conservative. He goes way beyond Conservative as a Messianic Crusader would ignore the freedoms in the constitution, force religion, and kill/destroy/imprison those who don't fall in line. It would be a reverse ISIS. But the people in GD who push him the most seem to agree those things would be good things. What liberal sites have you been on that you actually believe any of that shit? He's going to force religion and kill/imprison those who don't get with the program?
Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Careful. You don't want your political label challenged by people who use left wing media as news sources all the while using the same talking points as the ultra left. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:01:57 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: If you put less importance on human life and possibly limited government, then you have what Trump is saying. Remove the importance on human life and it is close to what Ted Cruz says. Cruz has advocated carpet bombing areas where ISIS is at which will kill many innocent women and children. So he can't claim he respect all human life. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: • Freedom • Faith • Family • Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life • American Exceptionalism • The Founders’ Wisdom and Vision • Lower Taxes • Limited Government • Peace Through Strength • Anti-Communism • Belief in the Individual as defined by Ronald Reagan I'll go with these If you put less importance on human life and possibly limited government, then you have what Trump is saying. Remove the importance on human life and it is close to what Ted Cruz says. Cruz has advocated carpet bombing areas where ISIS is at which will kill many innocent women and children. So he can't claim he respect all human life. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:05:38 PM EDT
[#32]
Do you even John Locke "Second Treatise on Civil Government," Bro?
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:11:30 PM EDT
[#33]
The word is Conservative. To be a conservative one must attempt to conserve something. What? The use of government. Conservatives, first and foremost, want to conserve, to reduce, to minimize, the use of big government in its total scope and power. That's where freedom is found.
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:15:47 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The word is Conservative. To be a conservative one must attempt to conserve something. What? The use of government. Conservatives, first and foremost, want to conserve, to reduce, to minimize, the use of big government in its total scope and power. That's where freedom is found. Conserving something doesn't mean reducing or minimizing it. it means protecting it. 
If you want to conserve government power, that means you want to protect that power and prevent it from being eroded... This isn't even talking about political ideologies, this is just the simple definition of the word conserve. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:28:19 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If you put less importance on human life and possibly limited government, then you have what Trump is saying. Remove the importance on human life and it is close to what Ted Cruz says. Cruz has advocated carpet bombing areas where ISIS is at which will kill many innocent women and children. So he can't claim he respect all human life. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
• Freedom • Faith • Family • Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life • American Exceptionalism • The Founders’ Wisdom and Vision • Lower Taxes • Limited Government • Peace Through Strength • Anti-Communism • Belief in the Individual as defined by Ronald Reagan I'll go with these If you put less importance on human life and possibly limited government, then you have what Trump is saying. Remove the importance on human life and it is close to what Ted Cruz says. Cruz has advocated carpet bombing areas where ISIS is at which will kill many innocent women and children. So he can't claim he respect all human life. I don't believe any of presidential candidates have a military background or a good grasp of what is or is not effective. That being said; the lives of America's sons and daughters aught to matter a whole lot more than the lives of future terrorists and those who raise them. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:30:50 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Salon.com. That's where i stopped reading. You Trump guys and your fascination with salon, huffpo, and Bloomberg News as "sources". |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:34:08 PM EDT
[#37]
Depends......do you mean social consercative....or fiscal? Or geopolitical? Or theological? This thread needs uuuuuggggeee clarification.
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:34:34 PM EDT
[#38]
In before Bigstick61 and Thrasymachus?
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:41:41 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
He goes way beyond Conservative as a Messianic Crusader would ignore the freedoms in the constitution, force religion, and kill/destroy/imprison those who don't fall in line. It would be a reverse ISIS. But the people in GD who push him the most seem to agree those things would be good things. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I'd say that having Salon say that about Cruz more than proves that yes, in fact he is a Conservative. He goes way beyond Conservative as a Messianic Crusader would ignore the freedoms in the constitution, force religion, and kill/destroy/imprison those who don't fall in line. It would be a reverse ISIS. But the people in GD who push him the most seem to agree those things would be good things. According to Salon, ha! Not far enough, should be pushing to repeal amendments 16&17, term limits for Congress and judges, balanced budget amendment among other things. He is as Conservative as it will get in this race but alas he is a Constitutionalist; where again does it talk about forcing religion on people there again? I can't find it. Trump magically found Conservatism when? Sometime last year? |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:47:31 PM EDT
[#40]
The root word is conserve and that's important. What defines conservatives and conservatism is a desire to preserve the constitution and it's original intent. Just as important is the desire to conserve the values and principles that are and were the underpinning of the constitution. Specifically:
-Individual freedom and liberty Economic liberty (aka capitalism) -Aggressively limited federal government -rights are not granted by government. They exist independent of government. -The primary role of government is to protect and preserve those rights. -republicanism. (With a small r) -Personal responsibility. To name just a few. You'll notice I don't put any of the polar social issues in there. Opposing gay marriage for example is not conservative. Real conservatism is believing that we should all be able to do whatever the hell we want to do as long as we dont violate the rights of others. Real conservatism is believing the feds should have nothing to do with any kind of marriage. That's why I don't like the term "social conservative" or "fiscal conservative". There is no such thing. There is just conservative or not. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:54:04 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Conserving something doesn't mean reducing or minimizing it. it means protecting it.
If you want to conserve government power, that means you want to protect that power and prevent it from being eroded... This isn't even talking about political ideologies, this is just the simple definition of the word conserve. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
The word is Conservative. To be a conservative one must attempt to conserve something. What? The use of government. Conservatives, first and foremost, want to conserve, to reduce, to minimize, the use of big government in its total scope and power. That's where freedom is found. Conserving something doesn't mean reducing or minimizing it. it means protecting it.
If you want to conserve government power, that means you want to protect that power and prevent it from being eroded... This isn't even talking about political ideologies, this is just the simple definition of the word conserve. If you've got a shaker full of salt on your dinner table and one person plans on conserving their use of it while another plans on using it liberally, who uses more salt? Replace salt with government. I didn't say you are conserving government. I said you are conserving the use of government. Conserve also means to prevent the wasteful overuse of... |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 6:57:59 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If you've got a shaker full of salt on your dinner table and one person plans on conserving their use of it while another plans on using it liberally, who uses more salt? Replace salt with government. I didn't say you are conserving government. I said you are conserving the use of government. Conserve also means to prevent the wasteful overuse of... Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
The word is Conservative. To be a conservative one must attempt to conserve something. What? The use of government. Conservatives, first and foremost, want to conserve, to reduce, to minimize, the use of big government in its total scope and power. That's where freedom is found. Conserving something doesn't mean reducing or minimizing it. it means protecting it.
If you want to conserve government power, that means you want to protect that power and prevent it from being eroded... This isn't even talking about political ideologies, this is just the simple definition of the word conserve. If you've got a shaker full of salt on your dinner table and one person plans on conserving their use of it while another plans on using it liberally, who uses more salt? Replace salt with government. I didn't say you are conserving government. I said you are conserving the use of government. Conserve also means to prevent the wasteful overuse of... 
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Posted: 2/19/2016 7:05:41 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
The word is Conservative. To be a conservative one must attempt to conserve something. What? The use of government. Conservatives, first and foremost, want to conserve, to reduce, to minimize, the use of big government in its total scope and power. That's where freedom is found. Conserving something doesn't mean reducing or minimizing it. it means protecting it.
If you want to conserve government power, that means you want to protect that power and prevent it from being eroded... This isn't even talking about political ideologies, this is just the simple definition of the word conserve. If you've got a shaker full of salt on your dinner table and one person plans on conserving their use of it while another plans on using it liberally, who uses more salt? Replace salt with government. I didn't say you are conserving government. I said you are conserving the use of government. Conserve also means to prevent the wasteful overuse of... Another definition straight from a dictionary: "To use carefully or sparingly." You people do realize words have multiple meanings depending on their context right? Did you think they just chose that word at random to use as a label for a political mindset? |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 7:11:00 PM EDT
[#44]
I liked the old Berenstein world, the one where 90% of the population wasn't on the autism spectrum.
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Posted: 2/19/2016 7:26:54 PM EDT
[#45]
Belief in the Constitution and limited government.
Belief in free market capitallism Charity for the needy are from the hearts of individuals (what would Hay-Seuss do?) instead of threat of incarceration by goobmint |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 8:12:02 PM EDT
[#46]
I like how people make up their own definition of conservatism so they don't have to admit to being a social progressive. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 8:53:38 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
An American conservative is a mixture of classical liberalism and conservatism. An American Liberal is a mixture of classical liberalism and socialism. Neither of the ideologies that make up American conservatism or American liberalism mesh perfectly together, which is why there is such debate about what constitutes a "true conservative", or "true liberal". ETA: Salon.com is staffed by functional retards who would fail an introduction to American government class due to their inability to construct a coherent argument. I hope their entire staff swims with an AIDs infested dolphin wearing a rusty cock ring. THIS |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 9:42:24 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Conserving something doesn't mean reducing or minimizing it. it means protecting it.
If you want to conserve government power, that means you want to protect that power and prevent it from being eroded... This isn't even talking about political ideologies, this is just the simple definition of the word conserve. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
The word is Conservative. To be a conservative one must attempt to conserve something. What? The use of government. Conservatives, first and foremost, want to conserve, to reduce, to minimize, the use of big government in its total scope and power. That's where freedom is found. Conserving something doesn't mean reducing or minimizing it. it means protecting it.
If you want to conserve government power, that means you want to protect that power and prevent it from being eroded... This isn't even talking about political ideologies, this is just the simple definition of the word conserve. Conservative has acquired a more specific philosophical meaning in the Western political context. It's moved well beyond simple dictionary definitions (which people are foolish to use to define any sort of technical term; they make specialized dictionaries for such things, such as political dictionaries, medical dictionaries, and polytechnic dictionaries). |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 9:44:54 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The root word is conserve and that's important. What defines conservatives and conservatism is a desire to preserve the constitution and it's original intent. Just as important is the desire to conserve the values and principles that are and were the underpinning of the constitution. Specifically: -Individual freedom and liberty Economic liberty (aka capitalism) -Aggressively limited federal government -rights are not granted by government. They exist independent of government. -The primary role of government is to protect and preserve those rights. -republicanism. (With a small r) -Personal responsibility. To name just a few. You'll notice I don't put any of the polar social issues in there. Opposing gay marriage for example is not conservative. Real conservatism is believing that we should all be able to do whatever the hell we want to do as long as we dont violate the rights of others. Real conservatism is believing the feds should have nothing to do with any kind of marriage. That's why I don't like the term "social conservative" or "fiscal conservative". There is no such thing. There is just conservative or not. You are right about the last statement. Conservatism is an over-arching idea, not something broken down into little areas. However, you are wrong about much of the rest. It should be noted that the effort to connect conservatism specifically to the U.S. Constitution in the currently practiced manner is fairly novel. It's about philosophical principles that predate and overarch the Constitution, the latter of which can either conform with them or be contrary to them, and in some ways it has been amended in a contrary fashion. |
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Posted: 2/19/2016 9:48:11 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
There's a reason Orwell referred to "meaningless words" - the people who use them have a vested interest in their being no agreed definition, and words without shared meaning are meaningless. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Nobody agrees on any political definitions. There's a reason Orwell referred to "meaningless words" - the people who use them have a vested interest in their being no agreed definition, and words without shared meaning are meaningless. The thing is, it's not a meaningless word in this context, but certain parties have endeavoured to turn it into one for their own political benefit (such as the so-called neoconservatives). To say so is to ignore decades of writing by the intellectual leaders of the Right. I do think the phenomenon which has resulted in the word losing its meaning bears relation to a quote by Confucius: "When words lose their meaning, people lose their freedom." Look at which side twists language and uses euphemisms the most. It's not the Right. |
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