The Quiet Nature of Conservatism

It is the nature of most Conservatives to quietly go about their business wishing only that the government would leave them alone and quit trying to make their life so hard. Many of them are business owners or employees who have a strong desire to succeed in their chosen profession. They seek a safe community, low taxes and minimum interference. They generally have strong family values and some level of economic success although most would not be considered wealthy.

Conservatives come in all shapes and sizes and all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. They also cannot be categorized easily.

There are social conservatives who believe what are generally considered to be basic Judeo-Christian values such as pro-life and anti-homosexuality. They typically see private charity as having the responsibility of caring for the needy. Most have a good work ethic. They are not limited to deeply religious individuals but religious belief informs many of the social conservatives.

There also are fiscal conservatives. Many fiscal conservatives are NOT social conservatives. Fiscal conservatives typically believe in a minimalist government. They see government's primary role as one of facilitation and common defense. They reject government interference, social spending and economic stimulus. They believe that individuals have the best sense of how to spend their resources -- NOT the government.

Sometimes social and fiscal conservatives find themselves at odds in the marketplace of ideas. They generally are not vocal about their differences but find themselves voting differently. Both groups typically will adjust to changes and then quietly go about their way. However, some members of the social conservatives are sometimes vocal. The vocal ones typically are NOT fiscal conservatives as well. They have a cause and often don't mind the government throwing money at their cause.

The tendency to adjust to "the way things are" and quietly go about their way is in large part, the reason Conservatism is dying in the United States. Conservatives usually don't challenge the educational system or the political system, they just go on doing the best they can at whatever they do. They may complain to their neighbor or family, but rarely do they actively seek to counter the changes that are forced upon them.

How can one motivate such a group to combat the radical agenda of the liberal left? Will it require subjugation into a relatively outcast class of citizenship before they resist? Can they be organized into a cohesive movement to resist the liberal agenda? Can they be motivated to fight for their rights? Those are questions in desperate need of answers. It is time for Conservative leadership to move to the front. Hopefully it is not too late to counteract the changes that are creeping through society.