Are you able to give examples of what beliefs/values you hold that make you consider yourself conservative? Your comment made me curious, because I would like to believe that conservative people who aren’t repugnant people exist, but as time goes on, it feels like “conservative” is becoming synonymous with “reprehensible bigot”. I sympathise with your desire to distance yourself from them, and I’d be interested to hear more about your perspective.
Feel free to reply by DM if you don’t want to be interrogated on your beliefs if you answer my question. My intention isn’t to try to change your mind or anything, but to learn enough that I’m able to imagine a world in which people like me and conservatives like you could collaborate on solving problems, and use our inevitable points of disagreement as steps towards a more robust solution.
Tinidril@midwest.social 2 days ago
Conservatism can be traced back to royalists in both pre-revolutionary America and France. It is as it always was. It has never been about conserving anything but privilege and has always sought control over everyone else.
What you call conservativism was a rather unconvincing PR campaign. It was never about personal liberty or freedom. It was definitely never about conservation.
Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I leaned what it is from my grandpa, not a history book. He was tolerant and treated it as the root word suggests. Most of those in the US today could not care less about your take on it. If you trace any word back in time you will arrive at a point where the meaning was different. I trouble myself with the now and care not for the use of it in the distant past. You case case in point for what I wrote above. Quit calling them that and give them a more accurate and less flattering description. Regressive has no positive qualities. Where conservative does in the modern definition.
piccolo@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
Yeah… conservatives have always been regressives. After the french revolution, it was the conservatives that wanted to return back to a monarchy. I think you are confusing yourself with being a liberal.
Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I’m not. I’m also not confusing my self with a french revolutionary.
Tinidril@midwest.social 2 days ago
It would seem that my historical take on it is pretty relevant since it is still what conservatism is doing to this day. What is Trump if not royalty? I would be happy to go back to calling them royalists or autocrats, but I don’t see that catching on.
There is a huge problem in this country with people who embrace progressive policy positions self-identifying as conservatives. It’s used disingenuously by both parties to justify oligarchy.