MaggieMae
Reality bits
- Apr 3, 2009
- 24,043
- 1,635
- 48
I have to clarify my understanding.
I come from a culture that has a parliamentary system that until a few years ago had at its core the idea that the public service ("civil service" in the UK) was nonpartisan (pause for laughter) and that the public service (government departments and their permanent heads) simply carried out whatever policy positions the government of the day required (after those positions had been approved by the parliament via the legislative process).
I'm used to political parties having distinct philosophical differences (again at least until a few years ago).
In a sense those philosophical differences - historically - could have been described as "conservative" or "progressive", at least in terms of their innate tendencies. Policy could be analysed, discussed, dissected and presented without positions being pre-fabricated. Conservatives would take, unsurprisingly, a conservative position on an issue; progressives would take a progressive position. But the issues didn't define the tendencies, the tendencies defined the issues. So, for example, abortion wouldn't be automatically opposed by conservatives and approved by progressives; there had to be discussion and debate on the issues rather than their being held up as shibboleths to be defended or attacked as the case may be.
I see American politics as defining itself by its positions on issues and not by its tendencies. Anti-abortion is "conservative", pro-abortion is "progressive". This leads to confusion.
I am a conservative therefore I'm against women being able to choose an abortion (within medically approved limits).
I am a progressive therefore I approve a woman being able to choose an abortion (within medically approved limits).
The issues aren't discussed, sandbags are arranged, ammunition is readied, war is declared.
Conservatism is a philosophy that can be applied to any public policy issue quite satisfactorily to devise a rational policy position. Authoritarianism is an attitude which sets up a pre-determined approach to any public policy issue without regard to proper analysis of the issue itself.
Many Americans who call themselves "conservatives" are not conservatives at all. They are authoritarians who pretend to be conservative.
It's indeed a strange phenomena that we're lumped into these little boxes with either/or on the labels, when in fact I think many Democrats oppose abortion and many Republicans are pro-choice (using only your example, but there are tons of others). Maybe it's the way the public has come to rely so heavily on polls being an accurate measurement on the issues. Polls, after all, are only a snapshot but we're all guilty of eagerly posting ones that favor our personal opinions as if the latest poll is the "last word," so shut up.