Not Claiming That I Am An Expert On Edmund Burke

[Cary]

I have studied Burke a little and I don't recall that he was in any way as mean-spirited. anti-intellectual, punitive, or dishonest as contemporary "conservatives."

As always I will not be responding to any nasty attacks levied against me here. I will respond only to constructive, thoughtful posts.

Thanks in advance.

[HarlanPepper]

1. I was curious about the context. Thank you.

[Cary]

4. The context is my ongoing contempt for "conservatives"

I find them to be purveyors of a dangerous ideology. I have expressed my opinion as to how we must deal with those people going forward and have been attacked for it. I have studied history and law at a.graduate level. I don't like believing that we must come down hard on this ideology but everything I know says that is the only language authoritarians will understand.

Sun Tzu said crush your enemies completely or they will rally and defeat you.

[The Blue Flower]

2. The Edmund Burke who said:

'The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing'?

[Cary]

6. Thank you

[Aristus]

3. There was a time when conservatism was an honorable ideology.

Conservatism can work hand-in-hand with liberalism if honorable people espouse these beliefs.

That conservatism means: "Preserve that which is good." and

that liberalism means: "Change that which is not."

[Cary]

5. Notice my use of.scare quotes

"Comservatism" is not conservative. "Conservatism" is to the right of conservatism

Contemporary "conservatism" is fascism.

[Wounded Bear]

7. Modern conservatism has no soul...

as Galbraith said:



Haven't read a lot of the old 18/19th Century economist-philosophers, so I'll defer to you on Burke.

[sop]

8. Edmund Burke in his own words:

https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/edmund-burke-quotes

[TreasonousBastard]

9. I'm no expert on Burke, either, but he seems to have been an icon of a brand of conservatism we...

just don't see much of any more. And we should see it.

I will gladly accept any slings and arrows or saying that I believe conservatism is absolutely necessary in a free society in order to keep the conversation balanced. I fondly remember the days when Bill Buckley would debate progressives of the day, but never insult them, and often enough accept that they had valid points to make. And opposite sides would tear each other to pieces in Congressional debates, and then go out and have a drink at the end of the day.

Smite me if you must, but I had a certain admiration for Barry Goldwater as a man of decency and principle, although I couldn't imagine him as president. Same with Herbert Hoover, whose inaction led to a worsening of the Depression, but the rest of his life was really one of distinction. And Eisenhower? Hardly a liberal there.

Too many modern alleged conservatives are simply greedy assholes using conservatism as a crutch and a sound bite. Any proper conservative from the old days would shrink in horror from any thought of clogging roads because they weren't allowed to shop.

Conservatives, proper ones, anyway, are the yin to our yang and should be worked with. Light has no definition, or point, without darkness.

[Cary]

10. The problem in my opinion is their tolerance for lies

Truth has no currency with them so anything becomes possible. That's not a healthy thing.