After Common Sense University’s attempts to describe and define Conservative and Liberal Principles in previous articles, allow us to take a neutral look in comparing the two. At first sight, an objective person can easily see positives in all these principles whether they are founded in conservative or liberal beliefs. At this point, it does not matter where we here at this site come down in terms of personal preference. For purposes of not having to go back to the other articles, we will list these principles side by side:
Conservative Principles: Liberal Principles:
1. Natural Law 1. Positive law
2. Established institutions 2. Progress
3. Liberty over equality 3. Equality over liberty
4. Suspicion of power 4. Benevolent government
5. Exceptionalism 5. Human Perfectibility
6. Individualism 6. Community
We fully understand that any person – while reading the above lists without some more specifics – could conclude that all or most of them are good and if he or she had their own way, he or she would simply cherry pick the lists and then think that they have identified their own philosophy. Unfortunately, or we should say fortunately, that is not how it works, yet we believe that we just identified your classic moderate or independent, whatever they want to call themselves. To our way of thinking, one cannot be in all honesty in favor of certain principles no matter on which side they are. We here at this site call that fence sitting because that is exactly what it is.
The previous two articles focused specifically and separately on the respective principles of Conservatives and Liberals and one needs to have read and understood them in order to make a true comparison between the two. First off, the principles between the two ideologies are truly on opposite sides of the spectrum. They are incompatible philosophies and cannot, at least in our opinion, be ever lumped together or intermingled. How could anybody in all honesty ever believe that ‘Liberty over equality’ and ‘Equality over liberty’ are both equally good. The same goes equally well for the other five principles. They are so diametrically opposed to each other; there is no truthful way to call them compatible. Well, excuse us, we have to exempt the so called proud and self-proclaimed moderates and independents.
The former British Prime Minister and Statesman Winston Churchill has long been credited with the statement: “If you are not a Liberal while you are young, you have no heart, if you are not a Conservative when you are older, you have no brain.” We here at this site find a lot of common sense and truth in these words. Younger people by lacking many life’s experiences are always more idealistic than older ones while the older generations, having experienced quite a bit in their years tend to be more conservative.
Now then, taken aside ones personal belief, can any honest person declare that the principles of one side or the other are so bad and so terrible, that they should be made illegal or declared criminal? In our opinion, we have not yet reached this point in America but if things keep going the way they are in today’s America, we should not be surprised that we could reach that point through the actions of a majority of members in Congress together with the White House. Conservatism has been lambasted and bad mouthed in such vicious ways for many years by liberals in politics and the media that some means to restrictive actions could be in our future. Case in point are attempts to restrict free speech in talk radio! A so called Fairness Doctrine is being considered as a way of achieving this and the single targets are Conservatives in talk radio, not the Liberals.
We feel that it is up to anybody to believe in whatever he or she wants to believe in, but we reject the fact that members of one belief system should be openly and shamefully attacking the opposite philosophy and try to outlaw it, regardless of which one it is. Tolerance should be demanded of both sides and of all individuals and political parties and groups.
Our next article will focus more on the political divides in today’s America and also address the nonsense of directional identification such as Right versus Left. Those terms originated during the French Revolution and are simple carry-overs without a base of reality in our times. Those terms have automatically negative connotations in that they are being used to demonize the other side.