Patrick Deneen has put up a great essay on FPR. http://www.frontporchrepublic.com/?p=3315
Once again, I am struck by how much I have in common with most of the truly conservative parts of our culture. If we could resolve the abortion issue, and I don't think that to be likely anytime soon, then I suspect we would often find ourselves joined in a common cause. The label of liberal or conservative is pretty artificial. It wouldn't take much to make them the same.
If there is an underlying problem, maybe's it the authoritarian bent of most conservatives as compared to the individualist bent of most liberals. In specific instances the desired outcomes of liberals and conservatives might be only superficially similar – and this is a fear of mine, that I would agree on some specific outcome only to find that what the conservatives wanted was not choosing but rather requiring.
I don't think that many conservatives get the fact that requiring people to do certain things, to act in certain ways, only engenders resistance. People just want different things, even if what they appear to want is something harmful.
Nonetheless, Patrick's essay gives me hope that maybe in some things there is a growing consensus across the cultural divide that things as they are is not good place to be.
Jake
DW Sabin added some cogent commentary at 12:43 on May 19 - except for something about hair shirts. I didn't get that part.
ReplyDeleteThe world does change in unexpected ways. Perhaps we will all be pleasantly surprised in what the future brings to the table.
Somehow, I doubt it. I imagine things will get much, much worse, and then get really, really terrible, before things start to get better.
Jake