From time to time on this blog, I have endeavored to try to stay away from using labels when discussing the beliefs of individuals or groups. I will be the first to admit that it is very hard -- near impossible -- to do. We all know that popular labels serve as form of shorthand and, without them, every post would need to include a long preamble that sought to define all the operative terms BEFORE actually getting to the subject matter at hand.
I have been giving some deep thought to two labels bandied about in my recent writings. I will deal with the first of these in this post and the second one, fundamental[ist], in a subsequent post.
Conservative, of course, is derived from the root word, conserve.
By and large, people who self-identify as conservative are the people most likely to favor less environmental regulations (i.e., restrictions) and to believe that global warming is a hoax. They favor jobs over pollution, the production of wealth over species extinction and the supremacy of individual decision-making over resource depletion.
In each of these cases and so many more, the policies they advocate actively seek TO CAUSE harm or a loss to Mother Earth and many of us that depend on her good health. In essence, when speaking of the environment, conservatives adopt a liberal position (in a generic sense) and the liberals occupy a bona fide conservative position!
I have been giving some deep thought to two labels bandied about in my recent writings. I will deal with the first of these in this post and the second one, fundamental[ist], in a subsequent post.
Conservative, of course, is derived from the root word, conserve.
1.What we can take from these definitions is that a conservative is one who seeks to protect something from loss or harm. I point this out because, when the topic is the environment, it seems to me that most conservatives favor a position that is the opposite of preservation.
a. To protect from loss or harm; preserve: calls to conserve our national heritage in the face of bewildering change.
b. To use carefully or sparingly, avoiding waste: kept the thermostat lower to conserve energy.
2. To keep (a quantity) constant through physical or chemical reactions or evolutionary changes.
3. To preserve (fruits) with sugar.
By and large, people who self-identify as conservative are the people most likely to favor less environmental regulations (i.e., restrictions) and to believe that global warming is a hoax. They favor jobs over pollution, the production of wealth over species extinction and the supremacy of individual decision-making over resource depletion.
In each of these cases and so many more, the policies they advocate actively seek TO CAUSE harm or a loss to Mother Earth and many of us that depend on her good health. In essence, when speaking of the environment, conservatives adopt a liberal position (in a generic sense) and the liberals occupy a bona fide conservative position!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are unmoderated, so you can write whatever you want.