Posted by
Richard on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 11:22:58 AM
If there is one thing I have learned about conservatism is that it is very consistent. For example, witness the identification and personification of traditional thinking Americans in the person of Governor Sarah Palin.
That being said, please continue reading as you will be amazed by what I have found in the archives of, of all places Time Magazine.
Yesterday morning I was riding home with a friend of mine, (I work the graveyard shift), and we were discussing politics and culture, (he is likewise a fellow conservative), and we started talking about the MSM. I had wondered aloud if during the last few years a conservative had been chosen as Time’s Person of the year. I put forth the proposition that a conservative had not been chosen for this honor in a very long time. In fact, I had suggested that it was probably some two decades since the last conservative was chosen.
However much to my surprise that was not exactly true. In fact, if you check out the
list, you will find that the last conservative was our current President George W. Bush. Yes, I know he is not exactly what one might call a true conservative, but he is close.So today, I looked up the entire record, and lo and behold, I found something that was of far more interest to me. Frankly, I was taken aback by seeing it. The person(s) of the year for 1969 was… TA DA… middle America, or what is commonly referred to by the left as either flyover country or Jesus-land.
Therefore, I continued to read the article and I found something that reinforced my belief in conservatism. Herein is a sample.
“Others seemed to be taking over —the liberals, the radicals, the defiant young, a communications industry that they often believed was lying to them…For too long no one has seemed to care about the Middle Americans' concerns…They have felt ignored while…If not ignored, they have been treated with condescension…Our people are too busy making a living and trying to be good Americans…”
The article goes on to describe Middle American values and other things that still hold true to this day. I do believe that this is an excellent read as it states conservatives’ basic tenants and beliefs.
Now what really did shock me was that this was reported in Time Magazine. Nevertheless, I guess that this was when it was really more of a news source than a mouthpiece for the left.
I have also come away with the feeling that the “enlightened” have gone so far off to the left and likewise off the deep end, while conservatives on the other hand have remained consistent in our values, traditions and beliefs.
There exist also in this piece some untruths. Below is another sample.
“The Middle American's education does not dwell upon the agonizing moral discrepancies of American history—the story of the Indians or the blacks, or the national tradition of violence. He quite sincerely rejects the charge that he is prejudiced against blacks or calloused about the poor. He cannot believe that the society he has come to accept as the best possible on earth, the order he sees as natural, contains wrongs so deeply built-in that he does not notice them.”
The fact is, is that we do acknowledge these discrepancies, however, we also acknowledge that most of it was how the country was viewed back in those days nor is there anything that we can do to change history. However, they do NOT reflect what many of us believe today. Secondly, most of the gains that have been made in such areas as race, equality, women’s rights and many other areas, the during the last half of the 20th century were accomplished thanks to the support of conservatives.
Again, I do point out that this is by far and excellent piece, and though it does show the left of center leanings, it does not exactly parrot many of the views held today.
I will leave you with one final quote and I do think it sums up conservatives’ view of how real change should come to the challenges that are facing a this nation today.
“’Disagreement is the lifeblood of democracy, dissension is its cancer. Disagreers seek solutions to common problems, dissenters seek power for themselves.’"
To read the full piece (and I warn you now it is several pages long), click here