Stupid question, What exactly are conservatives conserving?

#1

Don’t get me wrong, I am no communist. Always thought Communism was the most stupid ideology ever invented by mankind. That said, I am currently reassessing that view. What has rocked my world is realizing that communism is way better at protecting the nation than globalism, which is a far more retarded ideology.

This brings me to the conservatives. When I saw the Republican National Convention, waving Israeli flags, and singing to a Hindu entity, one has to ask, what exactly are conservatives conserving? Really is an honest question that I have. I am of the opinion that conservatives are progressives in denial, this is becoming truer and truer for me each day. The ideology is not conserving anything in my humble view.

I have controversial ideas, about who should be called American. Let’s say my definition ends up deporting just about everyone that is not connected to the revolutionary war. I live in Puerto Rico, I am an American citizen, looking at the US from the island, I can’t understand the Babylonian tower that is going on there. I don’t recognize the country and pray for all of you.

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#2

A good question Kenny… For myself, I’ve taken to calling myself a traditionalist for many of the reasons you outline and question, though I do not think Communism was better at protecting any national identity or culture… ask the Russians.

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#3

I am currently reassessing, is just that globalism at this stage is way up there in the nation destruction scale.

#4

… it might depend on what manifestation of Conservatism to which one is referring. It may be that besides the social and political there is at least one other (possibly more) manifestation of Conservatism.

If this is the case then possibly there are other ways of thinking about the nature of Conservatism.
I’d like to suggest that another way of thinking might be found in the thought of William F. Ogburn specifically in his Social Change: With Respect to Culture and Original Nature. Read carefully his inquiry into the nature of Social / Cultural Lag.

Another place one might look is in the thought of C.S. Peirce on Critical Commonsensism and The Community.

And finally, one might read the works of Thomas Reid, Adam Ferguson, James Beattie, and Dugald Stewart. These writers are known collectively as the Scottish School of Commonsense.
A very nice overview of this school and its influence on the growth and development of American thought can be found in Herbert W. Schneider’s History of American Philosophy.

It might be the case that the Received view of Conservatism is not quite correct.

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#5

This is a treasure trove of recommendations. I will read the high tradition to get to the bottom of this. At the political level, I am not seeing conservatism conserving much. All I see is emotional rhetoric and not much substance. I understand tradition is palpable, something is passed. I am not getting the conservatism.

#6

Good points. I have to agree especially re culture, “critical commonsensism” and community, though you are obviously much more familiar with it than I, the word “tradition” for me encompasses these things, including that “way of looking at things”, and thus of acting and being (and not mere passivity that the word “conservatism” implies, for me at least). Tradition, for me, has always encompassed broad notions of canon, text, landmarks, community, and that “way of looking at things”, or of ordering them, &c.

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#7

Conservatism opens the door for posers, which might explain why I am confused. A Traditionalist is more identifiable, more grounded, knows the course of performance. I will read the recommendations. Is just that I am not resonating with the people that call themselves conservatives. Every time I hear them speaking, I want to run. Never got the conservative vibe from Dr. Farrel, don’t know if he is aware, but I take every word is said here very serious, currently studying the Church Fathers.

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#8

I’m no expert, but maybe the question is, What is the Republican Party conserving? Or, for that matter, just how “liberal” is the Democratic Party?

Or, in another context, How conservative is the UK Tory Party, and what has the Labour Party done lately for the majority of ordinary working people?