What Does "Conservative" Mean?

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Conservative is such a sweeping term that I don't think it is easy to define, beyond the fact it is generally "right of centre" on a political compass relative to it's country. Likewise, I believe it is difficult to define liberalism beyond the fact that it is "left of centre."

It's much easier to define the different kinds of conservatism. For example, I am a national conservative leaning to the centre when it comes to the economy. You could say I am a little bit of a liberal conservative in the most traditional sense.

This post was written under the influence of exhaustion.

[ICantSpellDawg]

It is very tricky. We are all Conservative and all Progressive in different ways. It all depends on which ideals, institutions and concepts we are trying to preserve. I don't really like the terms because it suggests that all we do is "conserve" or "progress".

Many progressives are funny in that they are actually socialists who are seeking for the application of century old philosophies. Sure they tinker those concepts to fit in the modern era and move them forward as well, but any intelligent conservative does the same with the century old concepts that they are trying to maintain.
It is totally confused. I call myself a "conservative" to clear things up for some people, but the name doesn't suggest much.

Look at the second amendment. That is a radical and "new" concept in line with socialism during the 18th and 19th centuries. How about the idea that Don Corleone and I have about removing the civil institution of marriage altogether and allowing for religious or secular marriages to be recognized by the state only as civil agreements? I believe that this is a radical idea that will help to preserve ideals that I believe to be under threat in civil marriage - one totally unsupported by historical precedent.

Other "Conservatives" are degenerates who are scarier than any progressive that I've seen. A number of atheist economic libertarians remind me of a killing machine with no moral compass.

The terms are important, but truly meaningless. I respect progress, but "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" is something I'm very cautious of. Progressives would most likely agree - we just need to figure out which "baby" is worthy of protection.

[Goofball]

It is very tricky. We are all Conservative and all Progressive in different ways. It all depends on which ideals, institutions and concepts we are trying to preserve. I don't really like the terms because it suggests that all we do is "conserve" or "progress".

Very true. Just thinking about it, radical environmentalists, whom most of us think of as ultra-left wing, are actually the truest conservatives on the planet.

Odd.