• phutatorius@lemmy.zip
    121·
    23 days ago

    Conservative implies that you are maintaining the status quo.

    No, Conservatism protects the unaccountable privilege of the upper class. That’s the only status quo they maintain. They’ll tear down anything else, no matter how long it’s existed. And it has been that way since the term “conservative” was coined. It was a reaction against Enlightenment ideas that rule of law should apply to everyone, and that those holding positions of power should be appointed by merit and held accountable to the people. It has always favored sinecures, nepotism, royally granted monopolies, bribery and obfuscated ownership.

    The great British politician Tony Benn distilled five questions that should be asked of those in power in order to maintain a functioning democracy:

    • What power have you got?
    • Where did you get it from?
    • In whose interest do you exercise it?
    • To whom are you accountable?
    • How can we get rid of you?

    You will notice that conservatives will always react aggressively when asked any of these questions.

    • Auli@lemmy.caEnglish
      117·
      23 days ago

      No it supposed to mean maintain the status quo. And don’t.be stupid and think the left doesn’t do the exact same thing about the upper class.

      • phutatorius@lemmy.zip
        1·
        20 days ago

        No it supposed to mean maintain the status quo.

        Look at the enclosure of the commons in the UK for a counterexample. A centuries-long tradition of common ownership of grazing land was overturned because seizing that land enriched already wealthy landowners (represented by the Conservative Party). In other words, the status quo went out the window when it conflicted with the interests of the elite.

        The same could be said of changes to trade policy over the years, in both the UK and the US, where contradictory positions (protectionism for a while, then free trade) were adopted depending on which made a buck for the rich.

        And don’t.be stupid and think the left doesn’t do the exact same thing about the upper class.

        You don’t know anything about my intelligence, and you have no idea what “the left” means when you trot out that weak whatabout.