Conservatism and Liberalism

RJ Pisko, Letter to the Editor

Interesting article (Ed: Letter to the Editor), Positively Conservative by Debra Janzen (link) - and interesting comments, all. I’ve been doing considerable research and reading about Conservatism and Liberalism lately, mostly to figure out what I am, politically and personally, at least by definition. So, I went to the (maybe) best online dictionary I could find, just for the sake of clear definition of terms. I didn’t post every single definition or word, as English can have such broad meanings for different words and terms, and how those words and terms are presented.

A quick example of possible misinterpretation due only to a single comma: “We invited the comedians, Stephen Harper, and Justin Trudeau to the charity ball.” But what if we move a comma – “We invited the comedians, Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau, to the charity ball.”

So I caution readers to carefully consider how things are presented – both when doing the presenting and interpreting it.

From Mirriam-Webster.com (online dictionary):

Conservative and conservatism
Definition - Conservative (conservative) - a person whose political beliefs are centered on tradition and keeping things the way they are
Conservatism - the principles and policies of a Conservative party ,disposition in politics to preserve what is established, 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 (as retirement income or health-care coverage), the tendency to prefer an existing or traditional situation to change
Synonyms - archconservative, brassbound, button-down (or buttoned-down), die-hard, hidebound, mossbacked, old-fashioned, old-line, old-school, orthodox, paleoconservative, reactionary, standpat, traditional, traditionalistic, ultraconservative, unprogressive, archconservative, paleoconservative, reactionary, rightist, right-winger, Tory, traditionalist 

Liberal and liberalism
Definition - Liberal (liberal) - of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism; especially : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives
Liberalism - : the quality or state of being liberal, a movement in modern Protestantism emphasizing intellectual liberty and the spiritual and ethical content of Christianity, a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard, a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties; specifically : such a philosophy that considers government as a crucial instrument for amelioration of social inequities (as those involving race, gender, or class) Political and economic doctrine that emphasizes the rights and freedoms of the individual and the need to limit the powers of government. Liberalism originated as a defensive reaction to the horrors of the European wars of religion of the 16th century
Synonyms - not bound by traditional ways or beliefs, broad-minded, nonconventional, nonorthodox, nontraditional, open-minded, progressive, radical, unconventional, unorthodox, advanced, contemporary, modern; forbearing, indulgent, large-minded, lenient, permissive, tolerant; extreme; impartial, objective, unbiased.  ( Mirriam-Webster.com)

So I've come to figure what I am, and that Conservatives do embrace change - just not right now... (By the way, there has been considerable research done on the mindsets and IQ scores of the left and the right – very interesting if you care to go there.) If you REALLY want to know where you stand (politically and perhaps philosophically), I urge you to visit www.politicalcompass.org/test‎ - very eye-opening, I thought. It`s a quick quiz that “places” one on an axis of political philosophy, and one can compare her/his politics with the likes of Ghandi, Obama, Lincoln, etc. Fun if nothing else...

Related Letter to the Editor:

Positively Conservative