By Carol Lucas
Where have all the true conservatives gone?
The moment I asked myself that question, a song immediately popped into my head,”Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” the woeful folk-style song written by Pete Seeger in 1955. Just a little background for this.
In the most polarized, divisive and controversial of times (up until now), the McCarthy era, when artists were fearful for their careers and freedom, Seeger stood up for free-speech. In this case he refused to name his friends with communist associations or disavow his own political leanings.
As I read this, the irony was apparent, given today’s governmental posture with Putin; the message, however, is pretty much the same. Freedom of speech.
And so I began to research the basis of conservative ideology. I came across a list that billed itself as the “7 Core Principles of Conservatism,” and frankly, they sounded pretty reasonable, with some modifications, to this moderate/liberal thinker.
The first principle listed was that of individual freedom, and it went on to explain. “The birth of our great nation was inspired by the bold declaration that our individual, God-given liberties should be preserved against government intrusion.” I determined then to seek their definition of “intrusion.”
Conservatives typically hold that the government should play a smaller role in regulating business and managing the economy. They typically support economic liberalization and oppose welfare programs to redistribute income to assist the poor.
Today’s Republican party, while still claiming to stand for limited government, is practicing just the opposite: government intrusion is everywhere. Let’s look at education, a topic near and dear to my heart.
Republicans (note I am not using the word Conservative, nor will I use it when referencing MAGA) throughout the country are determining what books your child can and cannot read. Additionally, they propose the barring of all curricula they perceive as evidence of committed racism. In many cases, this is already established.
Many Republican states, including our own, are banning masks in school. With the onslaught of measles, this is certain to cause problems.
Another area of intrusions deals with abortions. SCOTUS, with its majority of Republicans overturned Roe v. Wade. When this occurred, red states couldn’t wait to follow suit, and they outlawed a woman’s right to control her own body, including those instances where the mother’s life is endangered. Republican states are also setting a cutoff of six weeks, when in fact many women don’t know they are pregnant by then. Pro-life or intrusion?
The second core principle is that of limited government. In simple terms, a limited government means the power of the government is restricted by laws and a constitution, ensuring it can’t act arbitrarily and protects individual rights. I wish I had the space to provide a detailed explanation of this. However, I will try to encapsulate what I found.
Restricted Power: A limited government operates within defined boundaries, meaning the government’s authority is not absolute.
Rule of Law: This type of government is carried forth by a system of laws, not the whims of rulers, and these laws are implemented fairly and impartially.
Constitution: A written constitution often serves as a blueprint, outlining the powers of the government and the rights of citizens, acting as a check on government power.
Separation of Powers: Power is divided among different branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial) to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
There was a time when Ronald Reagan thundered, “Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.” Ask yourself right now if any of these is being adhered to by the Trump government. Those issues that used to come before Congress are now falling under the category “Presidential edict.”
Other core principles of Conservatism include “Peace through Strength.” I don’t believe that is supposed to embrace making Canada the 51st state or Greenland the 52nd. Just my opinion.
Then there is “Free Markets.” Hmmm. Tariffs on a one-upsmanship basis comes to mind.
Another is “Fiscal Responsibility.” Elon, obviously, has his own definition of this one.
And the last on the list I accessed is “Human Dignity.” Where do I even begin? So much of anything remotely dignified has been lost, and I can only pray that recovery of this loss is possible. In a two-month period, we have squandered our position on the world stage.
As I said earlier, I am inclined to accept much of what this list of Conservative principles subscribes to, but then the question becomes, “by whose interpretation?”
And so back to my original query: where have all the true Conservatives gone? By that I mean those whose values reflect true conservative ideology which is a far cry from MAGA, the Orwellian thief of values.
I know who the genuine conservatives are, John McCain, Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and while I disagree with some of their ideology, I still respect these folks.
Please do not tell me you voted for 47 because he stands for conservative values. That’s pure BS; make no mistake he is not a real conservative. He is MAGA, and that is a zebra of a different stripe. Sadly, his cohorts and his supporters are of that same stripe, fascist and authoritarian.
As the sad folk song implores, “When will they ever learn?” Try explaining that to your grandchildren.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
