Posted on 01/17/2005 7:06:06 AM PST by writer33
Russell Kirk once wrote, “A conservative is not, by definition, a selfish or a stupid person; instead, he is a person who believes there is something in our life worth saving.”
In the essay, The Essence of Conservatism, Kirk goes on to define conservatism and explain the unique qualities of conservatives; the individualities that mark the distinct differences between American conservatives and the rest.
Those indelible qualities have been incorporated into America’s soul from our Founding Fathers. They sought a Republic as moral, as just and divine as any in the world. They sought an America full of hope and inspiration for all of mankind. And they founded a country bathed in God’s wisdom, dedicated to liberty and based in economic prosperity, setting a shining example for those that choose to follow. In our forefather’s wisdom, they handed down an America that should be cherished and celebrated with every waking moment.
Conservatives are—by their very essence—the brightest hope of America’s future. They are not ignorant, violent or racist. They believe in equality to all men and women, yet know that it must not extend to a great experiment; an experiment rooted in socialistic fundamentals. They believe you reap what you sow, defining the difference of abilities. Or as Kirk writes, “The just society requires sound leadership, different rewards for different abilities, and a sense of respect and duty.” It is the sense of respect and duty that leads American conservatives to believe God ordained the inalienable right of freedom to all mankind; that America is a beacon in the darkness.
American conservatives are the very spirit of the greatest country in the world. They are the engine in the American machine, the machine that produced a superpower and spread liberty to all men and women. It is their indefatigable nature that provided for surpluses of wealth not found in the “civilized” areas of the world. They are staunch defenders of the U.S. Constitution. They remind all that power should be kept under local control, and that privatizing is an inexorably good quality for the country. They breed a proper system of checks and balances for government, the market and private citizens.
Conservatives believe this nation should lead the world stage in the 21st century—such is one lesson handed down from their forefathers, dating from the Revolutionary War, and leading its way in the War on Terror. They do not believe America should reshape the world, just propagate liberty. They believe, in the words of Thomas Paine, “The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.” For American conservatives, a society free from tyranny is a healthy society—another lesson handed down from the Founding Fathers. It is conservatism that will defend the country, protect its citizens and secure a healthy, free economy for their posterity.
The values shared—beginning in 1776—have been passed down from father to son and mother to daughter for generations. Every generation faced its own unique challenges, beginning with the New Deal and its proponents. However, American conservatives believe “The Great Society” was the beginning of the downfall of personal responsibility, ushering in an era of social programs to the bane of American taxpayers. They know that no truly great society can survive established with liberalism; any society basing its foundation on wealth redistribution. They know the Founding Fathers created the Constitution—the greatest conservative document in World History—establishing a free economy and placing the aspirations of a young country to the individuals that drive it. That generation of Americans carved out the beginnings of the finest nation on Earth. They were difference makers, forging traditions in morality, divine justice and a belief in the rule of law that governs the conduct of the people.
Those traditions have rooted themselves in America, expressing the finest intentions of Kirk’s philosophy on American conservatives: “They understand that men and women are best content when they can feel that they live in a stable world of enduring values. Most conservatives are neither rich nor powerful. But they do, even the most humble of them, derive great benefits from our established Republic. They have liberty, security of person and home, equal protection of the laws, the right to the fruits of their industry, and opportunity to do the best that is in them.” These values are passed down to ensure the right direction of this Republic. There can be no vitality rooted in liberalism. So the difference makers emerge at the ready, preserving a great society, conservatism, and breeding a good culture. These difference makers are exemplified in men like Russell Kirk and William F. Buckley, Jr.—men rejuvenating American conservatism, founding sound principles for the United States and expressing conservative thought to the majority of Americans, conservatives.
With each new generation come men and women that express conservative thought, exercising their belief in national pride, and battling communism, despotism and terrorism. These private citizens—Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, David Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, William Bennett, Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin exhibit the finest examples of the “new media” and are the driving force behind conservative philosophy in the 21st century.
These men and women that express conservative thought are conveying the sentiment of the majority of Americans—the people rallying under every exigency, for love of country, love of mankind and love of God. These Americans, the difference makers, believe in the United States, promoting the growth of conservatism through the Internet, talk radio and television. Now, they exist in all forms, propagating the belief that conservatism will save America. They come from all walks of life. From accountants to zoologists, they exert every ounce of energy to better America and its citizens. They work the polls at elections. They walk door to door to preserve the Constitution. They know that their ideas our American ideals. They are born of traditions that destroy liberalism. They preserve the fine institutions for the sake of posterity. They are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. They are next door neighbors. They are Americans, salt of the Earth. And they are the largest reason for the new conservative shift in 21st century America. Without them holding off the politically correct climate that liberals create, America would be subjugated to the domination that terrorism has wrought on Europe and the Third World. Because of these men and women, we remain the sole superpower in the world. They believe America is worth driving, worth protecting and worth all they can give. They believe the United States is worth saving from “The Great Society.” They believe, being encumbered with Social Security, that it needs reforming for future generations. They believe in legal immigration and border protection. They believe in permanent tax cuts, in personal responsibility and clean family values. These are hard working men and women of America.
And they are the difference makers.
You express your concepts well. Thanks for the ping, it is a worthwhile read.
I have aspired to be a writer my entire life, my brother-in-law writes excellent books about obscure subjects and is famous, your writing is excellent. I would say to you: keep going. Don't listen to the nay-sayers around you. You have a gift. But you must do a lot of reading of Ann Coulter, David Horowitz, David Limbaugh and the rest if you want to be a conservative writer. You'll note that all of them first piss off the conservative reader then offer her something that she can feast off of. My advice: write, write, write. Write while you're in the shower, write while your shaving, write while your feeding the dogs. Expect to discard 90% of what you write because if you write enough, you will have some good stuff. Keep it up. I hope one of these days I can look back and believe that one of my thumbprints on this earth was to encourage you to write.
Thank you. I appreciate the sentiment very much.
Sound advice. I'm know you will be able to look back. Here's a free link. It's not conservative writing. Well, it's conservative fiction, very different from my nonfiction. Chris http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/chapters/ElectiveDecisions_ChrisDavis.shtml
I do the writing in the shower alot. I often come out and sit down at the computer and start typing away. Lots of writing goes into a good shower. And yes, you'll be able to say groanup encouraged me.
Ping!
Thanks so much for the tip. A VERY good read!
Thank you. I appreciate the sentiment.
Would you like to be on the ping list? I only ping my original material. Chris
conservative bump
Ping!
ping
Good article.
I've been reflecting on the nature of conservatism recently. Last week a friend gave me a copy of a "conservative" newspaper published in our area, and I found I disagreed strongly with many of the articles. The basic idea that many "conservatives" seem to have lost is the idea of personal responsibility. They seem to have unconsciously bought into the liberal concept that "the other" is the cause of problems, not ourselves. It makes me very uncomfortable, because you can't address the problems caused socialism when you're focussed on the symptoms, rather than the cause.
That is, "caused by socialism." More coffee!
I agree, ma'am. Thanks for the nice comments and have another cup of coffee.
Ping!
Ping!
Mea culpa, w-33, mea maxima culpa! That could have come out of the pages of any good conservative publication!
Thanks, Jim.
Why I'm a conservative ping!
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