Quote (Black XistenZ @ Apr 28 2023 01:50pm)

You're fundamentally misunderstanding something about politics: conservatives place a much greater value on preserving things while leftists seeks to change the status quo. For conservative voters, stopping lefties from implementing policies which they deem harmful is a positive in and off itself. To name you an example: stopping progressive plans for "bail reform" and thus making sure that criminals continue to be taken off the streets.

Another example of Republicans doing something to the benefit of people is when they're not getting in the way of drilling and fracking, which helps grease the economy and keep gas prices low. That's helping the bottom line of many voters even if the GOP administration didn't pass a new bill or deploy the resources of the government to directly help people.

Long story short, the way you phrased this question is inherently biased in favor of lefty policies.

Quote (NetflixAdaptationWidow @ 28 Apr 2023 21:11)

You were supposed to graduate from "conservatives want to conserve, its in the name" a while ago.

Conservatism is not just about keeping the status quo, it's about moving back to a previous status quo that frequently never existed.

That's why its a defining trait of fascism, theocracy, monarchy, etc. is taking that to the extreme, by inventing a mythical often racially or socially pure past.

Quote (Black XistenZ @ Apr 28 2023 03:43pm)

Imho, it is NOT reactionary to try to revoke policies which 1) are very recent and 2) were implemented without a broad consensus.

There is a broad consensus that blacks shouldn't have to sit in the back of the bus or be killed by the police for no good reason whatsoever. There is no such consensus on ideas like "home buyers with good credit shall subsidize those with bad credit", "prosecuting shoplifters of color perpetuates white supremacy", "entering the US is a human right as long as you say the magic word 'asylum'" or "girls can have dicks too".

What indeed is reactionary among contemporary GOP policies are these attempts at enforcing hardline abortion bans which don't even have clear majority support in solidly red states.

Quote (NetflixAdaptationWidow @ 28 Apr 2023 23:03)

Who said anything about being reactionary. We're talking about being conservative. Should I just replace the words?

Quote (El1te @ Apr 28 2023 02:16pm)

If you want to know more about actual conservatism, get to know Edmund Burke and his philosophy.

Quote (Black XistenZ @ Apr 28 2023 05:44pm)

I was very explicitly not taking your bait of trying to redefine the word to suit your agenda. :rolleyes:
In the actual meaning of the words, 'conservative' and 'reactionary' are very much not the same thing.

I will happily admit that in everyday language, the words "conservative" and "liberal" are often times (incorrectly) used as a short-hand for the entire political right/left, and that right-wing politics surely has a reactionary strain. I will even admit that this strain has gained ground recently in US politics. Happy now?

Quote (NetflixAdaptationWidow @ 29 Apr 2023 00:50)

I don't know what you're admitting to, honestly.

Are you acknowledging that conservatives do not simply want to preserve the status quo or very recent past?

Quote

Conservatism is not just about keeping the status quo, it's about moving back to a previous status quo that frequently never existed.

Quote (Black XistenZ @ Apr 28 2023 06:15pm)

I was referring to your false statement which started this conversation:

This is only true, and even then just partially, if we understand "conservatism" to be an imprecise short-hand for the entirety of right-wing politics. I'm pushing back so strongly to your interjection because I was very clearly referring to conservatism in the actual meaning of the word in my original post to which you were replying.