CONSERVATIVE
  VS LIBERAL

Last revision: Aug. 15, 2024

I have noticed that a lot of people use the words conservative and liberal without really knowing what they mean.

Therefore, I thought, it would be proper if I clarify the issue.

Most dictionaries define conservative as "resistance to change" and "avoiding excess". This implies that conservatives are against progress. A good example of conservatives are the Amish
who seem to be stuck in the 17th century. Also, when republicans increase military spending, they are NOT being conservative. A true conservative does not spend more than he earns (or collects in taxes). Therefore, when an administration (Republican or Democrat) increases spending, they must increase revenues. So it seems that political conservatism is a hypocrisy, used for convenience and to differentiate from liberals. However, if conservatives are the opposite of liberals, and liberals (by definition) are considered broad-minded, that implies that conservatives are  narrow-minded .

However, do not feel insulted if you consider yourself conservative.
I believe that nobody is 100% conservative nor 100% liberal. If fact, I believe that we are conservative about some things (issues) and liberals about other issues. I, myself, feel conservative about some issues, but liberal about others.

Also, I have noticed that some right wing conservative believe that liberals are left wing (socialist or communist). Not true. There are left wing conservatives and right wing liberals. Left or right wing inclination is not necessarily connected to inclination to accept changes in culture or political ideas.

Now let us examine the word liberal. By definition, a liberal is someone who favors a political philosophy of progress, reform and the protection of civil liberties. Someone who is broad-minded. I believe these are all good qualities, almost virtues. And notice that the preamble to the US Constitution states that one of the reasons for the constitution, is to "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and to our Posterity" (See the Preamble if you don't remember). So this implies that those who wrote the constitution were liberals. The conservatives wanted to continue under British rule.

It is no coincidence that the words liberty and liberal come from the same root (liber)

Therefore, after careful analysis of these two words, I am proud to say that I consider myself a progressive constitutionalist
(More liberal than conservative, but a mix of both). And neither a Democrat nor a Republican, since both parties seem to be too heavily influenced by special interest groups such as: The Military Industrial Complex, the Medical Industrial Complex, Wall Street, the large insurance companies (too big to fail), the very large banks (too big to fail), super PACs, etc.

RETURN