Everyone wants to talk about compassion these days. The left has assumed the position of being the ones in possession of compassion for about three decades now. Instead of dealing with the false premises that notion rests upon now we have mushy Republicans like Pres. Bush trying to simply wrest the claim away without defining any difference to base it on. I found the following article to be a clear statement of what both liberal and "conservative" compassion really is.
In light of this way of viewing "liberal" compassion, which is to say that it is not compassion at all, strength and aggressive action cannot be said to be in and of themselves uncompassionate. That was just my point in saying that those who promote chaos through moral relativism, progressives et al, should not expect to continue to be treated civilly in the name of compassion.
As a Buddhist that is not what I have been taught about compassion. In the beginning, when my views were first being formed, I was often told "sometimes the most compassionate thing you can do for someone is beat the living crap out of them."
Ronald Reagan's "peace through strength" policy is a shining example of that kind of wrathful compassion. The Soviet Union did crumble economically under his forceful confrontation. But he prevented them from continuing to commit themselves to endless wars and possibly a nuclear holocaust. Here in the west we normally view Reagan's actions from the POV of what he did for us. But it can't be denied that he clearly saved them from actions that would have resulted in even greater suffering and a much worse demise than economic collapse.
So when I use the phrase "compassionate" conservative I put the word in quotes to indicate the false premise underlying it. When you say that we need to "let the other side know, that when they do some of the things they do, that the punishment is going to be swift" I fully agree to this extent; we do need to stand strong and draw a line in the sand. As for "punishment" I see that more as a need to apply true compassion, wrathful compassion, rather than as a punitive measure in the sense of vengeance.
I realize that that is a bit of a semantic nitpicking. But I don't accept the idea that a strong defense is somehow uncompassionate towards an aggressor. That is part of the false premise the left tries to move conservatives into in order to immobilize us. Preventing someone from committing harmful aggressions on others is as much an act of compassion towards them as it is a selfish act of defense.
We are dangerously close to the point where the left is going to force us to accept violence from them or fight back. So I would say the time for true compassion has come. It is time to kick the living crap out the left, metaphorically, before we all descend into a fight where no one is concerned with what is best for all of us.
I agree with your comments. I do want to emphasise my call for retribution though.
What I want to see happen is the left try to push through some bad action, and our response be to not only block that action but to roll back the parameters surrounding that subject, so that their interests are not only blocked on the advance, but they lose ground they had already achieved.
In the end, this is also compassionate to those who are affected adversely by the bad policies.
You see, the dems push and push and push until they finally get their way like a petulant 13 year old kid. My point is to send them to their room until they can get with the program. Our citizens deserve as much.
“...apply true compassion, wrathful compassion, rather than as a punitive measure in the sense of vengeance.”
Well, now, I cannot honestly put aside any temptation to knock the living crap out of some ignorant liberal, should s/he so compel me...