Saturday

Conservative Soup - What's in a Name?


This is really a companion piece to Dardin's excellent "When the good of the party trumps the good of the nation". Dardin's post hit some points that I feel so strongly about that I felt compelled to do something more than leave a comment to it.

To start, I also consider myself more Libertarian than Republican. Actually, I view "true" Conservatives as the same. The problem is that the Conservative (or Right-Wing) moniker has been attached to many questionable agendas. For example, many Conservatives are considered racists to the degree that if you are a racist, it is assumed that you are a right-winger!

One of the points of Dardin, Milt, and Will's "Conservative Soup" Blog is that it is based on our individual values and not a party line. The one thing that draws me toward Libertarianism is the fact that the party is value-based (much like this Blog of our's). The foundation of minimal government intervention into the lives of Americans. Neither Dems or Repubs can make a claim that their platform can be boiled down to a one-sentence essence such as this (my favorite example of this fact is the Republican change of stance on term-limitations since gaining Congressional power). By definition, a Libertarian would cease to be a Libertarian upon a similar change of stance. Interesting thought.

The idea of "Conservative v. Liberal" is starting to give me pause now. As I view the world, I don't merely filter my thoughts based upon whether my view is "Right or Left". I try to insert a little "right or wrong" (no, that doesn't mean that I think Left equals wrong!). Many would think my many of my beliefs are Left. I just think they are right: I do believe we have a responsibility to help the poor of the world (I just believe that it is an individual responsibility, not the government's). I believe we need to be responsible stewards of our environment. I believe that all races and genders are equal. I believe that killing is wrong (but, sometimes unavoidable in order to ultimately save lives). The common thread is love and compassion for God's creatures. Hatred leads to division. That's not Left, Right, Conservative, or Liberal. It is just...well, correct.

Should we rename Conservative Soup? Good question.

Will

Comments:
Thanks for the complimentary posting to my previous one. You bring up interesting food for..... well you know...,
I think about this issue more and more now that the electorate is morphing into several shades of gray within their own ranks. Many people are registering as "independent" not as much I think, because they are indeed veering away from their own dogma, but because by doing so they are (ironically enough) attracting more attention from the same party they are declaring their independence from....
I think the country and our political thinking is changing in ways we could not have foreseen say even 4 or 6 years ago. For better or for worse the two party system is in serious decay and cross-sectional grass roots "insurection" of sorts (powered mostly by Blogs) is taking hold of the American discourse...
I sure as heck am glad I am riding on this wave...
 
THe republicans, though, seem to be able to boil their points down to only three... Gays, Guns and God. That was 2004, today you can toss immigrants into the mix.
 
Publius: I think your points on liberals and libertarians are a bit too wide in definition. I make no bones that I am Libertarian to the core. But my politics are tempered with the fact that I love the future of both my country and family more than I care about my own jollies. Don't confuse my "dont tread on me" mantra with lustful-like anarchism.
I'll leave the "eternity" end of your comments for smarter folks than me.
 
I don't know about changing the name...to what? Correct Soup? Yuck! lol.

Interesting article. I, personally, hope to never put party above God, Country, Family and my duties. I also used to believe in term limits, until I saw it's effects.

I CA, they just go from job to the next easier because of name recognition and a job record. It still isn't fair to people like me who have no money. Darn it! hehehe.

Great piece. You did well, son. (lol).

Hey, Dardin! How ya doin', partner? Nice to be reading ya. Ya'll have a great day.
 
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