What is A Conservative?
If there’s been written a greater definition of conservativism today than was written here, I certainly have not seen it. I agree with Mona Charen that it’s worth keeping close at hand for the next few years.
Here it is:
The conservative movement constitutes an alliance of those who accept unchangeable facts rather than trying to wish fantasy into reality, remake human nature, or avoid economic tradeoffs. Traditionalists embrace timeless morals, even when they deny one immediate gratification. Libertarians embrace the sovereignty of consumer demand and the sometimes-disorienting effects of technological change, even when the result isn’t to one’s personal liking. And hawks embrace the reality that America lives in a dangerous neighborhood, one full of bullies, pirates, and fanatics who respond to gestures of good will with contempt, larceny, and brutality.
Let me say that I would feel quite at home in any of those groups.
If I had to define what it means to me to be a conservative, I think I’d use the definition I gave to a friend who asked me what I thought about the President’s economic stimulus plan. It’s not as poetic not stirring as the one I just quoted, but it has the advantage of being brief.
The first question a conservative asks when presented with a problem is, “What is likely to happen if we do nothing?”
One of the things I’ve found incredibly refreshing about Fred Thompson is that so many of his responses to questions has been, essentially, “Why don’t we wait to see if there really is a problem before we jump into anything?”. It’s impossible to deny that our media outlets and our politicians have a vested interest in making our government bigger. The politicians get more money to control and the news outlets get yet more influence as the “gatekeepers” who get far more access to government officials than you or I. They both gain great amounts of power, professionally and personally. Neither group is above ginning up a crisis which only answer is a new or radically-expanded government problem. Note that at no point in my lifetime has the bulk of the media outlets’ response to a “crisis” been to shrink the size of government or to give you more unfettered control of your life. Never.
But I think it’s wise, when we’re confronted with the headlines in ginormous bold font, to ask ourselves what could happen if we just relax and let things play out for another six months or a year. I imagine that if we did, we’d find that the newest thing that’s supposed to scare us witless is as fearsome as a Scooby-Doo villain unmasked.
No related posts.
Category: Political Pontifications
