The Selfish Conservative

Conserve.

Think about the word itself. What it means. In what context you hear it.

Chances are you identify the word conserve with an idea of holding something back. Conserving one's energy means to hold back energy for a future event. Conserving food means to put food away for future use. Conserving one's battery means changing one's habits to ensure that the product is available at a future time. In each case, the connotation associated with the term conserving has to do with not reach one's true potential.

That same principle can be applied to an ideology centered around this idea of conservatism. Throughout history, there has always been a faction of the population that believes in the idea of conservative politics. That things are fine just the way they are. This is why, historically, conservatives have nearly always favored the political party that supports the status quo. To be politically conservative has always been a way of maintaining one's current position in society. It is why royal families and dynasties throughout history have tended to be on the conservative side. You simply don't hear about a "conservative revolution" because historical revolutions have always gone against the more conservative ruling factions. After all, with a conservative ruling party there is an inherent self-interest in maintaining the current power structure and more often than not that power structure excludes large segments of the population.

This can be seen throughout American history. During our initial revolution, there was a large segment of the population that was more than happy to remain loyal to the British Crown. These, by and large, were wealthy landowners who didn't mind paying a little bit extra for things like sugar, stamps, and tea. Once the revolution was complete, the question became what governance would look like for this newly formed nation. As any historian would tell you, there were many competing interests in creating this new country and yes, one's own personal self-interests were a key part of these discussions. After all, it's no coincidence that a major point of contention during the Constitutional Convention was whether or not slaves were people. The only reason that an emerging conservative faction from the south was advocating to count them was that they needed their body count for proper representation in the lower chamber of government. There was no benevolence in their act; it was an act of pure egoism.

Over the next 200 years, conservatives throughout American history did everything in their power to maintain the status quo. They were in favor of holding onto their slaves well into the 1860s. They were in favor of black codes and Jim Crow laws that restricted former slaves' newfound freedoms. They overwhelmingly opposed the New Deal and programs that created more level economic playing fields. The opposed integrated schools that provided black students with better educational opportunities. They opposed affirmative action, a policy designed to give qualified candidates of color access to higher education and job opportunities. They opposed Title IX, which created athletic opportunities for women. And most recently, they've opposed gay and transgender rights granted through two separate Supreme Court cases.

Today, the conservative party in American politics is hellbent on maintaining the status quo. For them, they yearn to "Make America Great Again." But great for whom? An America 10 years ago wasn't great for LGBTQIA Americans being denied workplace protections and marriage equality. An America 70 years ago wasn't great for people of color who were forced to deal with legal segregation of schools, public transportation, and faced legal discrimination in housing. An America 80 years ago wasn't great for Mexican immigrants who came here as part of the forced labor of the Bracero Program. And an America just over 100 years ago wasn't great for women, who weren't even allowed to vote until 1919.

We all know that the modern Republican Party wants to make America great for the rich, white man. That is who the party is and who the party represents. That is also the group in America with the most accumulated wealth, so despite dwindling numbers, there will always be some sort of conservative political party in this country. It speaks volumes that in 2 full years with a Republican president, a Republican legislature, and a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, the only successful legislation passed was tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. That, combined with Republicans falling 1 vote short of ripping away health care from 20 million Americans, clearly demonstrated what the party's priorities truly were. Added wealth for the rich, subtracted protections for the most vulnerable. The Republican mantra in a nutshell. 

But none of this should surprise us. The truth is the very idea of conservative politics is one of holding back. In this case, the Republican Party wants to hold back progress. Specifically, the progress of anyone who is not a straight, white, rich man. It's why they voted against the Affordable Care Act, which gave 20 million working-class Americans, better health insurance. It's why they refuse to take up comprehensive immigration reform, which would provide a pathway of citizenship to upwards of 11 million people. It's why they continuously vote against any bill that protects or expands voting rights that would make it easier for people of color to vote for elected officials. And it's why the party says and does nothing when the so-called commander-in-chief declares that transgender men and women and unworthy of serving in our armed forces.

To hold back progress means simultaneously promoting your own self-interest and that is what Republicans today excel at. Their self-interest has become what they feel is in the best interest of themselves and nobody else. It is why we now have hundreds of thousands of moronic conservatives willingly exposing themselves to a deadly pandemic because they don't like being told what to do. Going maskless to own the libs, if you will. As absolutely infuriating as this is, it is exactly in line with modern conservatism. Modern conservatives want to maintain their current lifestyle, a lifestyle that doesn't involve them wearing a mask to the local Subway. Modern conservatives see no need to adhere to any changes in behavior that might benefit anyone outside of their immediate circle. There is no empathy, there is only self-centeredness.

These people are beyond hope. They possess no empathy for anyone other than themselves. They admire Donald Trump because he personifies what they believe: that a single person can achieve "greatness" by looking out for himself. It doesn't matter all the small contractors that Donald Trump has stiffed over the years. It doesn't matter that undocumented immigrants build and maintain his properties. It doesn't even matter that the only reason he even got into business was that he received a "small" million-dollar loan from his father. To them, Donald Trump is a self-made man. To them, Donald Trump is someone they aspire to be.

So, let us grant them their wish. Let them have their pandemic rallies. Let them have their Ozark parties. Let them crowd the newly opened bar. Let them attend the Sunday service in the poorly ventilated church. Let their Republican governors ignore sound medical advice and reopen their states too early. After all, this is the America they want. They want not to be told what to do. They want to not have to listen to scientists and medical professionals and Democratic mayors. They want their freedom and that freedom means doing what they want, when they want, in the way that they want. If this freedom means exposing themselves to a deadly pandemic, well then that is a small price to pay to show everyone just how conservative they are. 

Because apparently conserving one's own life is simply a bridge too far.