I don't like adding new contradictory definitions to words. If we seek change, we are not conservative. At most we are reactionary; assuming the change is an attempt at regression to a previous state.
"Conservative" also means "careful". As in a conservative estimate. To be conservative with words. To spend money conservatively.
Yeah but by that logic it could be argued that Kerry was campaigning on a platform of conservatism vis-a-vis the war on terror.
Ls are "liberal" with money, solutions, words.
Their solution are usually generous with our freedoms, so they are not liberal AFAIC.
That's why Ls can call Bush 'Hitler' and 'Chimp' and 'Stupid'. Where a conservative would be more careful, more circumspect in their use of words.
So it's your position that what makes modern conservatives conservative, and libs liberal is an issue of attitude rather then philosophy? I would prefer to use the term radical in describing leftist politicking, rather than liberal. Or better yet, infantile. Of course I usually use “Leftist,” myself.
Maybe I'm just too "Conservative," but I don't like changing the meaning of words or accepting new definitions based merely upon popular use. People have been using "liberal" and "conservative" so poorly in this country that the words have lost all their original meaning. If we start defining Conservative as the antithesis of liberal in an ideology of change we will get a word that means “not generous,” and “anti-liberty.” And if we start defining “liberal” by the attitudes and philosophies of the leftists we will get a word which doesn't mean “generous,” or “pro-liberty,” but something else entirely. Eventually we will define conservative to mean “not liberal,” and vice versa.
"Ls are "liberal" with money, solutions, words.
Their solution are usually [NOT] generous with our freedoms, so they are not liberal AFAIC."
By that definition then, none of us are Cs.
I don't get it -- if we tell the world we are Cs, and we are fighting for changes, why would we say that C means opposed to change?
I'm looking for a definition of C that actually describes what Cs are. And it seems obvious that there are basically 2 'types' of Cs. The first step towards regaining C momentum is to accuately define *what a conservative is*. In other words, we need to define to the world what it is we believe.
Kerry's line on the war on terror was not 'careful' in the least. When someone threatens you, if you don't get ready for a fight, you're not being careful at all.
In contrast to Cs, Ls solutions are generally very 'careless', in my experience.
And to me, being careful *is* a philosophy. Calling us 'anti-liberals' is not a philosophy at all. We have to figure out what it is we stand for, what it is we all agree on so we can set our priorities for what to fight for.