Thanks.
“And its guys like you that caused me to no longer be a ‘conservative’ of the stripe of those listed above. I am now a patriot.”
I agree. The label “Conservative” no longer works for me either... it has been ruined by RINOs claiming to be “conservative”, but I think it was ruined before that...
When I’m talking with Lefty types, and I’m trying to talk about real issues, the way they use the word conservative is nothing anywhere close to the conservatism I identified with all my life.
They use the word with a certain air of contempt - it sounds like they think it means stuck in the mud, closed-minded, clinging to the past (the racist past), brainwashed, stubborn.
When I’m talking to people on the Right, a lot of them seem to think being conservative means being ultra religious, sending more troops everywhere, being pro big business, free (globalist) enterprise, anti welfare, restrictive monetary policy, more flag-waving, wear a suit and tie, being a solid Republican no matter what.
Why should I keep using a term that 95% of the people (friend and foe) think means something different than I think it means?
To me it meant protecting the Constitution and the bill of rights, strictly limiting government, protecting the liberties of individuals, protecting the free self-governing Constitutional Republic as designed by the Founders: of the people, by the people, and for the people.
But I agree that “conservative” no longer means that - “Patriot” is a much better word. It will still get twisted into something bad by the Left - just the way Nationalism, America First, and MAGA are “bad words”.
But oh well... :-)
Thanks.