My beliefs as a conservative

My Beliefs

I am politically conservative. I believe this places me in the minority.

I believe you are mistaken. It would be amazing if a minority could somehow win the presidency and the majority of seats in congress.

Republican does not equal conservative, nor does conservative equal republican...

McGentrix wrote:

Republican does not equal conservative, nor does conservative equal republican...

Ok, I agree. But how many conservatives do you think voted against the Republicans in the last election?

FreeDuck wrote:

McGentrix wrote:

Republican does not equal conservative, nor does conservative equal republican...

Ok, I agree. But how many conservatives do you think voted against the Republicans in the last election?

Who cares? It hardly makes conservatives the majority.

McGentrix wrote:

FreeDuck wrote:

McGentrix wrote:

Republican does not equal conservative, nor does conservative equal republican...

Ok, I agree. But how many conservatives do you think voted against the Republicans in the last election?

Who cares? It hardly makes conservatives the majority.

Then perhaps you can explain why you believe conservatives are a minority.

You can either be in the majority or not. If you are not in the majority, then the term for that is "minority".

If conservatives are not the majority, then they are part of the minority.

Following the logic here?

No, Republicans have the majority of politicians in power.

I am implying no more than agreement with Mysteryman original premise that actual "political conservatives" do not makeup the majority of the voters in the US.

Agreeing with conservative thought does not make one a conservative anymore than agreeing with liberal opinions makes one a liberal...

Bookmarking.

I'm no conservative but I'm keen to see a decent debate rather than a slanging match. I hope I'm not disappointed!

KP

My Beliefs

I believe the government that governs least governs best, which is the foundation of
conservative adherents.

I believe the words in the constitution mean what they say. I can read.

I believe individual liberty must be respected in order for this experiment in
self-government to continue.

I believe the toll of freedom is responsibility. Those who fail to act responsibly are not
deserving of freedom.

I believe you ought to pay your own way. Charity begins at home, not in Washington DC.

I believe a country without borders will soon cease to be a country.

I believe you have the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ?
whatever that may be.

I believe you should be able to have all the fun you want, just not at someone else's
expense.

I believe in equality for all, but not set-asides for some.

I believe in individual privacy.

I believe we should be very cautious when discussing or considering banning things.

I believe it is my job, duty and responsibility to raise my children to be responsible and
accountable human beings.

I believe in leaving this country in better condition when I leave it than when I arrived.

I believe it is my civic duty to stand up for what I believe.

I believe that rewarding people for negative or irresponsible behavior only breeds more
negative and irresponsible behavior.

I believe you are the Captain of your own vessel. It is no one else's fault if you run
aground.

I believe in working hard to implement what I believe.

My Beliefs

I'm getting a strong sense of Abuzz deja vu here.

I am politically conservative. I believe this places me in the minority.

I think it places you in a group that is one third of the population. Roughly speaking, 1/3 of Americans will identify themselves as conservatives, another 1/3 will identify themselves as liberals, and the remaining 1/3 identify themselves as "independents" or "moderates." The time for the conservative David squaring off against the liberal Goliath is long gone (if it ever existed).

I believe individual liberty must be respected in order for this experiment in self-government to continue.

This topic brings to light the inherent (modern day) difficulty with laying claim to the Right or the Left based on individual liberty.

While I appreciate that you (mysteryman) seek to lay claim to a distinct and pure form of the conservative label, there is little use in discussing "conservative" principles if they are held by only a relative few. To the extent that we can draw a line between Liberal and Conservative thinking, doing so on the basis of purist cult notions is of absolutely no value.

There are a number of Conservative issues which require the sublimation of individual liberty for the greater good of society: Gay marriages is a prime example. You (mysteryman) may have no objection to gay marriages and, if so, hold firm to the notion that conservatism equals libertarianism, but we should acknowledge that an American Conservative position is that same sex marriages should not be legalized.

Abortion is fought, within its most cerebral consideration, on the level of the individual liberties of a fetus, but for most people who engage in the issue (including Conservatives) it boils down to the individual liberties of the mother, and here we have Liberals for and Conservatives against.

Since both "sides" invoke the rights of the individual and the greater good of society, it is difficult for me to see how a perspective on individual liberties is the premise that clearly defines both points of view.



I believe you ought to pay your own way. Charity begins at home, not in Washington DC.

I'm afraid I view this as sloganeering. Charity is a concept that is common to both conservative and liberal world views. The administration of charity is very much a an issue of differentiation, but contributing a share of one's wealth to the welfare of less fortunate fellow citizens is hardly a principle that is either Left or Right. Washington DC is not the only place where public welfare programs have been developed, and the cliche of Charity begins at home is really an uncharitable notion. The problems of slogans.

I believe you have the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ?
whatever that may be.

I believe you should be able to have all the fun you want, just not at someone else's
expense.

See comments on individual liberties. This is a fairly glib comment, but the devil is, always, in the detail and the detail comes in with how we define "at someone else's expense." If I think it's "fun" to kill myself (as obviously demented as that might be) would you be OK with it, or would you attempt to introduce the possible impact of my "fun" on others in my family and society? Presumably this means you believe I can have all the fun I desire shooting up opiate drugs. If so, I happen to agree with you, but I would never define this take on the subject as conservative. Libertarian, yes, but not Conservative.

I believe in individual privacy.


See comments on individual liberty.

I believe there are people who disagree with my beliefs. I don't believe they are wrong. I know they are.

Well now this is a seasoning gesture for your post. Spice it up and invite the inevitable, predictable responses.

Good for you though. Having conversed with you on numerous other occassions, I feel certain that should these other people provide you with convincing substantiation of their points of view, you will, after all, consider them and even possibly change your own. Anything less than such an approach is block-headed. However, there is nothing to be gained (and I believe something to be lost) by declaring oneself adrift in a sea of possibilities, unable to form a belief because there is actually nothing more than opinion and opinion is at the merc of variable influences. In short, post modernist thought may appeal to the intellectual laggard, but it is the road to ruin.