Michissippi as Gone from Conservative, Headlong Into Brazen Corporatocracy: “Good institutions neglected and ancient moral principles ignored, the evil in us tends to predominate.”
"Change and reform, conservatives are convinced, are not identical: moral and political innovation can be destructive as well as beneficial..." "Mere unthinking negative opposition to the current of events, clutching in despair at what we still retain, will not suffice in this age."
-- Russell Kirk (Michigan Conservative and role model claimed by John Engler)
Intemperance in the pursuit of Corporate Supermacy, Corporatocracy, is no virtue.
More from
Russel Kirk:
"Men and women are not perfectible, conservatives know; and neither are political institutions."
"We cannot make a heaven on earth, though we may make a hell. We all are creatures of mingled good and evil; and, good institutions neglected and ancient moral principles ignored, the evil in us tends to predominate."
"Therefore the conservative is suspicious of all utopian schemes."
"He does not believe that, by power of positive law, we can solve all the problems of humanity."
"We can hope to make our world tolerable, but we cannot make it perfect. When progress is achieved, it is through prudent recognition of the limitations of human nature."
Unfortunately we so soon forget the greatness of Kirk's integrity, art, and brilliance extolling the virtues of true and lasting Conservatism.
Shamefully, the TeaPublican Super Majority has ignored and degraded Kirk's wisdom in their willful slide from the ideals of a real Conservatives into the near Anarchy of a godless Corporatocracy.
Corporatocracy is a direct threat to everything GENUINELY Conservative.
Michigan is being sold out for pennies on the dollar! We are being propelled well on the way into being legislatively and morally bankrupt; as well as economically stillborn.
CORPORATOCRACY: A social theory that focus on conflicts and opposing interests within society, denotes "a system of government that serves the interest of, and may be run by, corporations and involves ties between government and business. Where corporations, conglomerates, and/or government entities with private components, control the direction and governance of a country, including carrying out economic planning notwithstanding the 'free market' label."
Change and reform, conservatives are convinced, are not identical: moral and political innovation can be destructive as well as beneficial; and if innovation is undertaken in a spirit of presumption and enthusiasm, probably it will be disastrous.
- All human institutions alter to some extent from age to age, for slow change is the means of conserving society, just as it is the means for renewing the human body.
- American conservatives endeavor to reconcile the growth and alteration essential to our life with the strength of our social and moral traditions. With Lord Falkland, they say, "When it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change."
- (Conservatives) understand that men and women are best content when they can feel that they live in A STABLE WORLD OF ENDURING VALUES.
Conservatism, then, is not simply: - the concern of the people who have much property and influence;
- it is not simply the defense of privilege and status.
Most conservatives are neither rich nor powerful;
- But they do, even the most humble of them, derive great benefits from our established Republic.
- They have liberty, security of person and home, equal protection of the laws,
- The right to the fruits of their industry, and opportunity to do the best that is in them.
- They have a right to personality in life, and a right to consolation in death.
Conservative principles shelter the hopes of everyone in society. And CONSERVATISM IS A SOCIAL CONCEPT IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE WHO DESIRES EQUAL JUSTICE AND PERSONAL FREEDOM AND ALL THE LOVABLE OLD WAYS OF HUMANITY.
Conservatism is not simply a defense of "capitalism."
"Capitalism," indeed, is a word coined by Karl Marx, intended from the beginning to imply that the only thing conservatives defend is vast accumulations of private capital.) But the true conservative does stoutly defend private property and a free economy, both for their own sake and because these are means to great ends.
What are these "Great Ends"?
Those great ends are more than economic and more than political. (Great ends) involve:
- Human dignity
- Human personality
- Human happiness
- The relationship between God and man
(T)he radical collectivism of our age is fiercely hostile to any other authority: modern radicalism detests religious faith, private virtue, traditional personality, and the life of simple satisfactions. EVERYTHING WORTH CONSERVING IS MENACED IN OUR GENERATION.
Mere unthinking negative opposition to the current of events, clutching in despair at what we still retain, will not suffice in this age.
A conservatism of instinct must be reinforced by a conservatism of thought and imagination.
Note: This is an outline of conservatism by Russel Kirk.
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