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Yes, Americans are fundamentally conservative. American citizens run their own lives in clearly conservative ways. And if the GOP wants to keep its control of both houses of Congress, they had better start realizing it. Conservatism is what America is all about. And politicians who go anywhere else, won't last long.
How are Americans conservative?
Very few Americans would walk into their neighbor's house, take money out of his wallet, and use it to buy health care for a homeless person. American citizens who want to help the homeless in their private lives (and there are many such), are far more likely to use their own money. Forcing their neighbors to pay instead is - dare I say it - un-American.
And I doubt many people would force their neighbor at gunpoint to quit landscaping his back yard, stop filling in a muddy area, and stop building a treehouse for his kids. Even if the treehouse is unsightly, they are likely to leave the neighbor to his own devices.
And if the neighbor was in financial difficulty, most Americans would not go to all the other neighbors and force them to pay money to help the destitute neighbor. They might ASK the other neighbors, while contributing a lot of their own personal resources, offering him a job, etc.
And most Americans would certainly not go around regularly to all their neighbors, demanding to know intimate details of what they are doing, how much they are earning, how much they spent and on what things, etc., for the purpose of knowing what they could later force out of them for any of the above situations.
The vast majority of Americans would use their own personal resources, while asking only for VOLUNTARY help from neighbors if they asked at all; and only in extreme circumstances would they interfere at all. They are far more likely to let things be, and to respect the judgment and privacy of those around them, unless someone was in real trouble. And even then, they are likely to ask only politely, using no coercion other than a vague implication that one course is the right thing to do. And if meeting a refusal at that point, they will take the other's decision as the dominating imperative, acknowledging that the other is the best judge of his own capabilities. Only if he finds someone (neighbor or otherwise) doing actual direct, major harm to another, might he step in with force, and then only cautiously.
At the same time, most Americans willingly contribute to PRIVATE groups (charities, churches, hospitals, food banks etc.) that engage in methodical charity; while turning a cold shoulder to anyone who tries to compel them to do such giving.
In other words, most Americans are fundamentally CONSERVATIVE.
For the oddity where some of them will then turn around and vote for people who say they will interfere as the voter never would, coerce as the voter never would, and threaten as the voter abhors, I have no explanation. But aside from that bizarre voting tendency of some, they themselves are basically conservative in their own lives.
If the newly-elected Republican majorities in the House and Senate want to keep those majorities for more than a few election cycles, they will change their "liberal-lite" ways and start turning more and more responsibility back to the people (as the Constitution requires).
This is a direction most liberal Democrats and their allies in the media, devoutly hope the Republicans will not take. It would result in the kind of Republican conservative domination that characterized the U.S. Government from the country's founding throgh the early 20th century. Only govt-created disasters such as the Great Depression (made Great by gross govt interference in usually-short economic recovery cycles) allowed the big-govt liberals to get a foot in the door.
Republicans will never get a better chance to go back to the conservatism that most American people embrace in their own personal lives.
When they had a similar chance in 1994, they let it slip through their fingers, pushing government "help" and more expanding govt programs instead of reducing government and letting the American people take their own responsibility for their own lives. And the people's support waned and eventually vanished for the "liberal-lite" Republicans.
The answer is yes.. You cannot tell me the Republican party has acted like its learned from its mistakes at all. They want people to be reliant on government too. Its just them and Democrats argue and bicker on the way they want the government to control things
Small government? Less taxes and expanded personal liberty?
Or is your definition of conservative a neocon, anti abortion, anti gay marriage, pro prohibition, less corporate taxes while ending tax breaks for homeowners? Thats the Grand Ole Parties platform, and its not very damned conservative, In my opinion.
Stay out of social issues, unless advocating more (not less) freedom, less (not more) unnecessary regulations. But stick to the constitution.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Memphis1979
What is your definition of conservative?
Small government? Less taxes and expanded personal liberty?
Or is your definition of conservative a neocon, anti abortion, anti gay marriage, pro prohibition, less corporate taxes while ending tax breaks for homeowners? Thats the Grand Ole Parties platform, and its not very damned conservative, In my opinion.
I'll take the bolded for $1,000 Alex! Anything else such as telling people who they can marry, what they can consume (as in prohibiton) and panders to the elite isn't conservative!
Yes, Americans are fundamentally conservative. American citizens run their own lives in clearly conservative ways. And if the GOP wants to keep its control of both houses of Congress, they had better start realizing it. Conservatism is what America is all about. And politicians who go anywhere else, won't last long.
More Americans put themselves as Moderate than "Conservative" or "Liberal/progressive"
so i'm very curious where this fiction is coming from?
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Anything else such as telling people who they can marry, what they can consume (as in prohibiton) and panders to the elite isn't conservative!
