Liberal / Conservative (Part 2) Politics
Thomas Dawson
August 09, 2005
Just as economic conservatism is related to the preservation of established powers, political and social conservatism is rooted in the traditions of those same powers. The political Conservatives are historically regarded as strict guardians of the law and intolerant of deviations, however slight. Outside (and sometimes inside) the democratic polities they are considered repressive and dictatorial.
Conservative views have a long history and include extremist empires from Egypt and Rome to Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Russia. In religion the early Catholic Church was as conservative as is today’s Muslim Taliban to name but two. Conservative cultures and their religions have been the standard systems of history and in all probability, hard-core conservative cultures will return to dominate most of the world in the near future.
As you might expect, political liberalism is an attitude of rebellion against the confinements and restraints of the traditions or policies of the established powers. These are the purveyors of freedom and tolerance for social change and are generally viewed as insurrectionists. Like their economic counterparts, they want inclusion in government for their radical ideas. Historically, it is only recently that they have been able to exert influence on the scene. The English Monarchy’s tolerance and willingness to include dissenting factions into the governing process encouraged the seeds of liberalization, and presented the logical possibility of a democracy in the distant colonies. The American Revolution was the first large-scale modern success in liberal rebellion, soon followed by revolutions in Europe.
Early alternative liberal views in religion were successful more as a result of coinciding political redress between competing regimes, than for the widespread acceptance of fundamental changes in religious thought. Nations resisting the political intrusion of an aggressive Catholic Church allowed for the spreading of religious tolerance at the very time that the printing press became popular throughout Europe. Several new Christian sects were spawned in a very short time. Many of these new sects were at least as conservative and often less tolerant than the Catholic Church had been. Within the United States after the American Revolution, these conservative religious sects were forced to tolerate one another in order to survive. The framers of the constitution of our new republic were careful to maintain a separation of church and state for this very reason.
Do not be misled; rebellion and revolution, however good the intentions, do not usually lead to a liberalized government of the people. Usually, in the end, a revolution replaces one repressive government with another as can be seen in the case of Castro’s Cuba. Even when successful, neither peaceful nor violent revolutions can convert cultures into successful and lasting democracies without an intimate understanding of shared cultural expectations within the general population. Half the members of the United Nations are examples of failed democracies. A subject for another day!
One of the major differences between Conservatives and Liberals is their reaction to alternative ideas. Liberals tend to view ideas as either reasonably fair or unfair in terms of the public good. Conservatives tend to view any ideas in terms of the national interest (read controlling class structure) and as either right or wrong. Conservatives are attracted to nationalism and patriotic pageantry and use them to their advantage. Economic dominance and strong governmental discipline are the immediate goals. They believe that class distinctions are necessary to preserve order in a civilized society. Strong Conservatives lend undue passion, an almost religious fervor to their political ideologies and can easily develop a fascist mindset.
Liberals tend to encourage a classless society; they favor human rights, civil liberties, free speech, free education, free health insurance, and progressive taxation.
Naturally, the indigenous citizens of a democratic society are imbued with all of these thoughts and seldom stand firmly at either end of the spectrum. Liberals lose out quickly on the political scene because they do not inspire a strong sense of direction except in times of economic stress or civil repression. Conservatives, on the other hand, relish controlling and directing society. Currently, most Americans lean toward the conservative side, due to having been at war for most of their memory and have concerns about their national security.
The truth is that most governments soon become Conservative unless there is a strong Socialist movement in the country. This country has never had a serious Socialist movement and has always had a strong inclination toward Conservatism. There have been a couple of situations in which the conservatives felt that the liberals had taken over, but there was nothing like revolution, no drastic changes in governmental policy, or general insurrection. These were but fleeting incidents of innovation and perhaps visionary moments in presidents of strong personal character. In times of difficult circumstances they were searching for a new and better sense of direction and acted upon it.
At the turn of the twentieth century, President McKinley was assassinated and Theodore Roosevelt became our President. He was a surprise, to say the least. Although a conservative, he considered himself to be also “progressive”. He made attempts to improve the conditions of the working class. He had a social conscience and was willing to be Liberal when necessary. His cousin, Franklin also tried to emulate this progressive thinking during the “great depression” and experimented with progressive or Liberal ideas to get the working class back to work. With the “Marshal Plan” and the “GI Bill of Rights” under Truman, the progressive or Liberal movement came to an end.
The Civil Rights movement is probably the single greatest achievement of Liberal thinking in this country. Keep in mind that the Civil War was not originally a war intending to free the slaves. It was to prevent secession.
The Military buildup started with WW II and continued to expand. Soon after WW II we found ourselves in the Korean War and the Cold War. The War in Vietnam and the end of the Cold War did nothing to deter the continued growth of our Military-Industrial complex. The Military-Industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us against has grown beyond even his fears. We supply most of the world with their weapons. It is a major component of our economy.
Voting age adults have all grown up in a world of war and insecurity. It is hardly a surprise that we tend to have conservative views. Since the 9/11 catastrophe, Americans have given up many rights in the name of security. Not only through Homeland Security provisions but also, through the Patriots Act. We are always assured that these laws extending the governments right to infringe on citizen’s rights will not be used, except in the most rare of cases dealing with national security. Keep in mind that national security, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. Outright Fascism could be only a stumble away.
Conservative views have a long history and include extremist empires from Egypt and Rome to Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Russia. In religion the early Catholic Church was as conservative as is today’s Muslim Taliban to name but two. Conservative cultures and their religions have been the standard systems of history and in all probability, hard-core conservative cultures will return to dominate most of the world in the near future.
As you might expect, political liberalism is an attitude of rebellion against the confinements and restraints of the traditions or policies of the established powers. These are the purveyors of freedom and tolerance for social change and are generally viewed as insurrectionists. Like their economic counterparts, they want inclusion in government for their radical ideas. Historically, it is only recently that they have been able to exert influence on the scene. The English Monarchy’s tolerance and willingness to include dissenting factions into the governing process encouraged the seeds of liberalization, and presented the logical possibility of a democracy in the distant colonies. The American Revolution was the first large-scale modern success in liberal rebellion, soon followed by revolutions in Europe.
Early alternative liberal views in religion were successful more as a result of coinciding political redress between competing regimes, than for the widespread acceptance of fundamental changes in religious thought. Nations resisting the political intrusion of an aggressive Catholic Church allowed for the spreading of religious tolerance at the very time that the printing press became popular throughout Europe. Several new Christian sects were spawned in a very short time. Many of these new sects were at least as conservative and often less tolerant than the Catholic Church had been. Within the United States after the American Revolution, these conservative religious sects were forced to tolerate one another in order to survive. The framers of the constitution of our new republic were careful to maintain a separation of church and state for this very reason.
Do not be misled; rebellion and revolution, however good the intentions, do not usually lead to a liberalized government of the people. Usually, in the end, a revolution replaces one repressive government with another as can be seen in the case of Castro’s Cuba. Even when successful, neither peaceful nor violent revolutions can convert cultures into successful and lasting democracies without an intimate understanding of shared cultural expectations within the general population. Half the members of the United Nations are examples of failed democracies. A subject for another day!
One of the major differences between Conservatives and Liberals is their reaction to alternative ideas. Liberals tend to view ideas as either reasonably fair or unfair in terms of the public good. Conservatives tend to view any ideas in terms of the national interest (read controlling class structure) and as either right or wrong. Conservatives are attracted to nationalism and patriotic pageantry and use them to their advantage. Economic dominance and strong governmental discipline are the immediate goals. They believe that class distinctions are necessary to preserve order in a civilized society. Strong Conservatives lend undue passion, an almost religious fervor to their political ideologies and can easily develop a fascist mindset.
Liberals tend to encourage a classless society; they favor human rights, civil liberties, free speech, free education, free health insurance, and progressive taxation.
Naturally, the indigenous citizens of a democratic society are imbued with all of these thoughts and seldom stand firmly at either end of the spectrum. Liberals lose out quickly on the political scene because they do not inspire a strong sense of direction except in times of economic stress or civil repression. Conservatives, on the other hand, relish controlling and directing society. Currently, most Americans lean toward the conservative side, due to having been at war for most of their memory and have concerns about their national security.
The truth is that most governments soon become Conservative unless there is a strong Socialist movement in the country. This country has never had a serious Socialist movement and has always had a strong inclination toward Conservatism. There have been a couple of situations in which the conservatives felt that the liberals had taken over, but there was nothing like revolution, no drastic changes in governmental policy, or general insurrection. These were but fleeting incidents of innovation and perhaps visionary moments in presidents of strong personal character. In times of difficult circumstances they were searching for a new and better sense of direction and acted upon it.
At the turn of the twentieth century, President McKinley was assassinated and Theodore Roosevelt became our President. He was a surprise, to say the least. Although a conservative, he considered himself to be also “progressive”. He made attempts to improve the conditions of the working class. He had a social conscience and was willing to be Liberal when necessary. His cousin, Franklin also tried to emulate this progressive thinking during the “great depression” and experimented with progressive or Liberal ideas to get the working class back to work. With the “Marshal Plan” and the “GI Bill of Rights” under Truman, the progressive or Liberal movement came to an end.
The Civil Rights movement is probably the single greatest achievement of Liberal thinking in this country. Keep in mind that the Civil War was not originally a war intending to free the slaves. It was to prevent secession.
The Military buildup started with WW II and continued to expand. Soon after WW II we found ourselves in the Korean War and the Cold War. The War in Vietnam and the end of the Cold War did nothing to deter the continued growth of our Military-Industrial complex. The Military-Industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us against has grown beyond even his fears. We supply most of the world with their weapons. It is a major component of our economy.
Voting age adults have all grown up in a world of war and insecurity. It is hardly a surprise that we tend to have conservative views. Since the 9/11 catastrophe, Americans have given up many rights in the name of security. Not only through Homeland Security provisions but also, through the Patriots Act. We are always assured that these laws extending the governments right to infringe on citizen’s rights will not be used, except in the most rare of cases dealing with national security. Keep in mind that national security, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. Outright Fascism could be only a stumble away.
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