If you are conservative, why?

Question

nightdrot · Accepted Answer

Yes I am "Conservative." However, I always, when I see this kind of question, have to put an asterisk over it. My conservatism is not what Americans typically call conservative. Because what Americans call conservative is, historically speaking, not conservatism but is, rather, classical liberalism.

My conservatism, which for convenience I will call classical or Tory conservatism, traces its intellectual pedigree through Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas - and probably most importantly - the 18th century British statesman and political philosopher, Edmund Burke, and also the British Prime Ministers Benjamin Disraeli and Lord Salisbury.

In an American context, it shows up in the thinking of Alexander Hamilton and then - almost by historical accident, the American Whig Party, and the former Whig turned Republican, Abraham Lincoln. It is a great historical "what if" as to what the GOP would have looked like had Lincoln lived and the radical Republicans not gained the ascendancy.

(Please note, Donald Trump, by the way, is not a conservative at all. He is rather a populist. Which at the most fundamental level is almost as anti-conservative as American liberalism. Indeed, Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden - the latter also a populist - have more in common than not.)

Classical conservatives believe, unlike American conservatives and liberals, that the purpose of government is to answer Aristotle's first questions of politics, "How ought we to live? What kind of a people do we wish to be?"

To which classical conservatives respond that the purpose of government is to nurture civic virtue. To reinforce those habits and customs, legitimized by historical usage over time, that make a harmonious and stable social order possible.

As the British political philosopher Michael Oakshott put it:

"To be conservative, then, is to prefer the familiar to the unknown, to prefer the tried to the untried, fact to mystery, the actual to the possible, the limited to the unbounded, the near to the distant, the sufficient to the superabundant, the convenient to the perfect, present laughter to Utopian bliss. Familiar relationships and loyalties will be preferred to the allure of more profitable attachments; to acquire and to enlarge will be less important than to keep, to cultivate and to enjoy; the grief of loss will be more acute than the excitement of novelty or promise. It is to be equal to one's own fortune, to live at the level of one's own means, to be content with the want of greater perfection which belongs alike to oneself and one's circumstances."

In a nutshell, I am a conservative because conservatives - as classically understood - believe that political philosophy should take as it starting point not human reason, but human nature. That political rights are developed through historical usage, and are not abstract pre-existing. Which is to say that they don't deny that such abstract rights exist. Merely that they are of no practical benefit or use in civil society and law. As Burke put it, "Their abstract perfection is their practical defect."

Such conservatives have a deeper understanding of human nature and thus a more profound understanding of the limits and purposes of government. As a man who has worked in politics since I was in my early 20s - and indeed who was interested in politics since junior high school - classical conservatism affords a more profound grasp of politics and allows, as Rudyard Kipling put it, "to keep your head about you when others are losing theirs'."

TallAnon · Accepted Answer

Nope, fuck the old so we can fuck more of the new.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I lean conservative on some issues…. religious freedom, gun rights, lower taxes, rule of law but liberal on others…civil rights, voting rights, labor rights, environmentalism, protectionism on trade, health care reform. Both ideologies have high points and low points.

Lyndsielee666 · Accepted Answer

Do I look conservative 🥴😂

Lliam · Answer

Nah. I have 60's, flower child, liberal values. I used to think that liberalism meant open mindedness, tolerance, peace, love, generosity, distrust of authority, free spiritedness, anti-violence, anti-war, and love of liberty and freedom.

I viewed conservatives as up tight; buttoned down; racist; opposed to women's rights; stern; reactionary; lacking empathy for others; selfish; Protestant values; pro-war, imperialism, and jack boot authoritarianism; and lacking reverence for life and beauty.

But, over time, Democrats co-opted the word liberal. The party came to represent the opposite of what I thought it meant to have liberal values when it openly adopted neoliberalism in the1980s. They disdain liberty, freedom and the constitution. They are pro-authoritarianism.

I came to realize that my views on government were flawed. I've learned a lot over the years.

I am NOT conservative, but I have become good friends with some really fine people who identify as conservative. I have more in common with many conservatives than liberals these days. I found that many conservatives share more of my values than do modern liberals.

Over 10 years ago, I realized that labels are meaningless. They are tools for stereotyping and dividing people. People are complex. So I rejected labels. I now identify as a free thinker. I am not influenced by politicians, mainstream media, or popular consensus. I develop opinions on individual issues based on research and reason. I modify or change my opinions as more information becomes available.

I know many former progressives and conservative who have also abandoned "ideology" and become open-minded free thinkers like me.

I'm pro-second amendment. Does that make me conservative? I'm pro-choice. Does that make me liberal? I support justice, fairness, equal treatment under the law. I disdain authority. I used to support LGBT rights until activists turned trans rights into a program of indoctrination, coercion, and utter insanity.

So I'm neither liberal or conservative anymore. If anything, I fall somewhere into the general philosophy of left-libertarianism (libertarian socialism), but that's too broad of a category to say much about my actual beliefs.

MementoMori_ · Answer

I could write a book on it but here is one of the most fundamental reasons.

At the core of conservatism is the belief that each individual should be the one to determine their own destiny with an absolute minimum of government intervention. It is the individual who has that right granted to them not by government of man but by "our CREATOR" (to use the term from the Declaration of Independence). Government has no moral authority to interfere with this individual right and must be kept to a minimum size and scope in order to ensure it.

Sadly, because the left has taken over the education system and intentionally omits and/or perverts key elements of history lessons, most Americans do not even know that the US Constitution was not a document created by the federal government telling citizens what they are allowed and not allowed to do, it was an AGREEMENT between the original US colonies (states) which ALLOWED the federal government to be formed BUT LIMITED ITS AUTHORITY TO THOSE POWERS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY ENUMERATED IN THE DOCUMENT AND FORBIDS IT TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES NOT SO ENUMERATED (such as abortion for example). In other words the US Constitution is about CONTROLLING the federal government and forbidding it from becoming to large in scope.

Why was this document created? It is because the founders of America valued LIFE AND LIBERTY above all else, and they knew that a big powerful government is ALWAYS a corrupt and authoritarian government and tramples on their most sacred and cherished CREATOR given rights. At the heart of conservatism is that no government of man has a right to interfere with these rights. They believe COMPASSION is setting people free to enjoy these rights.

On the other side are Democrats/liberals/progressives/socialists/communists who think that your destiny should be controlled by a big, powerful government and sell that as "compassionate." But if you know your history, then you know that any country that has embarked on this path has ended up as anything BUT compassionate. This path always ends in authoritarian dictatorship. History is filled with examples including ones that are going on right now. That was the genius of the founding fathers of America. They understood this and started the American experiment in liberty that had never been tried before... an experiment so successful that many countries all over the world now try to emulate it. America was the human pioneer of individual liberty.

Conservatism is compassionate because it promotes individual liberty and peoples' Creator given rights.

The bigger the government the smaller the citizen.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/n_YQ8560E1w https://www.youtube.com/embed/jJnShBMG3uY

HighValue · Answer

1. People should earn what they get, not have my tax money stolen from me and then given freely to others.

2. People have a right to legally defend themselves. (2A)

3. Jobs, promotions, and college entrance should be based on merit/ability, not given to someone based on being part for a specific group. (Black, gay, etc.)

4. Standards for emergency positions (military, Firefighters, Police, etc.) should be based on ability and not lowered just to appease less qualified/capable people.

5. Our tax money shouldn't be spent/given to other countries, especially not to our enemies.

6. We should not have free trade (unlimited imports while our exports are penalized). It should be equal trade.

7. Freedom of religion. People shouldn't be prevented from getting some jobs just because they are a specific religion. (Mostly Christians are discriminated against today in the USA.)

8. Fair treatment under the law and in schools. People shouldn't get easier discipline in schools for being a girl or Black for example. I have seen that many times IRL while working in schools in liberal California where the education system often dislikes Whites and boys. Unfair discipline practices are common in schools here.

9. I am against forcing people to take a dangerous experimental vaccine or forcing them to lose their jobs or be banned from attending school over it.

10. I support the majority of law enforcement. (Not all, because I don't support the ones that break the law like the FBI has done multiple times, or the VERY few cops that actually shoot someone innocent.) by the way, I think people that do "swatting" deserve to be charged with attempted murder or murder.

There is more, but 10 examples should provide the general idea why I am conservative.

D_Bone_Steak · Answer

Well, I just hate anything woke. I've always hated both the left and the right for being war pigs, but Obama added the identity politics. The so-called 'social justice warriors' make want to puke. 2016 came around and I was resigned from giving a shit because I was absolutely convinced the system was rigged and I could see who was playing the identity politics... Hillary. I just assumed she was going to win and that voting for anything else wouldn't matter... because it's rigged (so I thought).

Okay... Trump wins. I was like, what? This should be interesting. Unlike all the others after Reagan and the current Biden... Trump was actually trying to keep his campaign promises. The building of that wall was something he actually tried to get done and so on. He made some war mistakes but he didn't start a new war. Started forcing jobs to come back... most of all he wasn't woke.

I still don't like old-school conservatives like Liz Cheney and for the most part, the left went fucking retarded. I mean I voted Gore to give you perspective and I also would vote for Tulsi Gabbard, but not over Trump or De Santis.

I'm writing too much again... I'm not woke, that's the only reason why. Fuck all that race-baiting bullshit of the left where they call anybody they don't like a white supreme even when they're black. I think woke people are retards and anyone running on a ticket of being woke is on my shit list and can go get fucked.

blissinanarchy1 · Answer

I’m seen as an extremist liberal but I’ll put in my views plainly.

Racism is still alive and highly active in America.

Although I support advocacy for minority groups such as BLM, I have a problem with looting. I think racism against white people is just as evil, I’m not the type where I think racism against whites is acceptable.

I honestly don’t give a fuck if you’re LGBT. If your sexual orientation doesn’t effect me, why should I care? As long as you’re good people. At the same time I do believe being a transgender is a mental illness.

Americans should be able to have guns. Undisciplined people with heavy firepower is very dangerous though. They say the second amendment is a “right” but honestly it’s a privilege. If it was a right, it wouldn’t be able to be stripped from you, and you wouldn’t have to go through shit to get a gun.

District Attorneys are the absolute scum of the fucking earth. Since the community is tired of crime, those who adopted the “tough on crime” stance are really fucking everyone over. District attorneys need convictions to stay in office. Which means they don’t give a fuck if you’re innocent or guilty. I have personal experience… I did 18 months just to be found innocent. No reimbursement.

Biden sucks. Trump sucks. Biden is senile and shouldn’t be in office. Trump is a narcissistic cult leader who spreads lies 24/7.

What else?

Harbringer26 · Answer

I'm firstly a Christian and Christian Faith tends very easily to many conservative principles. Because I believe that a functioning and good society is undergirded by good values and traditions and that opposition to blind progressivism is a good thing as no society can survive without a rooting in history, where the good is preserved and the bad is discarded. I don't believe that traditions are good in themselves but that good traditions are present is a necessity. I value traditional outlooks on life where mankind isn't the centre of the universe but has responsibilities and not just rights, the nuclear family where children have both a mother and father, codes of decency and integrity where relativism doesn't dominate the culture (such as normalizing all kinds of previously immoral behavior like Onlyfans, drug use, even pedophelia as some have come to start and argue for). I value individual freedom to make your own choices but also accept the consequences of them. I value strong law and order, patriotism, a government which manages its core tasks but does not extend itself to try and dictate every aspect of the private sphere. I'm also a culturist as I do not believe all cultures are equal.

I also believe in the principle of imperfectionism, mankind is imperfect and make mistakes, I belive in the principle of caution where there's a general opposition towards revolutions and sudden societal upheaval (given that all empirics show us how catastrophic the results are every time).

These are the main motives I can relay from the top of my head.

Tekkasonic · Answer

Small federal, Big Local governments. Let communities donate to overseas projects, not from tax. I would love to see a single person be able to support a middle income family. I would want kids to go to farms and see where their food comes from and also see and understand how animals are treated and just be aware of why who you choose to buy from matters. I would also like to see mandatory 3 months military training (including gun safety) , and1 year of Military OR community Service. USA built, USA Supplied Products. Jobs, Protect the Boarder. School choice. LGBnoT, All lives matter, PROTECT CHILDREN for fuck sakes.

BTCMoon · Answer

I'm a conservatives because I've spent my career studying financial markets and fiscal decisions. The democrats are absolutely reckless in their spending and continue to pass fiscal policy based upon gaslighting and emotional pundits. We now live in an extremely inflationary economy in which the wealth distribution gap is widening because of this. Their solution? Print more money. It's so asinine.

I'm also a supporter of innovative thought, but progressivism has turned entirely illogical. I think they're destroying American culture. This is coming from someone who leaned left for the majority of their life.

The_Shadow_Dweller · Answer

Honestly? I would rather be convenient conversative than be a full-time moden age guy. Taking the best things from both the worlds.

We, the current generation, are somewhat trying to not apply the rules and traditons laid by our ancestors. I agree with them for the useless rules and all. But some good rules were also there and I would like to follow them.

With all the instability and all, regarding gender laws, rights and what not, all I can see is the revival of the earlier society much faster than I can expect. Just like a fashion keeps on coming and going in the time

bamesjond0069 · Answer

Because it's the only thing that makes sense. Feminism is obviously wrong, blm is obviously wrong. Tranny gay stuff is clearly wrong. But they are all supported by liberals. That's all one needs to know really. One can differ over tax rates but one cannot differ over if a man fucked in the ass by a man in a dress but he calls him a woman is gay. Hint for confused folks, he's super gay. So you don't even need to agree with everything conservative, all rational thought is on the conservative side.

FilmGuy93 · Answer

To the incredibly small amount that I am Conservative, the reason is simple; the people I would otherwise agree with have absolutely lost their minds. They're impossible to talk to and they don't tolerate the slightest deviation of thought. I just got called a bigot and was blocked by a teacher and psychologist, for example, because I said that "when it comes to our children, we should probably be skeptical of the advice we hear from teachers and psychologists because the common wisdom in the field is always changing."

That is an extremely based statement. "Be careful about following the advice a professional gives you because sometimes professionals get it wrong" is damn near the most agreeable statement someone could possibly make.

Danny_dan92 · Answer

Fuck yeah, I used to be a hardcore democrat tbh. I voted for Obama twice, until one day I realized that especially democrat politicians play this game where they promise to do things but never get them done. Why? So that the next asshole can make that same promise and once again, the brainless morons will vote for that same party all because they’re saying “nice things” and pandering to people’s emotions.

It’s kinda funny how the far left label themselves as “woke” when in reality they’re actually really fucken dormant. The voter base continues to vote for the same bs people and wonder why their lives suck

Anonymous · Answer

I strongly believe in the preservation liberty.
That Governments were in fact instituted among men for the exclusive propose of preserving as many of their natural rights as possible as possible.

My country was founded on this fundamental idea and that is why theses believes make me an American Conservative. Not a European, Indian, or Chinese conservative who's countries have different histories and values from which their own definition of conservative must be based.

Even our closest cultural kin in the Canada, UK, and Australia have a different definition of conservative which is much more tolerate of large goverment intervention and even monarchy.

Conservatism is defined based upon history of your country or state, it is as such not an ideology. American Conservationism has a great deal of more small goverment libertarian ideology with in it due to our history, and nature.

AimeeKyle · Answer

For the most part I am down the middle but would consider myself a conservative because I do lean toward the right on many topics. I think most people are like me in that they are down the middle and vary left/right depending on the topic.

Unfortunately our politicians on both sides (and others in powerful positions) have and continue to label (and stereotype) people and then demonize everyone with opposing views. Their goal…. prevent everyone from communicating amongst themselves, getting to know each other and realize we all have more in common than we don’t….. realize that an amicable negotiation of topics can usually be achieved. Why would our politicians do that…. it’s all about power, and maintaining it.

BLP11520 · Answer

I was raised that way. Low taxes, small gov't. No changes to our rights and freedoms. The USA was based on Biblical principles and values. Now things are haywire, and power is what politicians want and money. I ignore the news, the radio and shut out all the lies and work hard. I am a better person for being open minded BUT wrong is still wrong. I am white and do not hate other people (s) I get tired of being lumped in a sack with all whites. Skin color doesn't matter to me at all. I hate high taxes and inflation and no longer trust the gov't or most the media even Fox news.

JDavid25 · Answer

Yes was Conservatives, now I'm a right leaning Libertarian.. Except for being really pro- "Black" at one point and disliking Republican Candidates cause the media told me to, I was never really with the left side of things totally.. Conservatives while not always right came with the stats and logic, and just made more sense.. Plus like others have said, smaller government, low or no taxes, and definitely less government regulation and more freedom..

joeldalton · Answer

Because leftism is a cancer. The happiest society is one where the people are free, government is limited, children have a mother and father, their schools teach skills, not indoctrination, taxes are low, wars are rare, women act like women, and men act like men.

Pot8o · Answer

I hold some conservative opinions. I think unions are often parasitic and corrupt and serve themselves more than their members. I think the state often does a terrible job, and that if you think the state is capable of caring for people, you're probably a rich kid who never had to depend on it. I think the dignity of work is far more important than the Left thinks.

Summeroflove · Answer

Many people think I am. I am really more centrist though. I have seen a lot of things. Woken up to a lot of things. As well as just the radical left that has chased many good people away from being there. Some became conservatives and others lost most political interests

TroyDT2 · Answer

I am libertarian. I do not care what other adults do as long s they are not assaulting the person or property of another.

On a personal level, I would probably seem conservative.

I am a straight male.
I won't say I am Christian, but I am leaning / headed that way, I think. I do read the Bible.
I am pro-life, but by persuasion not law. I would never trust government with that much power.

Grond21 · Answer

Yes, I am conservative. It's because I believe in the freedom of the individual over the state. It's because I hold traditional Family Values. It's because I'm moral and don't believe in relativism. It's because I know where we came from and I've studied history. It's because I can see where the leftist ideology is trying to take us.

Staximus · Answer

I'm tired of bums and snowflakes thinking the world can be a fair place, and thinking people who work for their money should be taxed to support people who don't want to make an effort to survive. I'm also tired of the government wasting tax dollars on stupid shit, cronyism, and trying to run my life.

HippieVeganJewslim · Answer

I ain’t conservative, but I ain’t liberal either, as there are things obligated to do for us. Shooting for fun at other souls is wrong. Shouting profane words at other people is rude and wrong. Dressing must be done not in a very seductive way. Abortion must be done only in some cases.

This_Is_My_Opinion8 · Answer

I can tell why I am not one.

Mainly because I am a good person. I want common good and I support each person doing their own choices and living their own lives without having to fit in a stereotypical box.

This is a very generic way to put if of course.

whiskeyontherocks · Answer

If I could call myself a right leaning liberal I would or even a left leaning libertarian. But I’ve been labeled conservative just because I don’t align far enough left so I started to just own it. In my personal experience conservatives have been easier to have conversations with jokes etc without emotional distress getting in the way.

Anonymous · Answer

I'm a libertarian who votes conservative, I'm not sure if that coubts.

But fiscally, they promote a healthier economy overall, as well as healthier individual finances. Their policies are more liberty-minded. And they're more reasonable, we aren't pretending like you can rid the world of fossil fuels in such a short amount of times. Liberals, for at least for a while, were very good-intended, but they try to employ their policies in unreasonable ways.

Redstang88 · Answer

Politically yes. Firm believer in minding my own business, and don’t give a fuck what anyone else does so long as you leave my cars, my guns and my money alone

misogynistic_pig · Answer

I am conservative because I am anti-abortion, anti-feminist, anti-LGBT and anti-progressive. But I am also anti-marriage, anti-traditionalism, and pro Wahhabi islam.

DryGermanGuy · Answer

I am a conservative wing voter of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). As with all major parties they offer thematic positions going from moderately progressive to moderately conservative.

exitseven · Answer

I am conservative because the democrats have gotten so crazy that my middle of the road preferences seem conservative by comparison.

andreasderjuengere · Answer

I try to conserve some hippiness, and the protesting culture of the 60's. Since some time in the 90's I abstain to associate myself with ANY established political ''direction''.

Berethor · Answer

Mostly yea, because liberals are dooming the west with rapeugees and feminist crap.

Anonymous · Answer

You mean why do I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, that only women can give birth, that everyone has the right to defend themselves, and that a nation without borders is no nation at all?

NathanDavis · Answer

I'm conservative with money...  why? because capitalism is a very rocky trail... lol

genericname85 · Answer

i don't typically consider myself "conservative". but compared with the far extreme our entire society moved to the left. i feel conservative in comparison.

Voldra · Answer

No, I tend to avoid falling prey to us vs them tactics. I can debate either side on various issues & even play devil's advocate.

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

Never and never will be. You must be willing to move forward and adopt in life because life has changes in it by nature.

Conservatism by nature is to be stuck in the past and unwilling to move forward which is stupidity at its core.

Rangers · Answer

Because my brain functions and I'm not masochistic nor sadistic, plus I'm pro victim, not pro criminal like democrats and leftists are

normalice · Answer

I'm not, because I don't see our species surviving long without civilization.

Godsvengeance · Answer

Because observation has shown me that 99 out of 100 things the government does is at least bad, if not full on evil (that includes Democrats and Republicans)

Agape93 · Answer

I'm not but I have some right leaning views, but it's based on freedom from tyranny.

Anonymous · Answer

Mostly because the left has spun out into completely kookoo-land. Also, I'm a fan of freedom of speech and classical liberalism which the left seems to have completely abandoned these days. So I guess I'm conservative.

motownplayer2000 · Answer

Say reason for being liberal…. Why? Both are full of shit, and messed up hypocritical people. What’s the point

Anonymous · Answer

Because I understand civilizational issues. Liberalism focuses on the petty (not that most form of conservatism don't) and doesn't even attempt to answer the big question about identity of a people, nation, civilization, etc and the future.

YakubDavid · Answer

Makes the most logical sense... although I'm more center right. Morally, they're impeccable.

shortster · Answer

I like small limited government; and as such I want to conserve the constitutional republic that has been on the cutting edge of freedom in the world.

BarryLiverstone · Answer

I lean conservative because I prefer less power at the federal level.

Cubus · Answer

I believe cultural changes the left promotes hinder the society.

Iron_Man · Answer

Because that’s the best way to be Good moral values

BJP21 · Answer

Neve, or will ever be. I do not like their elitist attitudes.

KingD98 · Answer

As I've matured and got older, I became more conservative.

maximumpower · Answer

Bc I hate seeing my hard-earned dollars given away to lazy shitbirds.

Lungybungy · Answer

Because I believe that male and females were supposed to be a certain way from God and the lefties are trying to play God

Anonymous · Answer

Because it's better than the far right racists and not full of wooly headed beings

Midgetmcwidget · Answer

Low tax small government

saffoler · Answer

Because it is logical.

Fuentes · Answer

I lean that way cause SJW'S are INSANE!

888theGreat · Answer

everyone knows I am

Pterodon · Answer

Because I believe in the constitution

OddBeMe · Answer

In some aspects. Not many.

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