09 April 2007

Conservative: what does it mean?

Conservative: a definition

1
. Favouring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.
2. Traditional or restrained in style
3. Moderate; cautious
4. Tending to conserve; preservative: the conservative use of natural resources.

Rock and Roll!!!!


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Against change for changes sake?

Start all politics with reality not ideology or fantasy?

Manfarang said...

Excessive conservatism = decline
Look at the example of China towards the end of Qing dynasty.

James Higham said...

Isn't conservative also a name for jam in jars?

Stephen Newton said...

This is the great Conservative tragedy: the world changes, like it or not. Just as the Britain of fifty and a hundred years ago was very different to today, so the Britain of fifty and a hundred years time will be different.

The inevitability of change leaves Conservatives stranded and this is why they are always to be found warning that our society is going to the dogs. It also explains their impotence. For example, despite socially conservative governments dominating the twentieth century, great strides forward continued to be made with women's, ethnic minority and gay rights.

Anonymous said...

James, You can have jam on it too!

Peter Smallbone said...

Things are the way they are for a host of reasons, and those reasons are often subtle and difficult to explain succinctly. Any politician who claims otherwise hasn't got a grip on things, and their actions are likely to be irresponsible.

Given this, incremental change is often the best approach. Revolutions almost always fail in the end.

(I'm sure this quote will come back one day to haunt me...)

Anonymous said...

I am a bit broke Mr PT. Do you think you could fix it for your old mate President Imadinnerjacket to kidnap me?

Anonymous said...

It is something we are taught in University as well that the ideology of Conservatism means that we are opposed to change.

However, the members and the MPs when voting for the last three elected leaders; Hague, Duncan Smith and Cameron were seen as the change makers, we could have gone with Portillo, Clarke or David, seen more as traditional Tory stalwarts. Yet the membership has always voted for change, and it is finally working!