The Sooner the Better

I PROPOSE a new brand of liberalism, a new style. The old one just won't do anymore. Its too contentious, too disdainful of conservatism. I spent eight years complaining about ronald reagan, another four years complaining about goeorge herbert walker bush the forty first, and eight years listening to conreps* complaining about bill clinton.

*conrep = conservative republican

I finally got tired of it all, and especially, tired of msyelf, tired of listening to myself complain. So, I don't complain anymore, or, at least, I try not to. Instead, I accept and respect conservatism as the basis of liberalism.

I got tired of listening to my liberal friends demonize conservatives, and conservatism.  And so I eventually came to tealize that conservatism is the basis of all political thought, including liberalsim.

One can be a basic liberal, and accept conservatism at the same ttime. But one cannot be a basic conservative, and accept liberalism at the same time. That's the advantage that the liberals have, or can have, if only they choose to exploit it.

Liberals enjoy the advantage of not being forced to fundamentally reject the opposing point of view, but rather being able to accept the opposing point of view, then, expand on it. Liberalism and conservatism actually compliment each other, but to admit that liberalism has value is to admit that conservatism is not complete, and for staunch conservatives, that will never do.

Liberals can easily embrace  christianity and capitalisxm, for instance, the two fundamental pillars of conservatism, while simultaneously embracing every other religion and political philosophy, and declaring them all equal.  But conservatives can never accept atheism or islam, or socialism.

Liberalism can despise abortion, and love life, and still believe that a woman's reproductive choices are decided by, or should be decided by, her and God, not her and government. A conservative cannot simultaneously oppose abortion and support choice.

Thus, conservatism, in a sense, is quite limited, whereas liberalism is inclusive and expansive.The sooner liberals understand this, the better off they'll be.