Definitions needed - define CONSERVATIVE (in US political spectrum)

[LaDexter]

I'll go first.


Conservative = essentially wants the government to do what the Constitution says it must do an nothing more. Supports basic "supply side" economics which gave us the wonderful Gingrich Economy in the 1990s - cutting taxes and spending. Prefers to empower INVIDIVIDUAL over GOVERNMENT, such as with school vouchers. Supporting the "status quo" is only valid if the status quo is consistent with the above.


Essentially, I am arguing that "conservative" in US politics means just fiscal conservatism and strictly Constitutional extent of government. Abortion, gays, legal marijuana, guns etc. those issues should mean nothing to conservatives, who should support PRIVACY and "whatever you do in your residence is your business as long as you do not break the law."

So, in total, the exact opposite of conservative was George W Bush... which is why he goes down in history as the worst president in US history.

 

[BULLDOG]

The historical definition of conservatism, and the disjointed mess that current conservatism has become don't resemble each other at all.

 

[BluesLegend]

Conservative - Defenders of the rule of law, the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Typically they battle lawless lying scum liberals.

 

[LaDexter]

Bingo - that's why I've started these threads. If we keep using these words - liberal and conservative - and we have different meanings ascribed to them, we are essentially


miscommunicating



and that is not good.

Let's try for a USMB definition that is acceptable to all, and use that definition...

 

[edthecynic]

CON$ervatism is a hate religion.

 

[deltex1]

Conservatives are practical thinkers. Leave me the fuck alone and I'll be fine.

 

[rightwinger]

 

[rightwinger]

 

[Al Azar]

Here's a typical conservative's train of thought as seen through the eyes of Joe Conservative:

Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards.

With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised.

All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.

He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards.

Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

At noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression. Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also pays to his federally subsidized student loans from the a state funded university he attended.

Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the taxpayer funded roads. He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans. The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification. He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn't mention that the beloved conservatives have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day.

Joe agrees: "We don't need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of himself, just like I have."

 

[TheOldSchool]

Conservative (social) -

1. following biblical law as the only possible means for acheiving morality (cover your body, impose faith on others, deny rights to other faiths, sex only between male and female in missionary position, etc.)
2. foreign policy - employ a supremely powerful military to limit foreign influence and to spread Judeo-Christian values through violence if necessary; this means unlimited funding for the military at any and all expense, and complete rejection of the Geneva Conventions
3. discourage immigration and foreign perspectives and opinions
4. dismantle the majority of the government

Conservative (fiscal) -

1. the free market will always correct itself; regulations in trade and sales are completely unnecessary and tyrannical
2. taxes are tyrannical
3. de-fund the government

 

[rightwinger]

 

[NYcarbineer]

A conservative is someone who wants to party like it's 1899.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

"Definitions needed - define CONSERVATIVE (in US political spectrum)"

Reactionary dogma fearful of, and hostile to, change, diversity, dissent, and expressions of individual liberty.

Fundamentally authoritarian, most on the right seek to compel conformity through force of law.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

A conservative is someone who wants to party like it's 1899.

Actually that would be 1799.

 

[NYcarbineer]

A conservative is someone who wants to party like it's 1899.

Actually that would be 1799.

I like 1899 because

1. it was the era of laissez faire capitalism
2. it was gilded age, with an extreme gap between rich and poor
3. it was before unions had gained much of any power
4. segregation was alive and well
5. women couldn't yet vote
6. abortion was illegal
7. gays had virtually no rights
8. little or no environmental protection existed

 

[LaDexter]

segregation was alive and well

thanks to the DEMOCRATIC party....

 

[NYcarbineer]

A conservative is someone who wants to party like it's 1899.

Actually that would be 1799.

I like 1899 because

1. it was the era of laissez faire capitalism
2. it was gilded age, with an extreme gap between rich and poor
3. it was before unions had gained much of any power
4. segregation was alive and well
5. women couldn't yet vote
6. abortion was illegal
7. gays had virtually no rights
8. little or no environmental protection existed

And I should add, there was little or no safety net for the poor.

 

[NYcarbineer]

segregation was alive and well

thanks to the DEMOCRATIC party....

If your grandfather was a serial killer, how much blame do you have for his crimes?

 

[LaDexter]

Come on. Yes, it is fun to make fun of the other side.

I think we can all agree that the word "conservative" implies greater conformity to a strict interpretation to the Constitution than "liberal." Beyond that, we may agree to disagree.

One definition here states that "conservative" means according to the Bible on social issues. To me, that's a big reach. Jesus was pretty socialist, obsessed with helping poor, told one "businessman" to get rid of all his possessions and follow him around. Once Jesus was crucified, the "businessman" would be plum out of luck...

 

[edthecynic]

Conservative (fiscal) -

1. the free market will always correct itself; regulations in trade and sales are completely unnecessary and tyrannical