The quote given from Edmund Burke is illuminating and quite sound and sensible but, I daresay, they were sure long-winded in them long-ago days.
Personally, I think Sullivan nailed it, on many counts.
Conservatism is not, to my mind, about solving problems, which is why it remains a very problematic governing philosophy for modern Americans. It is about a modesty toward what problems government can ever solve. Its responses to emergent questions will not be an attempt to "solve" them, but to ameliorate them with a narrow set of tools. And the narrower the better.To give one example: the gas and climate question. Conservatives will not deny the problem but nor will they impose an onerous or overly-ambitious solution. If the evidence emerges that our carbon dependence is both damaging our environment and empowering our enemies, then change is necessary. But an elaborate cap-and-trade government monitored and imposed scheme is not appealing; or a government-engineered switch to biofuels (unintended consequences). A clear, solid carbon tax that simply encourages individuals and companies to innovate and switch to renewable energy would be a conservative solution. Simple, transparent, and targeted correctly with a minimal growth in government power. If fiscal circumstances permit, you can balance such a tax hike by lowering income tax or providing safety-net subsidies to those most in need as a result. And a truly conservative president would not be afraid to say, in his or her best eat-your-vegetables tone, that this is the only workable solution and that the alternative is worse.
For conservatism to copy liberalism by always seeking "solutions" to problems and convincing "the right coalitions" of people to look to government for the satisfaction of their needs would be a mistake in my view. ...
So, basically, Burke said, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”
I don’t know if it’s just me but they both seem to be saying the same thing. Hard to distinguish the difference.
IT's the rest of the tattered populace that elects and re-elects the scoundrels that would (and are) ruin our nation that have the problems.
Unfortunately the unwashed, tatooed idiots, coupled with the washed limousine liberals are the reason for the decline of America.
It's better for specialists to solve problems instead of a bunch of lawyers bent on reelection. All government has to do then is to outlaw what is detrimental to this end.
When there is a need, then Americans will rise to fill the need or solve the problem.