This post is of an article over at ConservativeTruth.org.
Conservatism embodies a social philosophy that encompasses political and ideological positions on issues, and at one time, up until the 1960s, could be found in both political parties. That changed after the 1960s and Vietnam War, when their numbers began to decline among Democrats. Today conservatives are found mostly in the Republican Party.
Conservatism respects American traditions, institutions, and Judeo-Christian values, believes in limited government, states' rights, less taxing, personal responsibility, American exceptionalism, individualism, patriotism, and capitalism. According to most surveys, religious beliefs and church attendance among conservatives are higher than any group. They are also strong supporters of the military, police, and law and order. We often hear mention made of neo-conservatives; this is more a fringe conservatism, which seeks to expand, even if through force, democratic principles beyond America’s borders.
Conservatism does in fact have historical roots. But it was the agenda of Franklin Roosevelt that became an incentive and motivating factor for conservatism to flourish, by opposing the liberalism of the New Deal. This was accomplished in part through a collaboration of conservative politicians, intellectuals, and big business, and supported by writers of the day, and college and university philosophy professors. This eventually brought about the end of Democratic dominance of the presidency between 1932 and 1968, and the elections of Richard Nixon, which was a bellwether, and considered a realigning of the Republican Party, which led to the election of Ronald Reagan.
President Ronald Reagan, “The Gipper,” I believe captured the essence expressed in the 1806 poem by William Wordsworth, who wrote about the “Character of the Happy Warrior.” The character possessed the qualities that all people should embrace and strive for; he is generous, brave, virtuous, and morally upright. The Happy Warrior takes adversity in his stride and remains optimistic, and faces conflict and distress with fortitude and equanimity.
Even his political opponents would not deny President Reagan’s appealing character, as he made them smile. Even after having been shot in a failed assassination attempt that caused critical injuries, he was able to joke with the hospital staff. But if this good man, and great president, was alive today, and thankfully he is not, the great communicator, another moniker, would be at the mercy of a leftist cabal.
Although in his earlier life, prior to his presidency, Donald Trump was a powerful real estate baron and celebrity, and an admitted liberal who supported Democrats and Republicans. However, as president, to the surprise of many, he governed as a staunch conservative, an advocate of an America-first philosophy. His policies and agenda on pro-life, religious liberty, and upholding all of the requisite values and principles of conservatism were absolute and heralded by many.
Conservatism has a storied history, but over the past couple of decades, especially since the presidency of Barack Obama, conservatives have become outcasts, pariahs, and are undeserving of any understanding, acceptance, courtesy, and are considered far-right extremists, white supremacists, racists, xenophobes, homophobes, rubes, Bible thumpers, and just plain dumb, by the ruling class in the left-wing progressive establishment. This cabal is comprised of post-modern liberals, progressives, socialists, Marxists, fascists, and few communists thrown in for good measure, and can be found in politics, the entertainment industry, big business, Silicon Valley, and government bureaucracy.
The ruling class has a stranglehold on the nation, and they have developed an agenda that seeks to transform cultural norms and conventional standards to suit their concept of what America should look like and be, and that includes revising history and abolishing the traditional values and institutions of the West, and imposing their ideological and extreme secular irregularities on the people, whether they accept it or not. These are morally corrupt people, and they are vociferous in their endeavors to accomplish their anti-American agenda and change this nation.
The various entities that comprise the ruling class, who are dominating the conversation in America today, should keep something in mind. And that is they should be wary and careful of the radical and extreme agenda they seek to impose on the people they believe must be subdued and deprived of their rights; for what goes around comes around. Benjamin Franklin said it best, “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”
