What is conservatism?

[_Albion]

Perhaps those who so heatedly espouse the conservative viewpoint would care to define exactly what they mean by the term and what they are for and against in our society currently? Is Social Security liberal...how about Medicade and Medicare?

[_MeDotOrg]

A conservati­ve is a man who believes that nothing should be done for the first time.

[_ldsfaqs]

Here's my post from another recent thread in which I was asked the same question.

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This is a pretty good summary of the difference between left and right:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ3H04L3IJ0

As to Fascism and Liberals, I've given many examples many times on this forum of examples of it.
If you wish to understand it on a more scholarly level in a "serious" and non-insulting way, please read the book "Liberal Fascism" to start with.

Here's a video or two also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj7cyAHePII
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oFLkIpF1uI

But a basic statement is that Conservative is for Freedom, which is contrary to Fascism, while liberalism is for Government control in all aspects of a persons life, the very definition of Fascism.

[_ldsfaqs]

Yes, technically things like Social Security, etc. are liberal ideological based institutions.
And yes, I know Republicans have generally supported them, primarily because it's a part of the American fabric and educating people of the facts about them is going to take time and work if even possible.

The conservative solution would be for people to control their OWN money, i.e. medical savings accounts or other types of programs, and have local communities ensure the elderly and disabled are taken care of, which should first be the responsibility of family members, not the government shacking up the Elderly in old folks homes/communities. A federal over-reaching program is not only unconstitutional but is a huge waste of money. The more people actually have control of their money the further it goes. Government is getting bigger and bigger doing more and more and the people are having less and less to do things. It's actually the very reason Health Care became so expensive, because the government was already in health care for many years, and we ended up already having "universal health care" because the insured have been paying for the uninsured already. Thus Obamacare is an even bigger boondoggle to the one that already existed, more government, more regulations. The way to have fixed health care was to get the government completely out of it, save a few sanitation rules, etc. All Obamacare is going to do is make things worse and go even less far.

That is the conservative view.

[_bcspace]

My siggy contains the answer.

[_Albion]

Well since the Mormon Gospel and the Biblical gospel are quite different and you are talking of one and not the other, you might be right. When would you conservatives say the the US stopped being a conservative country...the thirties, forties, fifties...when exactly was the golden age of conservatism so perhaps we can go back and see how great it was compared to today?

[_ldsfaqs]

Well since the Mormon Gospel and the Biblical gospel are quite different and you are talking of one and not the other, you might be right.

You would be wrong..... He didn't say anything about the "Mormon Gospel".
You are further wrong because the Mormon Gospel is the same exact Gospel as the Biblical Gospel for three reasons.

1. We see the Mormon Gospel entirely in the Bible, and those of us who weren't Mormon prior but read the Bible for ourselves and seeing all your religions know this for a fact. Thus, from that point the two Gospels are the same.

2. Your "interpretation" of the Bible is not the same as the "Biblical Gospel" any more than you think our's isn't.

3. Minus the "addendum's" of Mormonism, the "basic" Gospel of Christ, believe and you are saved, do good and you are His, be baptized, follow His teachings, all the BASICS of the GOSPEL OF Christ, is entirely and essentially the same as any other Christian believer.

Thus, your claim that the essential "Gospel of Christ" is different between us would be false.
Christians are Christians, no matter their differences. Christ himself made this clear in Mark 9, Luke 9, & Matthew 18, and had harsh damnation for those who offended his other believers NOT WITH YOU, such as us if you think we are not "with you".

The Gospel of Christ isn't about "who's intellect is superior".... It's about love, charity, belief in Him, Serving God and Him, it's about by their FRUITS ye shall know them. Christ never said "by their intellect and teachings ye shall know them". Further proof of this is the parable of the Good Samaritan. A non-believer, a heretic, yet who was actually of God? Not the "chosen" ones..... but the one who by his FRUITS was of God.

Thus, no matter what you think of our "doctrines", our Fruits are of God, and our beliefs as the children of those above chapters we strive to follow Christ, thus that makes us yes, not with you, but not against you either, and as Christ also said in those chapters, that means we can ONLY BE FOR YOU. And we are. We celebrate your faith, but you condemn ours. Thus who's really following Christ? Not you.

[_ldsfaqs]

When would you conservatives say the the US stopped being a conservative country...the thirties, forties, fifties...when exactly was the golden age of conservatism so perhaps we can go back and see how great it was compared to today?

I would say with the Election, but especially the re-election of Obama did we "totally" stop becoming a Conservative country. That people still couldn't see who Obama and liberals were with at the second election, means we are in deep crap.

As to "when" liberal ideology's starting taking over America, well that's been a slow creep, step by step, policy after policy. I would say it really started picking up speed around 1920, with many Federal programs starting to be created, starting with Wilson.

[_krose]

...when exactly was the golden age of conservatism so perhaps we can go back and see how great it was compared to today?

- Spain, circa 1500
- Massachusetts, circa 1650
- Afghanistan, circa 2000

Just to name a few.

[_krose]

Is Social Security liberal...how about Medicade and Medicare?

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Also liberal: food safety regulations; clean water regulations; laws against child labor; laws against spouse abuse; banning slavery; allowing women to vote, get an education, and hold a job; support for religious freedom...