>>Conservative means, passive, hold to your believes, not wanting to try something new, no innovation. Not dynamic. Not practical.
Some selected fragments from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ConservatismConservatism is any of a number of political philosophies supporting traditional values or an established social order. As the word implies, conservatives seek to conserve the existing social order or to reinstate a social order from the past...In the Netherlands, for example, defenders of ‘Dutch tolerance’ as a traditional national value and Islamist supporters of Sharia law both call themselves conservatives.
Different forms of conservatism emphasise different values, many of them overlapping. For example:
Order over chaos
Orientation toward the past rather than the future
The rural over the urban
Unity and homogeneity, over discord and fragmentation
The natural over the artificial and technological
Existence over possibility
Slow and incremental change over utopian projects
Hierarchy over egalitarianism
Acceptance of inequality over redistribution
Sovereignty over union, in matters regarding the European Union From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_conservatism:"Conservatism" is not opposed to change. For example, the Reagan administration in the US and that of Margaret Thatcher in the UK both professed conservatism, but during Reagan's term of office, the United States radically revised its tax code, while Thatcher dismantled several previously nationalized industries and made major reforms in taxation and housing; furthermore, both took, or attempted, significant measures to reduce the power of labor unions. These changes were justified on the grounds that they were changing back to the conditions of a better time.
In less recent history, the Reform Act of 1867, supported by Conservative UK Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli was the single greatest expansion of the franchise in the UK prior to women's suffrage.This is also very fascinating reading:
http://www.aei.org/include/news_print.asp?newsID=6134. In particular, I found this paragraph an excellent summary for why conservatives are opposed to the the European-style welfare state:
In October 1932, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee said, "I have . . . described the spirit of my program as a ‘new deal,’ which is plain English for a changed concept of the duty and responsibility of government toward economic life." Said Franklin Roosevelt, "Government has a final responsibility for the well-being of its citizens." Thus was the final responsibility for much of life removed from private life to the public sector—and to the banks of the Potomac. And thus was the "well-being" of the citizen defined with reference to material conditions, and without reference to the citizen’s character, or virtues.The highlights are mine.
Dan LeClair
www.cyberwombat.comSET RANT ON - The Wombat BlogLife isn’t a morality contest and purity makes a poor shield. - J. Peter MulhernDisclaimer: The comments made here are only my OPINIONS on various aspects of VFP, SQL Server, VS.NET, systems development, or life in general, and my OPINIONS should not be construed to be the authoritative word on any subject. No warranties or degrees of veracity are expressed or implied. Void where prohibited. Side effects may included dizziness, spontaneous combustion, or unexplainable cravings for dark beer. Wash with like colors only, serve immediately for best flavor.
