What are conservatives trying to conserve?

Question

and why are they so concerned with limiting the freedom of others?

Answer 1

Conservatives generally try to conserve resources that are given away to those that believe they have entitlement. Do not confuse the word conservative with the religious posturing of our current President. Mr. Bush is far from a conservative. Growing the government to proportions never known before today is not conservative and that's what Mr. Bush has done. Conservatives believe the individual state's know their problems and can solve those problems better than the federal government. Debating marriage amendments is not conservative, as conservatives generally believe in the separation of church and state. Likewise, most conservatives I know don't give a rip if someone is outside of the mainstream. We care if they pay their fair share of taxes, so that money can go to people that try to help themselves and not every individual with their hand out. The unfortunate fact is that Mr. Bush has done more damage to the term conservative than any past president.
I can assure the questioner, as a conservative, I have no interest in limiting any personal freedoms of others.
I can also assure the questioner that liberals are no more or no less guilty regarding potential issues of freedom which the questioner apparently thinks are applicable only to conservatives.

Answer 2

The political term conservative that we use today had a more archaic use meaning any sort of preserving agent or principle, and it is more the use as a "preserving principle" that morphed into the political term that we use. One could say that conservatives generally are those who preserve the parts of society they like while liberals are those more focused on changing those they don't like. However, that's not to say conservatives do not try to bring about change (obviously if there was no need for change, there'd be no need for politicians and political stances-- someone always wants change); but they bring it about in different methods.

Some things conservatives might be trying to conserve:
-tradition
-a political system
-family

Today, "tradition" ties into religion, moral values, and the "American Dream"-- that is, pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps, free enterprise, etc. Trying to conserve the political system is not a huge deal right now, because both major sides of America have always embraced its political system. And "family" is, well, family.

And why they are so concerned with limiting the freedom of others? Well, that's a loaded question, but I'll try and give an unloaded answer. They are concerned with limiting the freedom of others just like anyone else is-- after all, the principle of social exchange is that we give up rights to get the protection, organization and other benefits of a government. All rights but no government is anarchy, and by most accounts that's undesirable. But the thing of it is, conservatives are more concerned about others giving up their rights to break from tradition, a political system or family, while liberals are more concerned with others giving up their rights associated with free enterprise-- choice in where your money goes, taxes, etc.

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

Supposedly they are less likely to make changes. From what I've seen, both side seem to be equally good at adding more bulk to the legal code. I just prefer to keep the defense budget up. And I'd say they are less obsessed with freedom limiting than the liberals...who, of course go, about it a different way. Ussually by moving in the socialist direction, as opposed to regulating some morality and regulation in general.

Answer 4

We're not trying to conserve anything; we are just more traditional than liberals who basically think anything goes. We're not trying to limit anybody's freedom. I don't know why you think that.

Answer 5

Mostly their money.

Conservatives are restrained and subconsciously guilt-ridden, imo. Power is their consolation, power over others, as a need to try to make more progressive folks conform to their way of thinking.