Conservatism means wanting to keep the society as it is. It is the antonym of being progressive. And that’s it.
A party that wants things to to just remain stable as they are is a conservative party. A party that wants to make dramatic changes is a progressive, or maybe also regressive, party. But absolutely not conservative.
Yes, in USA some people have started using the word “conservative” in a different meaning. That doesn’t alter what the word really means. Those who want to conserve what exists.
(And in USA the Democratic party has taken the conservative role, whereas the Republican party has taken an anti-conservative role, driving radical changes to things. Changes to a direction I see as very damaging for everyone, but changes all the same. Wanting such huge changes makes you an anti-conservative.)
Conservatism means wanting to keep the society as it is.
Conservatism has never been that. It has always been about defending the privilege of the unaccountable elite, against meritocracy and rule of law. Throughout history, conservatives supported vast social changes, as long as they were at the expense of working people. Consider the enclosure of the commons in Britain as one big example, that led to destitution, famine and mass emigration.
So it’s important to keep in mind what’s being conserved: it’s not the status quo, it’s the rich’s ability to do what they want without being held accountable. The actual policies promoted by conservatives have been widely changeable over time, but that key principle remains the same.
Conservatism means wanting to keep the society as it is. It is the antonym of being progressive. And that’s it.
A party that wants things to to just remain stable as they are is a conservative party. A party that wants to make dramatic changes is a progressive, or maybe also regressive, party. But absolutely not conservative.
Yes, in USA some people have started using the word “conservative” in a different meaning. That doesn’t alter what the word really means. Those who want to conserve what exists.
(And in USA the Democratic party has taken the conservative role, whereas the Republican party has taken an anti-conservative role, driving radical changes to things. Changes to a direction I see as very damaging for everyone, but changes all the same. Wanting such huge changes makes you an anti-conservative.)
Conservatism has never been that. It has always been about defending the privilege of the unaccountable elite, against meritocracy and rule of law. Throughout history, conservatives supported vast social changes, as long as they were at the expense of working people. Consider the enclosure of the commons in Britain as one big example, that led to destitution, famine and mass emigration.
So it’s important to keep in mind what’s being conserved: it’s not the status quo, it’s the rich’s ability to do what they want without being held accountable. The actual policies promoted by conservatives have been widely changeable over time, but that key principle remains the same.