By: Ross Byrant, Conservative-libertarian, Student, @RossBryant01
“Scum, scum scum!” That’s how Conservatives were greeted at their latest conference in October in Manchester at their conference. The perpetrators were the usual crowd of those dissatisfied with the latest election result, labourites, greens, students and the usual plethora of Leftists and people who openly declare “they f-ing hate the Tories”. If we think about some of the vocabulary used ‘scum’ and ‘hate’; they’re pretty strong words, and they’re being directed to not just a remote elite, but anyone who identifies as a conservative thinker or voter.
I am not a Conservative voter, but I am a conservative thinker, so I do get a little worried when I hear people declaring the need to “Build a Bonfire and put the Tories on top”. But why the strong feelings? Why, in a liberal democracy, do people feel so passionately as to openly despise the people who are, after all, the democratically elected governing party of this nation (although not proportionately I admit)?
Two reasons. Firstly; most, not all, people on the left would identify themselves as a championing the rights or status of minorities, the poor or the working class. Perfectly legitimate, honest and noble intentions to which few people would disagree with. But here in lies the problem, if you define yourself as a champion of these groups in society, people often make the miscalculation that anyone who does not agree with them must disregard these groups and not care about them. We saw this ‘Virtue signalling’ a lot in the general election: “You’re not voting for a party on the left, therefore you do not care about the poor and working class” Whereas my response would be (if I did vote Conservative) “No I do care about the poor, but I feel the Conservatives are better for the poor than Labour, they create jobs whilst Labour keeps people dependent on the state.”
Second reason. I speak to my friends on the left about current government policy and they become incandescent about the current cuts, and question me a conservative thinker “How can you possibly support what they’re doing?!” My reply is simple, why do you think they are actually doing this? Well the obvious answer would be to reduce the deficit (even though they’re doing a poor job of it), but this is not justification enough for some on the left. Charlotte Church, who became heavily involved in the #EndAusterityNow campaign, declared that “Austerity is about eroding hope.” Seriously? That’s what gets Conservatives up in the morning? This I think is very telling, firstly because is not a very good answer as to why the Conservatives are carrying out the policies of Austerity, but secondly, it shows that she doesn’t actually know what motivates Conservative thinker’s and voter’s alike.
This I think is a problem for many on the left; they simply don’t understand what conservatism is or its appeal. Let me try to enlighten them. Conservatism is about independence. It’s about trying to create a nation where people no longer have to rely on the state for financial stability. It’s about trying to create a society of individuals who are free to make their own choices good or bad.
Well you might say to me; if that’s conservatism then that doesn’t sound a lot like the modern Conservative party. Well to me it doesn’t, that’s why they didn’t get my vote. But to other’s it does. So I ask my Leftists friends; understand conservatism and why it might appeal to your average voter. When this is achieved you might not feel it necessary to build that bonfire.
Why, in a liberal democracy, do people feel so passionately as to openly despise the people who are the democratically elected governing party of this nation?
“Scum, scum scum!” That’s how Conservatives were greeted at their latest conference in October in Manchester at their conference. The perpetrators were the usual crowd of those dissatisfied with the latest election result, labourites, greens, students and the usual plethora of Leftists and people who openly declare “they f-ing hate the Tories”. If we think about some of the vocabulary used ‘scum’ and ‘hate’; they’re pretty strong words, and they’re being directed to not just a remote elite, but anyone who identifies as a conservative thinker or voter.
I am not a Conservative voter, but I am a conservative thinker, so I do get a little worried when I hear people declaring the need to “Build a Bonfire and put the Tories on top”. But why the strong feelings? Why, in a liberal democracy, do people feel so passionately as to openly despise the people who are, after all, the democratically elected governing party of this nation (although not proportionately I admit)?
Two reasons. Firstly; most, not all, people on the left would identify themselves as a championing the rights or status of minorities, the poor or the working class. Perfectly legitimate, honest and noble intentions to which few people would disagree with. But here in lies the problem, if you define yourself as a champion of these groups in society, people often make the miscalculation that anyone who does not agree with them must disregard these groups and not care about them. We saw this ‘Virtue signalling’ a lot in the general election: “You’re not voting for a party on the left, therefore you do not care about the poor and working class” Whereas my response would be (if I did vote Conservative) “No I do care about the poor, but I feel the Conservatives are better for the poor than Labour, they create jobs whilst Labour keeps people dependent on the state.”
Second reason. I speak to my friends on the left about current government policy and they become incandescent about the current cuts, and question me a conservative thinker “How can you possibly support what they’re doing?!” My reply is simple, why do you think they are actually doing this? Well the obvious answer would be to reduce the deficit (even though they’re doing a poor job of it), but this is not justification enough for some on the left. Charlotte Church, who became heavily involved in the #EndAusterityNow campaign, declared that “Austerity is about eroding hope.” Seriously? That’s what gets Conservatives up in the morning? This I think is very telling, firstly because is not a very good answer as to why the Conservatives are carrying out the policies of Austerity, but secondly, it shows that she doesn’t actually know what motivates Conservative thinker’s and voter’s alike.
This I think is a problem for many on the left; they simply don’t understand what conservatism is or its appeal. Let me try to enlighten them. Conservatism is about independence. It’s about trying to create a nation where people no longer have to rely on the state for financial stability. It’s about trying to create a society of individuals who are free to make their own choices good or bad.
Well you might say to me; if that’s conservatism then that doesn’t sound a lot like the modern Conservative party. Well to me it doesn’t, that’s why they didn’t get my vote. But to other’s it does. So I ask my Leftists friends; understand conservatism and why it might appeal to your average voter. When this is achieved you might not feel it necessary to build that bonfire.
Understand conservatism
Reviewed by Admin
on
16:13
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Reviewed by Admin
on
16:13
Rating:
I would argue conservatism is about keeping the status quo, maintaining the Establishment and leaving the free market to decide the fate of us all. I agree, it removes reliance on financial support- but does this not, in reality, remove people's ability to survive in a world defined by the business cycle. Financial independence is great for those who succeed, I don't believe that because somebody doesn't' quite "make it" they should have any less support or ability to live a decent life as the next man. It isn't fair and so yes, voting Conservative, is either miscalculated or selfish.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the read! You don't have a "right" to financial support anymore than you have a right to a free iPad. No one is entitled to a decent life. Especially when the money has to be extracted forcibly or at least through the threat of force.
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