Posted on 03/05/2008 7:49:14 AM PST by PlainOleAmerican
After years of reader mail and surfing dozens of high traffic conservative blogs reading thousands of “conservative” comments concerning who or what is or isn’t “conservative,” it is clear that Republicans no longer agree on what the word “conservative” means.
Unless conservatives can agree on what it is to be “conservative,” the conservative movement in America will remain fractured and powerless.
(snip)
I am convinced that there really is only one realistic definition for the term “conservative.”
One can be “conservative” about many different things. But at the foundation, no matter the issue or subject at hand, to be conservative is to seek to “conserve,” which according to Merriam-Webster, is “to keep in a safe or sound state - to avoid wasteful or destructive use of - to preserve - to maintain - to prevent injury, decay, waste, or loss of.” Simple enough, right?
(snip)
Though there are more definitions of “American” than there are definitions of “conservative” today, there is but one true fundamental definition of “American” and that is the definition provided by the men who designed and founded America and thereby defined what it is to be an American.
(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...
America is in real trouble and only conservative Republicans can change that. But if they fail to unite around conservative principles and values, they will fail to change anything!
A MUST READ!
While the definition seems to be a moving target these days, you’ll note that most conservatives are proud to be considered so....liberals almost get offended when you call them liberal.
That says a lot.
For me defining conservative is really quite easy.
Belief in a strong national security
Belief in the people to choose for themselves with little to no government intervention
Belief in the free market system to do it’s job, not the government trying to adjust the market through legislation
Belief in a person’s right to life and right to practice their religion freely without state interference
Belief in secure borders and prosecuting those who break the law by coming here illegally
Belief that people should have the ability to achieve greatness or fail completely on their own merits
Belief that the Federal Government should only have the powers explicitly enumerated in the Constitution
Belief that the Constitution and Bill of Rights mean what they say, there is no interpretation
Belief that the job of our judicial system is to interpret how the law pertains to the case being heard, not to write new laws
Belief that taxes should only be taken to support basic government functions and not for various social programs to support those who refuse to pay taxes, and there should be no income tax
Defining conservative is pretty simple actually, just follow what our Founders believed should be the job of the Federal Government and State Governments and we’re all set.
Then you should have no trouble providing a definition that others can agree or disagree with.
I just defined it means to be a conservative, at least from what I believe.
Hope that helps!
From the column....
America is founded on a very simple set of concepts recorded for all posterity with the opening words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” Beyond this opening line is a brief but very specific list of those basic “truths”…
• That our individual rights as Americans were endowed by a Creator, not granted by man.
• That these individual rights are unalienable by all men (or women), no matter the impact on the greater communal good.
• That the right of individual liberty can not be trampled on by the communal body, even for a greater common purpose.
• That all men are Created equal and free, regardless of race, creed or color.
• That every individual has the right to define and pursue (earn) his/her own happiness.
• That the very first American unalienable right is to Life itself, without which there can be no individual liberty, happiness, social decency or humane justice.
• That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.
• That these men/women and their governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.
• And that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends (these concepts), it is the Right (and obligation) of the People to alter or to abolish it.
• That the power in America rests in the individual, not in the special interest organization or self-serving politician.
A Conservative American
If one believes that these are in fact the founding fundamental ideas, principles and values that make America what it is, then this is also the definition of what it means to be an American, to hold these truths as self-evident and unalienable, worthy of conservation.
And if these are the ideas, principles and values that an individual seeks “to keep in a safe or sound state - to avoid wasteful or destructive use of - to preserve - to maintain - to prevent injury, decay, waste, or loss of,” then that individual, seeking to conserve these things, is indeed an “American conservative,” - nothing more and nothing less.
***END QUOTE***
There are many other issues, national security and sovereignty for starters. But unless and until “conservatives” can agree on the fundamentals of “conservatism” well framed in this column, there is no chance they will ever agree on the more complicated issues.
Wrong. The label “conservative” changes. The American Revolution and the adoption of the Constitution were actually radical, not conservative, acts.
IMO, its not the definition of “conservative” that matters; what matters is what’s best for the country.
It might surprise and disappoint you, but a version of conservatism based on our founding documents would probably not even attract 20% of self-identified conservatives. Too many have their own excesses of power that they would like to exercise, if given control. It would take a person of extraordinary character to act to limit the power of the government to that degree; I do not see any such person on the horizon.
No? You're not just "pining for the fjords"? Are you sure?
“IMO, its not the definition of “conservative” that matters; what matters is what’s best for the country.”
What is best for the counrty?
Protecting, preserving and conserving all foundational principles and values for our posterity? Making certain that future generations are FREE and in control of their own lives? Or subverting it all for some alleged “greater common good?”
Half of the other 50% who do vote, are in every election attempting to vote themselves gifts from the treasury, without any concern for what that does to the rest of the nation or our future. We call them Democrats, or liberals.
But the remaining 25%, Republicans, are divided over what it is to be Republican, conservative, American, as you will see in posts right here on this thread.
This group is the only group in America who can change the course of the nation. But they will not change anything until they agree on at least the basics for the proper course of the nation, beginning with the fundamentals in this column...
As the column correctly points out;
“In America, you are indeed free to choose your own way. But may I suggest that you do so with eyes wide open and with great care looking not only towards your immediate self-interests, but towards the long-term interest of our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. If we do so, we too may be recorded as a great generation in history. If we fail to do so, we will instead be written into history as the generation who let it all slip away “
I divide the does-not-vote group into two general categories: those who are satisfied with the status quo, and therefore see no reason to vote; and those who do not understand the full implications of what it means not to have a vote at all.
For the does-vote group, a more realistic assessment is that 90%+ are voting themselves money from the treasury. The other 10% get outvoted every time.
The term ‘conservative’ has been in use for so long, and has no ownership, that it has lost it’s meaning. If someone says, “I am a conservative”, is there any one thing that you can definitely say they are for or against? No matter what issue you raise, there is a faction of self-identified conservatives on each side of it. The only exception that comes to mind is the 2nd Amendment.
Maybe it’s time for a re-ordering of priorities and a new phrase to more clearly communicate what it means to be part of this movement.
A renewed acceptance of defintions for two terms is indeed in order.
“American” and “Conservative.”
This column lays it on the line for both terms. Where is the column wrong on the only accurate defintion of either term?
I do not disagree at all. However, the flipside to defining an American conservative as one who adheres to the principles in the Declaration of Independence, is to realize that there simply aren’t too many of us - and we are the minority among those who self-identify as conservative.
I’m confused as to what you are disagreeing with specifically?
Now I get what you are saying. But I am not sure that our contingency is as small as stated.
Most Americans do indeed support a right to life as an example, though that makes few headlines today. When they are asked "Do you support women's rights?" - they answer in large number, of course. Then that poll is reported with this headline, "Most Americans Support Abortion"
In fact, 70% or so of Americans DO support abortion in the cases of rape or incest only. But less than 30% support abortion on demand.
There are other examples, but this is where we might disagree?
Radical if you were a Brit. I ain’t a liberal. And being a conservative is not what these ass holes are trying to make a conservative out to be NOW.
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