Talking Is Not Doing, Doing Is Doing Or Why Conservatism Works

I started out as a Classical Liberal. I only learned of this when I had to take Sociology 101 at Purdue and it came as a complete shock as I had just cast my first vote for President Ronald Reagan. I considered myself a conservative and had to stretch to accept this. But even back then, we were confusing modern liberalism with the older version. Limited central government, individual sovereignty, private property rights, and constitutional guarantees are beliefs of the classical liberal. Now, the question is, how did the term classical liberal become morphed into modern conservatism?

First off, conservatism is not some large monolith with congruent opinions running throughout. The terms neo, paleo, libertarian and small government are just a few of the prefixes that you see bandied about in modern discussion. It is surprising how this big tent of opinions allow so many contrasting viewpoints. In fact, our movement looks at all options, and by and large accept opposing views with an eye for the resultant implications. That is a good thing, folks.

Now if you can accept what I think is mistaken media perception of the main objective of all that they label conservatism, you may be able to follow me here. You see, folks, conservatives always go for what they believe works. There is no utopia and there is no free ride. Reality rules the day and programs or beliefs that no longer apply or work can be and often are ruthlessly discarded. Generals and governmental leaders can and often are fired. New directions and plans are implemented. Our constitution and constitutional republic appears to be one of the few things that always has worked just fine and have stood the test of time. Further, we can have differences on such topics as national diplomacy, governmental intervention or national defense, but all ideas have to work not only in concept, but also in reality.

One of the first colloquialisms that I heard when I first came to Texas was, "Talking ain't doing. Doing is Doing." Texans, like conservatives, are doers. And just because you talk or discuss something, that only prepares the stage for doing. If you can poke holes at the concept stage, there is very little chance that that fantastic idea you have will work. Unfortunately, conservatives have not always been in charge, so we end up with things like the Great Society or the stimulus package passed last February. Both of which, by the way, never had much of a chance to fulfill their intended(?) purposes of eliminating poverty or stimulating the economy. So if you want to get something by a conservative, show how it will meet its intended purpose. An idea, implemented for its own sake (say a failed ideology), with no thought to results or implications just won't fly with us.