Is this Basic Conservative Message True?

[SolomonVII]

Is this basic conservative message true?

More of a personal thread.
If your father was conservative, maybe you can answer this.

If the basic message of your father was "that life is hard, and the government can't save you", was he telling the truth?


Now personally, I wish it wasn't true. I even tried to live like it wasn't.

But is it true anyways? Is live necessarily hard, or can the government make it easy,...a whole lot easier even?

Note the bias in the poll.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Is that really the basic message of conservatives?

 

[Fish and Bread]

Yeah, I don't think this is the basic message of conservatives. The real message of conservatives is often something like "Life is hard, so let's actively try to make it worse for the poor and the middle class and never take steps to make it better for anyone who doesn't already do well.". It's a strange mix of giving up, and of outright favoring the wealthy. I think it in part stems from the idea that people who get ahead are there based on merit and the people who don't are there because they don't deserve to live decent lives (Which, by the way, is not at all Christian thinking -- it stems from Neitzche and Ayn Rand people like that. Right-wing economics bases it's ideas on the foundation of atheistic philosophies, in large measure).

Sure, the poor will always be with us. People will always be unhappy regardless of economic status. But that isn't an excuse for letting people die in the street. It's not an excuse for having people work their butts off complete with overtime and everything, and not giving them a living wage, health care, and a little vacation time in exchange.

The key difference I feel like between liberals and conservatives, at least economically, is that a liberal will say "Things will never be perfect, but let's try to make the system fair for the poor and the middle class, and make sure they get certain things for their efforts, and that they have a safety net if things go wrong, at least." whereas a conservative will say "If you can't get ahead, it's your own fault, and you deserve what you get (or don't). The cream rises to the crop, and they deserve all the advantages they can get.".

Liberalism actually carries with it a message similar to Christianity in the sense that both feel every human being has intrinsic value and worth and dignity. Conservativism is more of a social darwinist survival of the fittest type of deal.

Anyhow, I voted no to the poll.

 

[Joachim]

That's not a conservative message.

Conservatism means being pro-life, for traditional marriage, for gun rights and so forth. Has nothing to do with what the government can or cannot do for you.

 

[Fish and Bread]

Conservatism means being pro-life, for traditional marriage, for gun rights and so forth. Has nothing to do with what the government can or cannot do for you.

Conservatism really has four dimensions: economic, social, civil, and foreign policy. For Americans, the conservative party is the Republican Party, so let's mainly look at them. There were recently in power and did a lot to advance their economic agenda -- deregulation for corporations, tax cuts for the rich, etc.. They did a lot to advance their foreign policy agenda -- invading Iraq, isolating us from the world community. They did a lot to restrict civil liberties.

What did they not do a whole lot of? Social issues. Abortion is still very legal. Guns are regulated about the same way. Gay marriage is legal in like a half dozen states now, whereas it was none before.

Republicans are using social conservatives to get elected and then attacking them economically (since many social conservatives are poor and middle class). It's how they are playing the game. Unfortunately, a lot of folks were falling for it, at least until the last couple of elections. I think the most recent elections where Democrats did so well signifies that people are starting to wake up.

 

[Michie]

Are we allowed to have this here since it's strictly political?

 

[EDB]

I was just going to ask the same thing!

Doesn't this belong is American Politics? If you have a good reason for it here speak up!

 

[Michie]

I just know I've gotten notices for posting political items even from Catholic sources.

I was told if it has nothing to do with our faith, our institutions or a Catholic official speaking on the subject it is a no go.

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket... I just wondered because I was getting confused because of what I've been told from staff.

 

[EDB]

MOD HAT ON

THREAD CLOSED FOR STAFF REVIEW.

MOD HAT OFF​