Big Government "Conservatives" are More Common Than Not

[breakingcontact]

We have become very normalized into accepting and often celebrating a great many big government institutions, so long as they benefit us (or we think they do).

If these do not apply to you, dear reader, great! However, they apply to too many of "us" objectively.

Farm subsidies? Hardly a high point for freedom and liberty. I understand the claimed need for them, stabilizing the farm economy, but is that what freedom is about? Stability. Plus...most of us close to that world knows how it works, benefiting big grain farmers and not those who actually grow real edible food. (see the documentary King Corn)

How many of us work for the government, whether it be local, state, or federal? I know by me...those are considered the "good jobs", but are they good for us?

Taking issues to courts and not attempting to solve them civilly or through mediation? Just grows the system though both funding and power.

Public schools? Sound a lot different when we call them what they are, government schools full of government employees teaching the government curriculum. (read about John Dewey if you haven't lately)

Not being as generous as we should with charity, because we know poor folks can go to the state? Yet we then complain about all of the welfare programs.

I could keep going, but I think some of y'all will get the point.

Are we REALLY conservatives? Or do we just want our pet liberties maintained while accepting all sorts of socialism and liberalism because it is convenient, profitable or just...familiar?

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Conservatism is dead.

 

[BigRed]

We have become very normalized into accepting and often celebrating a great many big government institutions, so long as they benefit us (or we think they do).

If these do not apply to you, dear reader, great! However, they apply to too many of "us" objectively.

Farm subsidies? Hardly a high point for freedom and liberty. I understand the claimed need for them, stabilizing the farm economy, but is that what freedom is about? Stability. Plus...most of us close to that world knows how it works, benefiting big grain farmers and not those who actually grow real edible food. (see the documentary King Corn)

How many of us work for the government, whether it be local, state, or federal? I know by me...those are considered the "good jobs", but are they good for us?

Taking issues to courts and not attempting to solve them civilly or through mediation? Just grows the system though both funding and power.

Public schools? Sound a lot different when we call them what they are, government schools full of government employees teaching the government curriculum. (read about John Dewey if you haven't lately)

Not being as generous as we should with charity, because we know poor folks can go to the state? Yet we then complain about all of the welfare programs.

I could keep going, but I think some of y'all will get the point.

Are we REALLY conservatives? Or do we just want our pet liberties maintained while accepting all sorts of socialism and liberalism because it is convenient, profitable or just...familiar?

TRUTH

 

[JEBland]

Conservatism is dead.

We are no longer the republic of our forebears. I don't think we will ever remove all forms of social safety net. I don't think it'd time to grab the hammer and seal up the coffin, yet.


Liberals believe that if a localized, dedicated charity can be helpful, just image how helpful it would be if we scaled it up and gave it to everyone. The main problem with is, well, it doesn't work.

Conservatives have not properly advocated in the public sphere about how pseudo-progressive policies harm the disenfranchised in our country or that it wasn't just one party involved in the civil rights era (watch about 5 minutes of that if you want? But the entire AEI/Hoover Old Parkland Conference is worth watching). DeSantis narrowly won in Florida in his election likely because he championed school choice, which is and will continue to be important to the low-income families of this country, but instead we talk about how he "destroyed the libz" or the other populist stunts.

Not only do their pseudo-progressive policies do more harm than good, they have their charity statistics all wrong. Christian conservatives far outspend and out-time others in terms of philanthropy and charity.

The far-left's primary tool is to use empathy to trick the public into buying into socialism one step at a time. Our task is to hold their feet to the flame and

1. That the historical properties of income distribution, etc, that they're explanations really don't hold up to history or even today when we examine inter- and intra-group properties their entire explanation falls apart;
2. Use data from the results of their own programs to demonstrate the policies' utter failures on the social fabric of the groups they're "saving" - indeed they're driving the harm;
3. Set an example in our own lives, and this includes taking insults (e.g. my last trip to Baltimore involved me being called a robot from the guilt-ridden progressive friend I was visiting).

If we look at critical theories of any flavor, they leverage imperfections of the past and use it as a cudgel. Nowadays, even the conservative side needs to appear compassionate as opposed to, you know, telling the truth. When a few of us met Todd Young, he defended himself by spinning it in a compassionate language, leaving me pretty frustrated.

Conservatives need to learn how to sell policies that actually benefit the American people, including (and even especially) the poor. The Democratic party actively advocates policies that harm the working poor, selling them to cul-de-sac dwellers because they vote in greater densities than the poor. Conservatives need to roll up our sleeves and get out there with the people (something I'm planning on doing after finishing my degree, and I should be typing my dissertation instead of replying on INGO on a Saturday night). Conservative/old-fashioned social arrangement, get educated, get a job, get married, have kids in that order, is the winning strategy and something those dul-de-sac dwellers do in greater numbers while using empathy to advocate policies that harm the poor.


In short, conservatism isn't dead, but we need to be advocating more, which is something conservatives have a ideological disadvantage at.

We have an uphill battle.

 

[cg21]

We have become very normalized into accepting and often celebrating a great many big government institutions, so long as they benefit us (or we think they do).

If these do not apply to you, dear reader, great! However, they apply to too many of "us" objectively.

Farm subsidies? Hardly a high point for freedom and liberty. I understand the claimed need for them, stabilizing the farm economy, but is that what freedom is about? Stability. Plus...most of us close to that world knows how it works, benefiting big grain farmers and not those who actually grow real edible food. (see the documentary King Corn)

How many of us work for the government, whether it be local, state, or federal? I know by me...those are considered the "good jobs", but are they good for us?

Taking issues to courts and not attempting to solve them civilly or through mediation? Just grows the system though both funding and power.

Public schools? Sound a lot different when we call them what they are, government schools full of government employees teaching the government curriculum. (read about John Dewey if you haven't lately)

Not being as generous as we should with charity, because we know poor folks can go to the state? Yet we then complain about all of the welfare programs.

I could keep going, but I think some of y'all will get the point.

Are we REALLY conservatives? Or do we just want our pet liberties maintained while accepting all sorts of socialism and liberalism because it is convenient, profitable or just...familiar?

I agree. You’re either for big guv for all or for small guv for all. You cannot just cheer your institutions/welfare/regulations. That makes you no better than the “rules for thee but not for me” crowd.


the only issue where things get sticky is abortion. Because at that point you’re sharing your body….