First of all, ca, in the remarks you quoted, I added a link to something I wrote back almost 30 years ago. Hope you get a chance to read it.
As for American conservatism...let me begin by mentioning that I am 81, white, and work at a golf course in one of the most conservative (and richest) counties in America. My fellow workers and fellow golfers are almost all white men of about my age...and are almost 100% ultra conservatives. My brother, my late brother, my mother, my father, and several of my cousins (all of whom I love) are conservatives. Lastly, I am not myself a liberal...although I champion a very progressive agenda.
A good deal of American conservatism in the past had an appeal for me. Giants of Republican American conservatism of my youth...people like William Buckley and Everett Dirksen were people I looked up to. I did have lots of trouble with the American conservatives of the Democratic Party...who were the racists of our nation.
American conservatives of the Republican ranks provided a mighty service to our country in the form of the loyal opposition. They ran herd on the attempted excesses of the liberals. They were outstanding at doing that. I appreciated them for that quality. However, I've never thought American conservatives had much value as true leaders...although (strangely enough) I thought Richard Nixon was an exception...and an efficient leader.
In 1964...the American conservatives of the South jumped ship from the Democrats and ran over to the Republicans. They were in a snit over the Civil Rights Act which LBJ signed. (Dirksen, a committed conservative helped LBJ pass it.)
In 1980, Ronald Reagan (for whom I voted), in concert with those southern defectors, started American conservative down the pathway to hell...and to the state where I consider it to be a cancer.
Reagan was a dynamic individual...and likeable beyond measure. But during his first inaugural address...I realized I had made an enormous mistake in voting for him...and the feelings I have that cause me to consider American conservatism to be a cancer on the American body politic were born.
Ronald Reagan started the trend (which is turning our nation into a sewer)…with the comment:
“…government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
Those words began America’s decent into the political hell now polluting it. In my opinion, they were the most damaging words any American president had ever spoken...now eclipsed almost daily by Donald Trump.
Anyway...from that point on, the American conservative philosophy warped into varying forms of “I’ve got mine, screw you.”
That, whether you can see it or not; whether you can acknowledge it or not…is where it is right now.
There is no humanity to it.
I’ll stop here, but I’ll discuss it further if your response calls for it.
As for American conservatism...let me begin by mentioning that I am 81, white, and work at a golf course in one of the most conservative (and richest) counties in America. My fellow workers and fellow golfers are almost all white men of about my age...and are almost 100% ultra conservatives. My brother, my late brother, my mother, my father, and several of my cousins (all of whom I love) are conservatives. Lastly, I am not myself a liberal...although I champion a very progressive agenda.
A good deal of American conservatism in the past had an appeal for me. Giants of Republican American conservatism of my youth...people like William Buckley and Everett Dirksen were people I looked up to. I did have lots of trouble with the American conservatives of the Democratic Party...who were the racists of our nation.
American conservatives of the Republican ranks provided a mighty service to our country in the form of the loyal opposition. They ran herd on the attempted excesses of the liberals. They were outstanding at doing that. I appreciated them for that quality. However, I've never thought American conservatives had much value as true leaders...although (strangely enough) I thought Richard Nixon was an exception...and an efficient leader.
In 1964...the American conservatives of the South jumped ship from the Democrats and ran over to the Republicans. They were in a snit over the Civil Rights Act which LBJ signed. (Dirksen, a committed conservative helped LBJ pass it.)
In 1980, Ronald Reagan (for whom I voted), in concert with those southern defectors, started American conservative down the pathway to hell...and to the state where I consider it to be a cancer.
Reagan was a dynamic individual...and likeable beyond measure. But during his first inaugural address...I realized I had made an enormous mistake in voting for him...and the feelings I have that cause me to consider American conservatism to be a cancer on the American body politic were born.
Ronald Reagan started the trend (which is turning our nation into a sewer)…with the comment:
“…government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
Those words began America’s decent into the political hell now polluting it. In my opinion, they were the most damaging words any American president had ever spoken...now eclipsed almost daily by Donald Trump.
Anyway...from that point on, the American conservative philosophy warped into varying forms of “I’ve got mine, screw you.”
That, whether you can see it or not; whether you can acknowledge it or not…is where it is right now.
There is no humanity to it.
I’ll stop here, but I’ll discuss it further if your response calls for it.
