Thoughts on Conservatism; found in the Washpo editorial pages....

[newmac]

(An editorial poster from the Post puts it succinctly)

Steven F. Hayward wrote: “The single largest defect of modern conservatism, in my mind, is its insufficient ability to challenge liberalism at the intellectual level. . . .”

No.

The single largest defect of modern conservatism is that it has ruined the nation.

Conservatives do not have ideas; they have interests.

Conservatives are not “thinkers”; they are rationalizers who give an intellectual gloss to their belief that an alliance of predatory businesspeople and religious extremists should rule the rest of us.

The wreckage caused by modern conservatism lies all around us, and speaks for itself: If conservatism isn’t dead, it should be.

DANIEL ROSEN

Baltimore
Source: Washington Post 10/9/2009

[edwardian]

1. Worse still.

Conservatives are frightened people who believe any change in the social status quo is a danger. They are generally unable to imagine any better world than this mess we live in. They are people of the "no". The last great defendcer of conservatism was Ayn Rand and she is a discredit to thought, frankly. Conservatives want to conserve the world of privilege and exclusion that they grew up being told was the ONLY possible world. Conservatism is reaction, it is kin to all regressive ideologies.

[zbdent]

2. "challenge liberalism at the intellectual level" ...

well, when you pretty much embrace ignorance and "unintelligentsia" as aspects to strive for, then yeah, it's hard for "conservatives" to challenge a liberal at an intellectual level ...

I mean, how often were we subjected to the idea that Al Gore was the boring intellectual "nerd" (as opposed to "regular, C student" Bush, and that was with a generous helping of liberal grading), and colleges as the "hotbed" of liberalism (and yet you need a degree to get a job)?

[SpiralHawk]

3. So-called 'conservatives' aren't conservatives

The word 'conservative' is just a propaganda mind-f*ck technique the Republicon Homelanders use to cover up and spin the radical reality of their fiscal, environmental & moral profligacy.

The Republicon Homelander so-called 'conservatives' have flushed America's economy, environment & honor down the crapper with their diaper-clad, wide-stance 'Family Values' Fail Freakery, and their borrow-and-spend idiocy that trashed the USA economy.

Republicon 'conservatives' =
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend
borrow-and-spend