I saw this --
-- and wondered what you think.
To me, there are multiple varieties of "conservative":
What does "conservative" mean to you?
NCbear (who is also planning to start a "what does 'liberal' mean to you" thread)
Whatever being a conservative used to mean... it has been co-opted to mean whatever Rush Limbaugh says it means.
-- and wondered what you think.
To me, there are multiple varieties of "conservative":
- Archie Bunker/kneejerk reactionary/bigot: I've got the right to hate anyone I want to, based on how I was brought up, which of course means that my upbringing is not only correct based on some generic moral standards but also part of the tradition of my times. Change is evil! My traditions are the right way! The only way, in fact.
- Thinking conservative: I know what I believe and why I believe it. I can defend my belief system adequately against fairly strong rhetorical/ideological attack. I can even make points against my attackers' arguments that they concede as valid and meaningful. And in the end, I can live next to people with whom I disagree wholeheartedly.
- Religious fundamentalist conservative: I'm not too sure of anything except what my god (or my pastor) tells me is true. I don't really think much about gray areas, because my god (or my pastor) says they don't exist. It's all about what my religion dictates.
- Libertarian conservative: I got to this point because I want more control over my own life and less interference from government, which is truly bass-ackward in too many ways to count. I hate being treated like a child by a nanny-state that doesn't even take care of me very well. I'd much rather be somewhere else, someplace where I can "live free or die."
What does "conservative" mean to you?
NCbear (who is also planning to start a "what does 'liberal' mean to you" thread)