1. Protection
Liberals use the power of the state to protect against the dysfunctions of the family and community.
Conservatives use the power of the family and community to defend against the dysfunctions of the state.
2. Trust
Liberals tend to trust everybody in general, but nobody in particular.
Conservatives tend to distrust everybody in general, but trust particular individuals.
3. Authority
Liberals tend to want powerful entities to never meddle while reserving a superpower to crush powerful entities that do.
Conservatives want to let powerful entities meddle as they please so long as none of them becomes a superpower.
4. Conformity
Liberals tend to want radicalization when under threat. Let the most energetic wing win.
Conservatives tend to want conformity when under threat. Hunker down and ride out the storm.
5. History
Liberals expect to institutionalize the lessons of history and spread the benefits to as many as possible. They call for global education.
Conservatives distrust the overproductions of institutions. When liberals say 'education' conservatives hear 're-education'.
6. Progress
Liberals believe the purpose of civilization is to discover more and more value in human diversity and to defend and expand protections and rights for all.
Conservatives believe that people never change and rights are specific contracts between specific people and that the purpose of civilization is to maintain that minimal, well-defined set.
Recent Comments