Compasionate Conservatism

I decided that I was a conservative after taking the Harvard Social Analysis 66 course : Race & Politics in America. It surprised me, because one would think that Harvard tend to create liberals in the modern sense, but that was one of the few classes that I managed to find the time to read all the assigned readings, considered all the viewpoints, and came out in agreement with a governing and social philosophy very close to a classically liberal viewpoint, which at some point in time had morphed into the conservatism of Barry Goldwater and became elements of libertarianism today.

Modern 'Compasionate conservatism' can once traced its roots to the old conservatism, but what passes for conservative philosophy these days is so far flung from what conservatism used to mean: measured change based on pragmatism, small government, and a willingness to engage in civil arguments, to accept uncertainty and the possibility of error. While it's been said many times over, it doesn't hurt to reiterate: the Republican party of today is manipulative, hypocritical, and truly souless. Those from the inside can describe it best. David Kuo, who once worked for the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives from 01-03, released the following statements describing the inner workings of this administration: (from Andrew Sullivan)

"[Kuo] says some of the nation's most prominent evangelical leaders were known in the office of presidential political strategist Karl Rove as 'the nuts.'

"National Christian leaders received hugs and smiles in person and then were dismissed behind their backs and described as 'ridiculous,' 'out of control,' and just plain 'goofy,'" Kuo writes.

"More seriously, Kuo alleges that then-White House political affairs director Ken Mehlman knowingly participated in a scheme to use the office, and taxpayer funds, to mount ostensibly 'nonpartisan' events that were, in reality, designed with the intent of mobilizing religious voters in 20 targeted races."

The current Republican party is no longer the party of McCain, or Lincoln, or Goldwater. Its willingness to sacrifice one group of Americans for the vote and money of another group is blatant, and by now, not that surprising. I once considered voting Republican. Doing so today would be signing my own death warrant.