Not all "Conservatives" are American
Further evidence that the term "conservative" as used in America has ceased to mean anything like "Conservative" as a genuine political stance is the difference's between British Tories and American Republicans. Both claim to be "Conservative" yet both react to Obama in completely different ways.
Here's an interesting post from Andrew Sullivan showing at least some of the difference. The reply from an American reader is classic: Obama is not a conservative because 1) he's not against abortion and 2) he's not against gay marriage. I suppose you could throw in 3) he's for gun control
Are those really the two (or three) issues that define American conservatism? I am really not sure, but if it is then there is no genuine conservatism in America that I can see. Certainly these positions have no resonance among conservatives outside of this country.
Labels: conservatives, politics
posted by Clemens @ 5:46 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Are those really the two (or three) issues that define American conservatism?
Is that a rhetorical question? If it is I don't want to reply.
Of course now that I've written this much I might as well say "no". But I'll say more if it isn't rhetorical.
Sorry; I'm slow, and it's hard to tell these things on the net sometimes.
No - it is not a rhetorical question, though I can see some problems with it. I am really talking about three sets of people, I think. The local voters I talk to(and to whom the question definitely applies), conservatives in general, and the Republican party in general.
I don't believe that in any meaningful sense the Republican party is conservative. I am not sure it ever was though I can still remember very well the Goldwater/Buckley era. Both were something like 'true' conservatives.
The local voters have on several occasion told me and Carmen that while they agreed more with Kerry than with Bush, they would vote for Bush because he was against abortion and gay marriage. For a lot of people here it was that simple.
As for conservatives, who I sense are increasingly uncomfortable with the Republican party, I am not sure what exactly they stand for. Many of my 'conservative' friends, like Joey Sobrino for example, say they are actually more Libertarian than conservative.
Hence my non-rhetorical question. Any light you can shed would be, uh, illuminating.
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