A progressive conservative? Ever mix oil & water?
I am still a JFK Democrat, and I can say unequivocally that your were NEVER a JFK Democrat in this life or any other. John F. Kennedy strongly believed that the privileged in our society must give back, not take. He believed serving the republic for the betterment of OTHERS was the highest calling.
Thus the line,"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country"
You can't be fuckin' serious to imply the Democrat/Socialist/Marist Party of today is anything close to living by that JFK quote...
Today, its "tax the rich", "free education", free healthcare", "2 years of unemployment isn't enough", "free lunches for our children in school", and the list goes on ad nauseam....gimme, gimme, gimme......"redistribute the wealth".....(the wealth earned by others)
Its time you removed you head from your anus and open you eyes to reality....
In a very real sense I AM the conservative. I was raised in the 1950's. My dad was the sole provider, and my mom was a housewife and mother. It wasn't called 'family values', it was just family. When I came home from school, no matter what kind of day I had, it immediately became brighter when I walked in the door to an enthusiastic 'Hi honey' from my mom. It not only brightened my day, it built self worth and created and reinforced a positive self image. All my friends and school mates had a similar story...a father that worked and a mother that stayed home to raise and nurture their children. None of us kids ever knew or even cared what anyone's father did for a living. None of us had to go without; food, clothing, pets, bikes, baseball gloves, doctor care (our doctor used to come to the house), a real quality public education with all the extras; sports, arts, school run ice rink, summer basketball programs etc. But none of us were pampered or spoiled either.
THAT is exactly what I want for my kids and for my grand-kids.
Then by supporting the Democrat/Socialists Party of today, you're a traitor to your own values....you could have saved a lot of words and just said "personal responsibility"....thats the way we lived in the 50's and 60's....
Until the "Great Society" marked the start of the "New socialist Movement"
So, what is conservatism? In my opinion, it is respect for the past and the wisdom of our ancestors. Their lives were built on their ancestors and so it goes, from one generation to the next. You ultimately respect the lives and toil of our ancestors not by paying lip service or using empty rhetoric like 'family values'. You do it by embracing their lessons learned; respecting the policies, regulations and programs they crafted that increased the benefits and lessened the losses in our communities and our society we reap the benefits of.
How did our ancestors craft them, were they based on some 'ideology'? I believe they were based on common sense, common decency, experience, trial and error, community activism, elections and community involvement.
So...In a very real way I AM truly a conservative.
Then start voting like one
Are ANY of the people that now call themselves conservatives today looking for common sense, common decency solutions to benefit their families and their community, or are they ideologues, that want to dismantle any shred of COMMunity and replace it with SELF interest?
That is not 'conservatism', that is narcissism.
Socialism isn't "community".....and personal responsibility isn't SELF interest.....
Community is charity and self interest is a valuable work ethic....
"You shall rise in the presence of grey hairs, give honor to the aged, and fear God, I am the Lord"
Leviticus 19:32
If you view a degree or narcissism as a flaw, then I confess to being a flawed man...