What is a conservative?

[CTLawGuy]

Understanding conservatives is actually quite simple once you figure out the single idea that binds every single one of the disparate groups.

I believe I have found it.

A conservative is one who believes that government is designed to preserve the natural order of society.

What is the natural order? It is the aggregation of the different systems and methods found within society that keeps it running in an orderly fashion.

The two basic sources of order in society are: religion and capitalism. (neither of them are CREATED by government, but government is used to defend them against liberals, who seek to change them)

Religion is used as a basis for our moral code (according to conservatives). It is a guide for how society should conduct itself, and how individuals should live their lives. Religion is seen as the "instruction manual" sent from our natural creator. If society moves away from religious values, it will fall apart, according to conservatives.

Capitalism is the second major source of order. It is based on the workings of human nature. It is seen as "natural" and therefore good. Those who benefit from the system deserve their benefit, and those whom capitalism has not shown favor towards deserve their fate as well.

Conservatives believe the natural order works to elevate the deserving to a higher status in society, and the undeserving to a lower status. A conservative is obsessed with the concepts of "order", "rank", "merit", "rules". These are also the values of the military, thus many conservatives are attracted to the military.

To a conservative, everyone has their place in society. As long as the place is attained without government interference, it is morally obtained. To a conservative, men have certain rights and responsiblities based on their gender, and women have other rights and responsibilities. Whites are seen as superior to African Americans (at least in the past). Straights are placed above gays. Christians above non-christians. Everyone and everything has their rank and place, forming the social order.

To a conservative, the government exists ONLY to preserve this social order. Supporting prayer in school, opposing gay marriage, opposing abortion, supporting vouchers all seek to strengthen and defend the "natural" religious system. Conservatives oppose welfare, support lower taxes, support deregulation in order to preserve and strengthen the morally just results of capitalism.
People must be not be helped out of their place in order for society to function properly. If they want to change it, they must do it themselves.

Conservative foreign policy derives from this thinking. America is powerful, and in the natural system, it would not be the most powerful country if it were not the most moral country. America has an absolute right to pursue its interests without interference, because of that supposed moral superiority.


Not all conservatives are the same though. Some do not hold views as extreme, but the views still loosely adhere to the ideology.

Most conservatives are not pure conservatives. They tend to fall into two camps: authoritarian conservatives and libertarian conservatives.

An authoritarian conservative believes that the natural order is being decomposed by private rebellious forces within society. In order for society to be saved, the government must use its regulatory power to control and vanquish these rebellious forces.

Prominent auth. conservatives are:

the religious right
PNAC

These conservatives favor: banning gay marriage, forcing school prayer, weakening church-state separation, agressive foreign policy, militarism, unilateralism, forced patriotism, the war on drugs, banning pornography, greater police power.


A libertarian conservative believes that society, if left alone, would tend to preserve the natural order. However, they believe government inherently works against it. These are the "anti-government conservatives." They believe government should use its empowering power to help strengthen capitalism, among other systems.

Prominent lib. conservatives are:

Ronald Reagan
the NRA
Grover Norquist
Steve Forbes

They favor: deregulation, tax cuts, corporate welfare/bailouts, weakening environmental laws, weakening unions and labor laws, free trade, wars for corporate profit.

Auth. Cons. and Lib. Cons. are less concerned with the issues of each other, though they are loosely allied.