On Conservatism

[Leftoverdj]

To my mind, true conservatism consists of adherence to the constitution and to the principles upon which our government was founded as explained in the Federalist Papers and as modified over time by constitutional amendment. Simplified a bit, this means a belief in the smallest possible government and the least possible intrusion into the lives and liberties of the people of this country.

Unfortunately, there are those who choose to call themselves conservatives who do not share this view. These persons do not wish to limit government power; they wish to control it and to direct it against those who differ from themselves in social, religious, ethnic, or political ways. They are often contemptuous of the very liberties and protections that true conservatives cherish.

I'm not quite sure what to call this viewpoint, but I sure wish they would call themselves something other than "conservative".

[Mauser]

Conservatism is merely a philosophical concept which seeks to preserve that which already exists AND is considered by "conservatives" (ie: the beholders) to be good or right.  Many people can rightly claim to be conservatives who are interested in preserving their culture or institutions from those who would have them changed.  I would prefer if the folks you describe yourself as belonging to (and, for the most part, myself) called themselves Constitutionalists or Libertarians for the simple fact that we are long since past the time when those founding principles "existed."  I don't want anybody to think I'm in favor of what passes for government, freedom or morality today.

Those who defend the welfare state, gun control, high rates of taxation, abortion, etc are the "conservatives" now.

[ironglow]

IMHO....Mauser comes much closer to the proper description of Conservatism.....
 
   Most Conservatives I speak with, seem to believe the same way.
 
 I am a committeeman for the Conservative Party in my county, and I can state flatly that Mauser's view is virtually unanimous with them.

    True Conservatism is not a "one dimensional" thing, it is a whole lifestyle belief system...
   Conservatism does believe in a literal, "graven in stone" constitution, but it doesn't stop there; it embraces the "Faith of our Fathers", traditional family values and morals.
   Conservatism has the basic "cowboys philosophy"...shoot straight, deal fairly and don't back down from riff-raff...

    Do we sin...sure we do, but we also repent and mend our ways.

  Comparing Conservatism to today's Liberalism....we find polar differences
   Liberalism wants athe Constitution to be a "living document" ( that is one that activist judges can twist and pervert).
   Liberals consider the Faith of their Fathers to be some kind of joke, something to drive out of the public square.
  Liberals would, given the chance, destroy the traditional family and of course, they think morals are "whatever"!
   Rather than adhere to the "cowboy philosophy" they seem to much more admire the "European Socialist" philosophy....self interested, self centered and cave in to Terrorists..
  No surprise that Libs hate to have a "Cowboy" as President!
   
  Where Conservatives admit to sin and repent...Liberals deny that such a thing as "sin" exists...
  Between the two we have very polarized positions...the base of our current "culture war ".