SAXBE CHAMBLISS

This quotation is one of the clearest expressions of a principle of conservatism that non-conservatives find more frustrating than almost anything else. The “conservative” fundamentally wants to “conserve” what exists, and therefore change per se is not conservative. Conservatives have for years used the further argument that any reform or change is “untested” in compassion to the status quo which has “stood the test of time.” Using this logic, nothing in government would ever be changed unless the status quo is proved problematic and unacceptable. The problem with this few for most other people, is that nothing would ever be improved until it was shown to be terrible. It would be impossible to replace the adequate with the good or the good with the better—the better with the best. Philosophically, this is one of the major distinctions between conservatives and others. Ironically, the conservatives generally depart from this principle when they run their own businesses or other institutions as few would last very long with that approach.

This quotation is used by many to illustrate the discrimination that Muslims face in America. The President and almost all other national leaders rejected ideas like this.

That decade was a particularly contentious one with respect to American politics. Ideologues tended to dominate much of the political rhetoric. Chambliss, a conservative Republican. had just been criticized by one of the non-elected right wing ideologues for having conversations with a Democratic senator about the framework that might be used for a bipartisan effort to deal with the rapidly growing entitlements fraction of the national budget. Chambliss was not deterred by the fanatics in his own party.

This quotation is used by many to illustrate the discrimination that Muslims face in America. The President and almost all other national leaders rejected ideas like this.

That decade was a particularly contentious one with respect to American politics. Ideologues tended to dominate much of the political rhetoric. Chambliss, a conservative Republican. had just been criticized by one of the non-elected right wing ideologues for having conversations with a Democratic senator about the framework that might be used for a bipartisan effort to deal with the rapidly growing entitlements fraction of the national budget. Chambliss was not deterred by the fanatics in his own party.

This quotation is one of the clearest expressions of a principle of conservatism that non-conservatives find more frustrating than almost anything else. The “conservative” fundamentally wants to “conserve” what exists, and therefore change per se is not conservative. Conservatives have for years used the further argument that any reform or change is “untested” in compassion to the status quo which has “stood the test of time.” Using this logic, nothing in government would ever be changed unless the status quo is proved problematic and unacceptable. The problem with this few for most other people, is that nothing would ever be improved until it was shown to be terrible. It would be impossible to replace the adequate with the good or the good with the better—the better with the best. Philosophically, this is one of the major distinctions between conservatives and others. Ironically, the conservatives generally depart from this principle when they run their own businesses or other institutions as few would last very long with that approach.