What is conservatism? Conservatism is, at it broadest, a broad ideological movement that consists of people wishing to preserve the current status quo. This thread is focused most specifically in conservatism in the West, and the various conservative movements that have sprung up. Do you have a specific conservative ideology that you find yourself adhering to? Are you neoconservative, paleoconservative, social conservative, progressive conservative, etc.? What conservative party (GOP, Tories, CDU, etc.) do you find yourself most supporting?
Moving from the domestic realm into the international realm, how do you formulate your foreign policy? Some ideologies, like neoconservatism, integrate foreign policy initiatives into the package (in this case, a hawkish neoliberalism/idealism mixed with just a twinge of political realism). Others, like American social conservatism have no predefined foreign policy. How does NSG's conservatives view the world? Do you agree with Samuel Huntington's view of the world as divided among civilizations, famed neoconservative scholar Francis Fukuyama's the end of history concept, or something else all together?*
How does NSG's conservatives view the world, economically? Are you an ardent support of neoliberal economic ideas (free market), or are you more constrained? What are the roles of budgets in the governments?
Finally, I'd like to extend an invitation to everyone for a critique of the various conservative ideologies, both theoretically, and in practice. It'd be nice if we could be polite about it, lest we bring down the mods. I'd open the critique with another post of mine from the previous thread:
OK then, I'll start.
Stop with the stupid proposals, ideas, and debating techniques, guys. You cannot go into debate armed with only faith and bad sources. It makes all of us look bad.
Learn what communism actually is, as well as socialism. Political theory is important. While it's easy and somewhat convenient to just point to failed examples in recent history and say "HAHA COMMUNISM" when the USSR wasn't really communist (and is only arguably a failed attempt at the dictatorship of the proletariat). Instead, it's far more satisfying and more effective to criticize the theoretical flaws of Marxism, Leninism, Maoism, etc. To do that, you have to know what those things mean.
Please learn what feminism actually is. It's the same deal, guys. There are reasons to critique academic feminism, as well as reasons to criticize the normative movement, but please don't try and associate the whole movement with a few "feminazis". Some, like our local neighborhood Tahar Joblis, have made the argument that feminism categorically overlooks serious male problems- that's fine. Saying that feminism works only for females, just because, is not.
That about covers it for now. But while I'm at it, I'll go ahead and classify myself and my conservative credentials. I'm an American neoconservative (with some libertarian leanings, and just a few social conservative influences from time to time) who embraces neoliberal market ideas.
That's my largest critique of conservative posters on the board.
And Caninpopus I said unto them, go forth and discuss.
*I'd like to note that there are differences between academic schools of thought (realism, liberalism, etc), and these thoughts as concepts of foreign policy.
