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Tuesday, September 5, 2017

"Conservatism" by Brandon V


To be free is to not be ruled over and ‘A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away’’.-Barry Goldwater. When people hear the word Conservative, the pistons immediately  fire and anger begins to  linger from their mouths. Many are apologetic to take and believe in, the entire concept of both Social and Economic Conservatism. Conservatism is defined as  a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change; specifically :  such a philosophy calling for lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and investing, a strong national defense, and individual financial responsibility for personal needs (such as retirement income or health-care coverage) and is found from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. This definition I believe sums up the economic forms of conservatism very well in terms of fiscal policy. However the sub section of Conservatism that is not talked about to the same degree is Social Conservatism. Remembering that Conservatism is the belief in tradition and the values that are derived thereof , we can explore Social Conservatism in the same light. The tradition in American Conservatism derive from The Holy Bible and The Torah. The values listed in these Holy books contain the basis for much of the Social Conservatism of today. These values include the belief in a sacred marriage between Man and Woman and only Man and Women, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth especially regarded important in the criminal cases of murders and serial killers, and directly quoted from the King James Version Bible, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you: do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets’’, and this in common day simplified English means treat your neighbor in a manner in which you would also like to be treated. These are a hand picked few of the views of a Social Conservative in my interpretation. To a great degree, the implication of a sound and faithful belief in God do these viewpoints come about. For a long time The United States has maintained and held composure of these traditional ideas but in the Modern day we see a rapid vanishment of these morals to which many believe society is changing for the worse in their actions of allowing immoral behavior and ideas to be spread and accepted. In a study conducted by The American Psychological Association, they concluded that roughly fifty percent of marriages in The United States result in a divorce. Quite an alarming statistic which would only lead one to question why is this occurring. The assertion that is being made here is that as a result of society disregarding respected and tested tradition, severe consequences are a direct result of that cause. This essay is concluded with a quote by Ian Duncan Smith and reads, “The future of Conservatism lies in our beliefs and values, not by throwing them away. We need to shed associations that bind us to past failures, but hold faith with those things that make us Conservatives”.

9 comments:

  1. Hey Brandon, I'm glad you had the guts to publish this article. Conservatives now a day get so much flack for their beliefs, its good that you could take a stand for them. Personally I identify myself as a centrist, but I'd say I lean slightly to the right. Where my views start to linger of conservatism is when it comes to social conservatism. Like you mentioned many social conservatives believe in the sacred bond between a man and a woman. Though I personally disagree that the Bible attacks homosexuals, people certainly use it as a weapon against them, which goes against the "love your neighbor as yourself" commandment, which you also mentioned.Those are just my thoughts... Brandon you have come such a long way since since sophmore year, when you were preaching the exact opposite views that you are now defending, and I'm glad that you have an open mind regardless of your political affiliation. This was a nicely done essay, and will hopefully show people what true conservatism is meant to be.

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  2. Well written, accurately defines conservatism. You perfectly hit the main points of the fundamentals of Economic and Social Conservatism. This is exactly how I would describe it, and gives Conservatism the description it deserves in a time where it is viewed negatively. I especially like the quotes used and how you applied the original idea of Conservatism to the modern day.

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  3. Brandon, I commend you for expressing your beliefs on conservatism despite the term's negative connotation. Your message of accepting individuals despite their political views is important and is emphasized by specific historical evidence and informative sentences. Good job.

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  4. Brandon, I applaud you for voicing out your opinion in this article despite the negative connotations conservatism gets nowadays. We've constantly debated libertarianism, conservatism, liberalism, socialism, any sort of -ism out there regarding politics and it's nothing short of enlightening. Although we've been back and forth politically, I respect this article and you writing it.

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  5. extremely well written, I Really enjoyed reading about a topic that you are very passionate about. I also enjoyed reading how you expressed and defended your beliefs even though many people view conservatism very negatively.
    - Steve Martinez Period 1

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  6. This is a great article Brandon. I really like that you were able to apply quotes of conservatism to the modern era. I also want to thank you because this article did teach me a lot about conservatism and the bible. Great job! ~ Adrian Arteaga

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  7. Political views Are highly subjective. I don't really have an interest in politics but i enjoyed how you pieced together history and modern day, and how people shouldn't be judged from their standpoint. Great work!

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  8. This article is very well written with a great understanding of the topic. Personally, I find it brave of you to write this article, and I also love this alternative view on a commonly hated subject in today's world.

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  9. This article helped me to understand conservatism a bit more. Including actual definitions is a great way to get the message across. Including a quote from the bible was a nice touch. Awesome job!

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