Are you a Conservative?

[thecentristword]

?

Wow, I wish I was as patriotic as one of these mythical 'Conservatives'. Fills my mind with visions of eagles, flapping flags, saluting children, trailer parks, people in Wal-Mart on scooters that are too fat to walk (but not to shop), illiteracy, incest, gun nuts, evangelical wackos and white-collar crimes (and the list goes on).

So are you a Conservative? Well, if you were a conservative in 1980, probably not. Conservatism used to be about personal responsibility, low taxes and limited government back in the day. This was a logical reaction to what was seen as liberal excesses of the 60s and 70s - in short, something based on reality.

What does conservatism mean today? Something totally different - even though they advertise the same beliefs. How do we know - very simple, their actions. Bush's skyrocketing debt, unpaid for wars, their interest in what goes on in your bedroom, a willingness to look the other way when rich people play by different rules, obsession with what women do with their own bodies - what more evidence do you need. Yes, Reagan conservatism is truly dead - unless of course you are willing to vote for Democrats...lol

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[Spider Jerusalem]

1. Not really

the whole "personal responsibility" thing is bullshit, because it pretty much says "no, I don't actually believe that endemic, pervasive socioeconomic inequality that's very frequently split on racial lines has anything at all to do with poverty and social issues in some ethnic communities, quit whining and get a job". "Low taxes" means "I don't like my money going to pay for those people". "Limited government" means "I don't like things like the Civil Rights Act". Taken as whole American "conservatism" of the 1980-ish vintage is in many respects fundamentally reactionary and racist. In a lot of ways that hasn't changed; there's just a layer of Jesus-based religious insanity on top of it.

[Luminous Animal]

3. Good post!

[Boomerproud]

2. No.

I am not, nor never will be a Conservative.

[Recursion]

4. A classical Burkean small-c conservative, maybe

I believe in incremental changes and adapting existing structures rather than making new ones whenever possible. Too bad that's not what the word means anymore.

[Bryn]

5. I never understood the term "Conservative"

[thecentristword]

6. Great feedback

It is amazing how the meaning of this word has gone from something based in reality to complete fantasy.

[JaneyVee]

7. Conservatism has always been complete fantasy. Show me one conservative President that

Didn't triple the size of the deficit or the size of Govt. And 'personal responsibility'?! Have we ever gotten an apology for trashing the economy? Bashing the Constitution? Lying us into 2 wars? The failure of trickle down economics? Puh-lease.