The very definition of conservatism implies un-compassionate selfishness

[boolean]

Over the years of paying attention to politics, I've noticed that there is only one truly fundamental difference between "conservatives" and "liberals". Now, each person may fall on one side or the other when it comes to specific issues, such as taxes, guns, abortion, etc...

But the very essence of being conservative is to resist change and support the status quo, while being liberal is just the opposite. To a liberal, change is good and the status quo is bad. It is with these fundamental definitions of liberal and conservative that I chose long ago to be a liberal. The very definition of being a conservative is to be a selfish asshole.

Because who are the ones who want to keep the status quo? There's a reason why conservatives don't want change. Conservatives are the ones for whom society has treated well. The white heterosexual males in the 50's. The rich polluting businessmen in the 60's. The chicken hawk warmongering rich and upper middle class of the 21st century. These people don't want change because these people have it made. They can afford their own health care and private education. They can sit comfortably in their living room while soldiers from poor neighborhoods die in Iraq. They don't live near the factory or in the 'hood.

They don't care about other people. They only care about themselves. Universal health care would cost them higher taxes. Gay marriage would offend their bigoted sensibilities. Election reform would put their politicians out of power. The status quo is good to them. Change is bad.

It was the liberals who pushed for the end of segregation. The liberals were the ones who gave women the right to vote and dared to challenge the idea of being a subservient slave to a husband, pregnant and barefoot in the kitchen. Liberals invented social security. Liberals don't want their children to die from poison air and water. Liberals see that the status quo has many problems and strive to fix those problems through change. Liberals give a shit about other people.

I know this has probably been said many times before, but I just needed to vent a little bit here. Next time a conservative calls you a liberal, ("far left" or otherwise), say "thank you".

[Erika]

1. Great post. Thank you. n/t

[Jeffersons Ghost]

2. here's your 5th vote...

What you forgot to say is that Einstein wisely wrote, "The only constant in the universe is change." With that truth in mind, resisting change becomes futile. The only REAL issue is whether we change for the better or the worse.

[City Lights]

3. Feel free to vent again anytime.

:thumbsup:

[LisaLynne]

4. Well said.

There are some conservatives who don't have it made financially, but they support the status quo, I believe, because of the (usually false) promise that they'll eventually get theirs as long as they can stop those upstarts (read African-Americans, "immigrants", women, etc) from getting the government to take stuff away from them. They are preserving the status quo that supports racism, sexism, and xenophobia because they are among one or more of the "privileged" groups under the current society. You're exactly right when you say it's selfish. Men who fight for women's rights do not see it as a loss of their privileged status, but instead making society more fair to everyone. They are looking out for the good of others, not just themselves and that is something that is unknown to the conservative mind, in this sense. Perhaps in any sense.

[Cosmocat]

5. I stumbled onto a GREAT quote ...

From John Kenneth Galbraith that TOTALLY nails it ...

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."