I AM a conservative. Many people believe this means I should be ready and able to defend the Republican Party at every point. But there are many disturbing and anti-conservative elements throughout the Republican agenda. A conservative, at heart, relies on prescription, deliberation and the importance of historically evolved institutions.
Evocative messages and quotable quips pour out of the lips of politicians that presume to be conservative. And yet, as Edmund Burke, the quintessential conservative philosopher,said, "Eloquence may exist without a proportionable degree of wisdom." In practice the Republican agenda and election politics trump the deep rooted and philosophical importance of conservatism. That is, Bush may be a "compassionate conservative," but to motivate the party's base he must also be a populist. His cowboy image and decided simplicity bring him a long way with rural and family values voters. That is not meant as a pejorative; on domestic issues his allegiances and campaign rhetoric simply offer fewer intellectual commitments. In his autobiography, A Charge to Keep, Bush confessed to his belief in the "wisdom of the voters." In contrast, the great articulator of conservatism, Bill Buckley said, "I mean to live my life an obedient man, but obedient to God, subservient to the wisdom of my ancestors; never to the authority of political truths arrived at yesterday at the voting booth."
Conservatism, then, is a double edged sword. On the one hand there are many committed to the intellectual roots of conservatism. The conservative political movement, as opposed to the intellectual one, has been refocused and the original commitment to "the wisdom of the ages," the lessons of history, and prudence is often lost. On the other hand, electable candidates do not live in academic or think-tank anonymity. Their commitments are to public policy rather than political philosophy.
And yet, conservatives should not believe that the government or the political process is magic; they should not lust after office and find themselves corrupted upon election. Rob Dreher, author of Crunchy Conservatives and a political commentator, attempts to differentiate between popularly perceived Republicanism and the meaning of true conservatism, saying, "Modern conservatism has become too focused on money, power, and the accumulation of stuff, and insufficiently concerned with the content of our individual and social character."
Many conservatives forget that America's ideals are not necessarily transferable to all corners of the world. The degree of freedom enjoyed in this country may not be good for every people at any moment in history, and yet George W. Bush himself espouses misleading rhetoric evoking the right of every people to live with the same degree of political, economic, and social freedom as the United States. The instability readily visible every day in Iraq and the greater Middle East illustrates the necessity for organically grown democracy and liberty. Sectarian violence, insurgency, and volatility will plague states unready for the greatest degrees of liberty. This is much like giving an eight year old absolute freedom; he is not ready for it and chaos likely ensues. However, according to Bush, freedom is on the march and, "This young century will be liberty's century." This is an unrealistic, utopian view of the world and it is deeply antithetical to traditional conservatism. Of course, there is a best way to live, a sense of utopia that pulls on every heart, but the reality of human life is that utopia is short lived and not accomplishable in this imperfect life.
For clarification, it is important to participate in party politics, but one must realize that all things, in fact most things, are not best accomplished through policy making on the national level. A large, centralized federal government is far from the intent of the Constitution, and should be undermined by the strong political will of conservatives and individual states championing their rights to legislate again. The process will be slower and less efficient, but in the affairs of governing patience is a virtue to be prized above all others.
Still, conservatism, if it plans to remain true to its philosophy, must remember that most problems are not solved through legislation. That is, culture supersedes politics and it is here where renewal must take place. Limited government mixed with public virtue will save the Republican Party from its vain ambitions. There must be a compromise between public appeal and conservative values for a true conservatism to endure.
Christa Byker's column appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at cbyker@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
EDITORIAL: Carla Williams deserves her seat at the table
By Editorial Board | YesterdayLooking beyond basketball and football reveals that Virginia Athletics is, in many ways, thriving.
UPADHYAYA: The Great and not-so-Good sides of U.Va.’s 2030 housing plan
By Apal Upadhyaya | 4 days agoInstead of improving the dire state of existing infrastructure, however, the University has shifted attention away from it and chosen to expand.
EDITORIAL: Support low-barrier shelters in Charlottesville
By Editorial Board | 5 days agoInvesting in low-barrier shelters now will pay off in increased stability for the homeless, which will undoubtedly improve the safety of shelters and the community writ large.
