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The Wisdom of a Conservative
Historian Paul Johnson explains why conservatism will never die.
A true conservative today should stress construction, encouragement, moderation and understanding instead of destruction, prohibition, extremism and slogans. A conservative thinks in terms of countless minor corrections and improvements based on experience and experiment rather than in terms of a universal, uniform solution based on theory and enforced by inflexible law.Read the whole thing.
A conservative, in the best sense, sees the world and its inhabitants as an interdependent organism, comprising innumerable local communities and territories, each adapting to particular conditions. A conservative is someone who goes with the grain of humanity and the nature of the physical world, rather than trying to regiment and fashion a utopia through force of law. And, needless to say, an acceptable conservative is not one who thinks all the answers are obvious but is a modest person who admits that problems are not easily solved, that perfection is unattainable in this world and that it is often necessary to admit mistakes, change one's mind and start again.
posted by Spencerblog at
7:36 AM
25 Comments:
Conservatism will never die because there will always be uneducated and ignorant people. People that think in black and white. People that fear others with different cultures or skin colors. People with hollow ideas and no plans. People with charisma and no ability. Joe the Plumber, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck are leading the charge.
Kicking out the moderates, splitting the vote and shrinking the base is their idea of victory. That's exactly the kind of self-destructive plan we would expect from them.
Meanwhile, the immoderate liberals running Congress are very popular.
Compared to the conservative obstructionist party of NO, the Dems are still more popular.
The Republican Party is becoming the Donner Party. Some will advance by consuming the moderates, but overall their numbers will dwindle.
Bill Kristol is embracing the divide as a sign of strength. He's actually claiming that "the spirit's more problem-solving populism than demonizing demagoguery". I guess ignorance really needs to be your source of strength if your goal is to bring back 1984.
The difference is that Reagan expanded the base.
A Nonymous - by chance, are you into cheerleading?
That'd be Paul Johnson, noted philanderer and spanking fetishist. Another in the long line of "conservative" hypocrites...see Limbauogh, R., Gingrich, N., Vitter, D., Foley, M., Ensign, J., Giuliani, R., Craig,L.,..does it ever end with this group?
Matt,
That's your argument? Because You forgot, Morris, Dick.
But then, that might've reminded others about Bill Clinton and his young-fat-girl/cigar fetish.
Other less conservative sexcapaders include Gary Studds, Gary Hart, Barney Frank, Chuck Robb, Mel Reynolds, Gary Condit, Jim McGreevey, Gavin Newsom, Eliot Spitzer, David Paterson, John Edwards, Kwame Kilpatrick, Jesse Jackson, the list goes on and on.
So I guess the question is, when it comes to sexual proclivities, does it ever end with any group?
Gil - Are you just playing stupid, or do you really not see the difference between conservatives and liberals when it comes to sexual proclivities? Conservatives align themselves with the religious right, and claim the moral high ground. Liberals are much more likely to be forgiving of ones sexual proclivities, even if it does involve a cigar. Liberals could care less about Barney Frank's sex life, but most conservatives are appalled. So when a conservative, religious, anti gay Larry Craig gets caught with his pants down, for liberals, it becomes more a matter of hypocrisy.
Bob,
Did you actually use the word "hypocrisy" to describe someone other than the condescending liberal elites and their fawning celebrity/media toadies?
People who describe their opposition as ignorant, and try to end debates on expensive crisis mongering like global warming and health care when their ideas are challenged, somehow aren't hypocrites?
It's hard to have a reasonable dialogue with someone stuck in a self-righteous fantasy.
It wasn't the conservatives whose President eulogized a murderer as the "Lion of the Senate".
A Nonymous says conservatives are "People with charisma and no ability" but that sounds like the latest liberal Nobel laureate to me.
You're stuck with defending golf records, a global warming scam and a 1.3 trillion dollar health care bill, and the people who dare question it are hypocrites?
Not in this reality my confused friend.
Steve, I was on the playing field, not the sidelines.
Bob, I agree. It does seem like the conservatives talk like prudes but act like sluts. That's what happens when they are sexually repressed and trying to live like they're from some black and white sitcom. They try to impose their values on everyone else. They can't adjust to the reality we live in today, and then it catches up with them. That's the problem with their holier than thou attitude.
I feel sorry for them.
Bob,
If most conservatives are appalled by Barney Frank, it has a lot less to do with his past sexual hijinks with male hookers than the arrogance with which he blows through taxpayers' money.
Jakey, it's these particular conservatives I'm talking about. They are leading the party to ruin. They'd rather obstruct than accomplish. They criticize plans, but have none of their own.
"Lower Taxes" isn't a plan. It's a slogan. They never explain how they are going to pay for roads, bridges, the military, public safety, homeland security, oversight, testing the food supply, storage of nuclear waste, land management, etc.
There a plenty of moderate Republicans who understand the nuts and bolts of actually implementing policies. There are trade offs and consequences. The clueless charisma clan doesn't understand policy.
Beside, Jakey, there really are ignorant people in the opposition. How is Bob going to distinguish you from them if you make the same uninformed arguments? Are you seriously denying global warming? Wake up and watch the polar ice cap melting.
The health care bill is under a trillion, and that's spread out over 10 years. Less than $100 billion a year is a good deal if it helps tens of millions of people get coverage AND lowers the costs for over a hundred million others.
Tell, you what. When your insurance carrier finally lowers their premiums, you defy them and continue to pay the higher amount.
Gil - Frank's constituents don't seem to have a problem with his governing style. They keep putting him back into office, don't they? On the other hand, the leader of the Republican party, Rush Limbaugh, seems to get quite a thrill by poking fun at Franks sexuality. As for Paul Johnson, I find this statement to be quite interesting -"A conservative thinks in terms of countless minor corrections and improvements based on experience and experiment rather than in terms of a universal, uniform solution based on theory and enforced by inflexible law." I would think that Christian conservatives would have a problem with that statement, wouldn't you? Hey!Here's a quote for you. It comes from the woman Johnson was having an affair with "Paul loved to be spanked and it was a big part of our relationship. I had to tell him he was a very naughty boy."
A very naughty bot indeed.
Jake - Did you just refer to Ted Kennedy as a murderer? Are you off of your medication again?
You said "It's hard to have a reasonable dialogue with someone stuck in a self-righteous fantasy."
More self deprecating humor, Jake?
Bob,
Frank doesn't "govern." He not in the executive branch of anything. He's a legislator and he's supposed to legislate.
The voters of his district are quite liberal if you haven't noticed. Conservatives', especially those of a libertarian bent are more appalled by Frank's politics and his dreams of a greater government control of the country's economic life.
But if you and Matt and Shank-A-Nonymous would rather talk about sex, well, by all means, go spank each other silly.
Gil- OK. Lets talk about what Johnson had to say.
"A true conservative today should stress construction, encouragement, moderation and understanding instead of destruction, prohibition, extremism and slogans." I hope Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck are reading this. And this "A conservative thinks in terms of countless minor corrections and improvements based on experience and experiment rather than in terms of a universal, uniform solution based on theory and enforced by inflexible law." I think the religious right would have a problem with this.
Bob-
The conservatives don't seem to care about "experience and experiment" when it comes to evolution, climate change, pollution, etc.
Spank-A-Spencer-Mouse (rhymes with Shank-A-Nonymous) doesn't realize that the ultra-conservatives trying to slaughter the moderate-conservatives is bad policy (for them).
The defeat of the Palin backed candidate in NY, and it's implications, will be ignored.
It's the Whiz-Dumb of the Conservatives.
Bob, again, ween yourself off the talk radio, it's not healthy for you. Your posts relating everything to for-profit radio hosts are wearing then. Please try again.
Anon-dianoey,
Why no debate on global warming? Even Nobel laureate Al Gore is afraid to debate the founder of the Weather Channel. We're talking about a guy who is like everybody's favorite grandfather and still Al Gore refuses to defend his suspect principles. Maybe the global warming scam is a little too lucrative for Al Gore to risk being exposed as a fraud.
That Barney Frank has escaped culpability on the financial mess is one of the great mysteries of our time.
Why does the mainstream media always fail to mention that Bill Clinton deregulated the financial markets, Barney Frank demanded subprime loans to unworthy borrowers consistent with his entitlement mentality, and that the Democrats controlled Congress for two years before the recession hit?
Conservatives fear for the well-being of the country when simple honesty and truth are ignored by the pompous blowhards spouting the big government agenda.
Let's just say, Bob, you need a babysitter. Ted Kennedy or Glen Beck -- who do you choose?
We all know that no responsible parent would ever allow their children to be near that womanizing murderer Ted Kennedy. That America had to listen to our leader extolling that sorry waste of a human being was pitiful and embarrassing.
Jake - DUH! This is really a tough one. Of course I choose Beck. Ted Kennedy's dead. On the other hand, a dead babysitter would probably be better than Beck. Who want's a baby sitter that teaches your kid how to cry on cue. On a serious note, I don't recall Ted Kennedy ever being accused of murder let alone being charged or convicted.
If killing someone in a car accident is murder, wouldn't that make Laura Bush a murderer? Do you refer to Dick Cheney as an attempted murderer? After all, he did shoot his hunting partner in the face, and somehow avoided being tested for drinking.
Bob-
Good one about attempted murderer Cheney. He even got his victim to apologize.
I forgot that thing about Laura.
You are good at this.
Where's Jakey's simple honesty and truth about how Bush ruined the economy?
ruined the economy through unregulated mortgages with fannie and freddie thanks to our dems in the house and senate?
Jake - You were critical of me for bringing up Bush by saying "he's no longer the president", and yet you constantly bring up a Ted Kennedy accident that happened in 1969. News break, Jake - Ted Kennedy is dead! Talk about dredging up the irrevelent past. Jake, you look foolish and manipulative when you constantly refer to Kennedy as a murderer.
Jake - You were critical of me for bringing up Bush by saying "he's no longer the president", and yet you constantly bring up a Ted Kennedy accident that happened in 1969. News break, Jake - Ted Kennedy is dead! Talk about dredging up the irrevelent past. Jake, you look foolish and manipulative when you constantly refer to Kennedy as a murderer.
Stevie-
Ruined the economy with irresponsible tax cuts, increased spending, waste and abuse. Then, they cut spending on enforcement and oversight. They ignored all the warning signs, denied a recession existed, failed to create jobs, and made it easier for US corporations to dodge their tax obligations.
The Republican majority (1995-2007) championed deregulation.
The problem with the mortgages was that they were repackaged and resold beyond their actual value and risk level. That's where the problem was.
wow, dotting every I by responding to everything, you sound AWFULLY familiar. Tax cuts are good and if you disagree, may I suggest a basic economics class. Commence further talking points!!!
Steve:
Diano thinks there should be equal income and resource distribution among everyone. It isn't enough for him that the tope 50% of all wage earners already pay almost ALL of the income taxes.
Tax the crap out of all of us and you get less of what we do.
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