How does a conservative answer this conundrum?

Question

If a conservative (one who openly despises liberalism) claims proudly that the United States is the greatest country in the world and criticizes "liberals" (espcially for liberal criticism of the U.S.) and liberalism, how does that same conservative cognitively reconcile the fact that the U.S. he or she loves is a "liberal democracy," VERY LIBERAL compared to most other nations, and this is indeed its heritage! How can a conservative really love the U.S. when the U.S. is historically the very thing the conservative hates: liberal?

Answer 1

The conundrum is solved by knowing the difference between a classic and modern liberal.

Classic liberal = focus on the individual and the rights that individuals have.

Modern liberal = must actively promote equality by removing obstacles to human development. Many times, this means active government intervention in the economy.

Conservatives in the U.S. are liberal in the economic sense (they want to promote individual economic rights and keep the government out of them). Conservatives are not liberal in the social sense because they tend to support government intervention on social issues (outlawing abortion and the like)

Democrats in the U.S. are not liberal on economic issues because they favor high levels of intervention in the economy. Democrats are more liberal on social issues where they do not like interventions.

So, the term liberal democracy does not mean a democracy run by Democrats.

Reading works by people like John Locke and Thomas Jefferson would help you work through the conundrum. The closest thing to a classic liberal in the U.S. today is a libertarian.

Answer 2

You are right about the country having a liberal heritage, however, the liberals of today are not the liberals of 50 years ago, or even 20 years ago. The Democrat party has been taken over by the ultra-extreme left. Organizations like Move-on.org, people like Michael Moore and the Democrat party leaders like Howard Scream, Pelosi, Reid and Murtha (amongst others).

A good example of this is JFK, considered a good democrat leader --- he proposed tax cuts to get the economy moving, just like Bush. And save your tax cuts for the rich argument, the top 5% pay over 50% of the tax bill, I am middle class by the way.

If the liberal party would separate from the extreme and get back to the liberalism of the past, there would be much more harmony in Washington.

Answer 3

The conundrum is that you cannot compare US liberalism and conservativism based on other countries. Our definition of conservative and liberal is based on our system of government and beliefs (socialization).

We also see liberal and conservative as polar opposites. This is not the case. Look at China, they preach and practice a form of Marxist Communism... which is on the "left" end of the political spectrum. But forced abortions and being jailed or shot for speaking out against the government is not liberalism.

Instead of being a straight line with poles I think of it as more of a circle with the extreme ends overlapping and undulations indicating multiple dimensions.

The US has always been considered liberal, in a manner of perspective. The neoliberalism of the 60s and 70s is not the same liberalism that founded the revolution. Those liberals had the blue laws in place in the colonies/states that strictly legislated behavior and proscribed death for such offences as striking ones father and regulated the size of the stick you could beat your wife with. Not the types of laws that one would associate with the liberals who support gay marriage.

Answer 4

This is the definition of Liberal Democracy from Wikipedia.com . This does describe our form of Government here in the United States.
Liberal democracy is a form of government. It is a representative democracy where the ability of the elected representatives to exercise decision-making power is subject to the rule of law, and usually moderated by a constitution which emphasizes the protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals, and which places constraints on the leaders and on the extent to which the will of the majority can be exercised against the rights of minorities.

The rights and freedoms protected by the constitutions of liberal democracies are varied, but they usually include most of the following: rights to due process, privacy, property and equality before the law, and freedoms of speech, assembly and religion. In liberal democracies these rights (also known as "liberal rights") may sometimes be constitutionally guaranteed, or are otherwise created by statutory law or case law, which may in turn empower various civil institutions to administer or enforce these rights.

Liberal democracies also tend to be characterized by tolerance and pluralism; widely differing social and political views, even those viewed as extreme or fringe, are permitted to co-exist and compete for political power on a democratic basis. Liberal democracies periodically hold elections where groups with differing political views have the opportunity to achieve political power. In practice, these elections are nearly always won by groups who support liberal democracy; thus the system perpetuates itself.

The term "liberal" in "liberal democracy" does not imply that the government of such a democracy must follow the political ideology of liberalism. It is merely a reference to the fact that the initial framework for modern liberal democracy was created during the Age of Enlightenment by philosophers advocating liberty. They emphasized the right of the individual to have immunity from the arbitrary exercise of authority. At present, there are numerous different political ideologies that support liberal democracy. Examples include conservatism, Christian Democracy, social democracy and some forms of socialism.

A liberal democracy may take the form of a constitutional republic or a constitutional monarchy.

I found this in answers earlier and thought I would help spread the word.

Answer 5

The US is not a "liberal democracy." It is a democratic republic. As a conservative republican, I do agree that this is the greatest country on the planet. We have so much going for us as a nation. The resentment against liberal democrats comes from their oppressive, controlling demands that we all think and behave as they do or we are "evil." It's offensive, stupid and is not based in reality.

Because we love this country and want it to continue to be the best of the best, we continue to elect republicans to run things, and leave the left wing lunacy to the Hollywood set. We can only hope the the US continues its conservative swing. That can only be good for all of us.

Answer 6

I would have been a liberal in most places, including the United States (especially the Deep South) in most of the political history of the world. The reason that I'm a conservative in twenty-first century North America is that liberalism has in most ways gone much too far in most areas and while liberals come up with most of the good ideas, being the ones who usually come up with ideas, they're now coming up with a dozen bad ones for each good one. Personally, I tend to agree with liberals' hearts and good intentions, but I think that they're generally using extraordinarily bad judgment.

Answer 7

Because the main thing about conservative versus liberal is that it is relative, like hot and cold.

Take a 50 degree (Fahrenheit) day. In the springtime (in the northern central plains, or in New England) that's a very warm day. In the early autumn, that would feel very cold. It all depends on what you are used to for daily temperatures.

In the US, there is an imaginative 'stable center' or 'middle ground'. Conservatives want to keep closer to that middle ground, and have less change relative to wherever we are now., Liberals want to move further away from that center, and have more change relative to where we are now.

It's doesn't matter where the US is relative to other countries. It's what people are used to here. Conservatives want to keep that, and liberals want to allow for change.

{EDIT to Daisy} You misunderstand the liberal goal, perhaps because you are seeing it from the conservative perspective.

Conservatives (generally) want to impose one set of standards that everyone must follow. Liberals want to allow people to choose those standards individually for themselves.

It's like setting a speed limit. Conservatives want everyone to go between 45 and 60. Liberals say, drive whatever speed you want, just don't hit anyone. Liberals aren't forcing you to drive a particular speed. They are just preventing you from limiting anyone else because of your preferences. So, liberals aren't trying to force you to DO anything. They just don't want you forcing anyone else either. Can you see the difference?

Answer 8

This answer is of course biased toward MY opinion...As your question is biased toward YOURS!...That's what makes America great...diversity of opinion, AND the freedoms to express those diverse opinions. That being said:

"..conservative ( one who openly dispises liberalism)..." I for one am economically conservative, and I DO NOT despise liberalism...I simply dis-agree with the philosophy...But I'll NUKE anyone to defend your right to think as you will.

"...claims proudly that...."...I for one DO believe that the United States is a wonderful country, filled with good, moral, productive people, interspersed with a few totall assholes...We have proven throughout our history as a nation that we can rise to conquer any adversity...That our ingenuity, creativity and work ethic is by far better than any other country...Besides, I am PROUD that we as Americans rise to the challenges of the adversities suffered by others...Any calamity, disaster or war, WE are always there with a helping hand and willing spirit to help rebuild...And I will NEVER apologize for the FACT that the entire world's economy is based on the U.S. Dollar!!

"...(espcially for liberal criticism of the U.S.) ..." Your right to criticise our government is a God given right, not to be tampered with by mere humans...HOWEVER, when a liberal reporter for the New York Times reveals to our enemies the precise method we are using to track their movements, THAT is TREASON, and should be punished to the full extent of the law!... Like it or not, WE ARE AT WAR!!...And extra-ordinary measures are NECESSARY during wartime...Ultra liberals want " Pull our troops out , NOW!! Unconditionally.."...Ultra Conservatives want : " Nuke the bastards NOW!!...No mercy!!...No prisoners!!"...The truth lies somewhere in the middle, but I DO NOT want my grandchildren bowing to Mecca six times a day, which is what these radical Islamic Extremists want, and what they will GET if your liberal ilk keep convincing them we are weak, divided and EVIL...Why can't you love America for what she is, and be willing to lay down your life to preserve our way of life?....Anything else is dooming our children to a life of Radical Islamic Conservatism...Cowardice!!!

Answer 9

It is not a conundrum at all. 200 years ago, the idea of liberalism was very different than it is now. Liberalism 200 years ago meant democracy and freedom from an oppressive government. Modern liberals favor a massive government that controls every aspect of your life.

So, modern conservatives like small government and freedom from oppression, so we would be considered liberal 200 years ago. Modern liberals that favor oppressive government would have been considered conservatives 200 years ago.

Answer 10

The U.S.A is not a true democracy(mob rule)it is a republic.In the U.S.A being conservative is different than a conservative in other cultures,such as Saudi Arabia.This seems to be typical liberal twaddle,comparing our country to other cultures.What really sickens me is when liberal activist judges cite foreign law in deciding cases,such as the death penalty for teens who commit horrible crimes.We are the U.S.A, not socialist Europe.Get a grip!!