You’re more generous about this than I am, Patrick. The words “conservative” and “liberal” have been defined in contrast to one another for almost two centuries. /1
It’s only in the last generation that there’s been an effort by self-identifies liberals to claim that they are ALSO the “true conservatives”—whereas conservatives are actually authoritarians, theocrats, fascists, etc. /2
So now we have folks who seriously say that they are both the real liberals AND the true conservatives. /3
I understand that some of this is just ignorance about the historical meaning of the terms. Eg, 30 years ago, no one thought Ayn Rand was a “conservative,” and my Randian friends likewise wanted nothing to do with that term. /4
But there are a few high-profile figures who know very well that liberalism and conservatism are two different things, and that historically conservatism was always a synonym for traditionalism—not liberalism.
Yet they seem to be fueling the confusion for tactical reasons. /5
Yet they seem to be fueling the confusion for tactical reasons. /5
I’m not sure what their motives are. But they seem to be treating both the words “liberalism” and “conservatism” as a kind of real estate that they need to keep control of—even if they personally have become much more liberal and aren’t really conservatives any more. /6
You’ll notice that there is almost no one today who is willing to admit something like: Yeah, I used to be a lot more conservative, but I’ve learned a lot and I’ve become much more of a liberal.
Why not? /7
Why not? /7
I’m not sure why that is. But I have a feeling it won’t last too long. We’re going to need the word “conservative” to mean someone who supports national and religious traditionalism.
People will just get tired of using it (senselessly) to mean the same thing as “liberal”. /8
People will just get tired of using it (senselessly) to mean the same thing as “liberal”. /8
