* <<H2D.0539>> Right/Conservatism The "right" is not conservatism, but it is characterized by it. This is an important distinction because the conservative impulse, or conservative motive, is important in society as a braking force on change. This CAN BE beneficial. It can also be malignant. The right concerns itself with the maintenance of the status quo. Their reason for wanting its maintenance is that they are either comfortable-with or benefitted-by its inherent biases. They argue for deregulation, privatization, segregation, denial of service on religious grounds, and so-on, under the pretense of individual or personal liberty. Liberty to do what, exactly? Exploit, discriminate, marginalize, and disenfranchise. Liberty for me! Me, me, me! At the expense of others— so what!? Their arguments almost always degrade to appeals to nature or tradition. I should be able to discriminate because discrimination is natural; it is natural that some people are more able, powerful, fortunate than others; this is the way we've always done things, and everything is great, so we must not do things in new ways; that's just the way it is, or, that's just the way it has always been; &c. They are short-term thinkers. Everything is fine now, so change nothing now. Maintain, maintain, maintain. This is lazy thinking. Any business person with vision will tell you this. Even if this quarter is good, what will the numbers look like in a year? Ten? Fifty? Things may be fine now, but what about tomorrow? What changes may be coming, and how will I face them? I'm doing well now, but could I be doing better? —These are the concerns of progressivism, which takes the point of view that even if we are doing well (which we may not actually be), we COULD be doing better. Changes ARE coming, and we must be ready to face them. ... -- Excerpted from: PUBLIC NOTES (H) http://alph.laemeur.com/txt/PUBNOTES-H ©2017 Adam C. Moore (LÆMEUR) <adam@laemeur.com>