Posted by
Greg England on Saturday, September 08, 2007 7:17:22 PM
One of the more pejorative terms used by liberals to describe conservatives, is the term ‘reactionary’. This term implies resistance against the agenda that is defined by liberal progressives.
This is how conservatives are regarded by liberals ... as reactionaries
We are reactionaries, the unenlightened ones ... stalwarts against progress. We can attempt to hold back the tides of history for only so long, but like King Canute our resistance is futile. We are looked on with amusement, pity and contempt by the more radical within the liberal movement. Liberals define themselves by their tolerance, but strangely enough this tolerance does not extend to conservatives.
So where can we find conservative thought?
US conservatives may regard Tony Blair as one of their own, but back in 1999 he was making speeches to the party faithful in which he promised “A New Britain where the extraordinary talent of the British people is liberated from the forces of conservatism that so long have held them back.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/460009.stm
What about Friedrich Hayek?
Friedrich Hayek’s thesis “The Constitution of Liberty” is said to have played a major part in the transformation of the UK Conservative Party during the Thatcher years. Given that the Iron Lady had so much regard for Hayek, surely this book should be an exposition of conservative thought and a bastion of conservative principles.
Yet as an addendum to the book, Hayek included an essay entitled ‘Why I am not a Conservative’
http://www.fahayek.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46
He described his objection to conservatism being that “by its very nature it cannot offer an alternative to the direction in which we are moving.” Hayek feared that it was the “fate of conservatism to be dragged along a path not of its own choosing”. He also stated in his essay that “American radicals and socialists began calling themselves ‘liberals’“. This essay was first published in 1960. American ‘liberals’ have been left-wing for some time.
What about classic liberalism?
A classic liberal is someone who is tolerant in the model of John Stuart Mill. In his essay, ‘On Liberty’ he stated that “the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.”
http://www.utilitarianism.com/ol/one.html
Now I can sign up to this. If you are a liberal, and this is what you believe in, then I salute you! I have absolutely zero interest in telling someone else how to live their life; unless they are doing something that directly interferes with my happiness. Putting a brick through the windscreen of my car would be a good example of something that interferes with my happiness.
So why do I call myself a Conservative?
What do you make of the following crazy notions:
· Criminals deserve to be punished: “hugging a hoodie” is not the answer
· Children should respect their elders. No, really, they should
· Education should focus on the three Rs
· If you want to read, first learn the alphabet
· When men and women get married this is good for society
· Not everyone wears their heart on their sleeve
· Human beings are more important than animals
· The “experts” don’t know everything ... take it with a pinch of salt
· People should take responsibility for their own actions
· Character matters more than intelligence
· People are often naive about other people’s intentions
· Utopian political philosophy is a recipe for disaster
· There is often more than one way to solve a problem
· Life is messy and complex
I believe in the above and more ...
I told you I was a wingnut!