The Role of Conservatism in Societal Shifts
The story of the world is one of gradual change.
By being patient, thoughtful, and deliberate, we have built the most successful and long-lasting Republic in the history of the world.
The checks and balances so wisely crafted by our Founders prevent half-baked ideas fueled by the passions of the present from being rushed into practice. One victorious election cycle is often not enough for radical factions to immediately implement their theories and ideas into practice and radically transform our nation overnight.
Some see this as a curse and an indication of something wrong with our system of government. In reality, it is a blessing. Even good and well-meaning measures, when implemented poorly and rashly, lead to failure, misery, and poverty.
This is what being a conservative truly is all about at its heart, pushing back against sharp societal shifts that cause massive fluctuations in our economy, security, and way of life so that individuals may, according to the rules, regulations, and boundaries of our time, set out to build the best possible lives for themselves and their families.
Expedient, radical change puts the ability to do that in jeopardy.
In times of true injustice and threats to our security and liberty such as our nation's revolutionary founding, the fight to end of slavery, and multiple World Wars, there have been moral and just reasons to set aside this hesitancy and take action quickly.
There can be no doubt that as a result of making these shifts, we have built a fairer, stronger, and more free society. We might not have equality of outcomes and we certainly have not built a perfect system, but point to an example of another government in history that has produced the level of achievement in terms of military, industry, technology, and even art in such a short amount of time. All of this done while raising more people out of poverty than any other society.
I fear we are in the midst of another societal shift, this time not based on a desire for equality and liberty for all, but based on fear, lies, anger, and division.
In order to level the playing field on what progressives feel are innate systemic injustices, they propose we do away with our history, our security, and even our free market economy. If they have to do away with fundamental liberties such as our First and Second Amendments along the way, so be it! It is about the ends, not the means.
As conservatives, it is natural for our response to be as simple as just saying no and appealing to reason. It is a natural state for us to rely on the correctness of our convictions and downplay the need for persuasion. And during normal times, this tactic works and is frequently successful in tempering radical proposals to more palatable policies that can be weathered.
I implore you this situation is different. If we don't begin to offer up our own solutions and start educating the populace on the basic truths of why our Democratic Republic is system for good that benefits more people, while maintaining motivations for innovation and growth, we will lose it.
And make no mistake. I do not mean this in the sense that politicians preach to you every two years about how “this election is the most important in our lifetimes” while asking for your votes. What we face is no a Democratic or a Republican problem.
Yes, progressives want to radically transform our country. But the answer lies not in Republican victories, though they may play a part. Republican victories without changing hearts and speaking to the minds of Americans will only hasten the transformation the progressives seek.
Rather than simply stating no, let us propose solutions instead. Solutions that lift the vulnerable up, without forcing others down. A rising tide raises all boats, but a hurricane of chaos and disorder benefits no one.
