Libertarian vs Conservative – Differences!
One governmental concept that clashes with Conservative ideals is Libertarianism. But a simple examination of the details shows that it has only a passing resemblance to Conservatism. The other governmental concept that also clashes with conservatives is Progressivism. But a little look in the recent history will show the Progressive vs Conservative reasons for disputes as well as problems and their causes. The differences are simple to explain, and illustrate the differences between Libertarian vs Conservative.
The first, and perhaps the most significant differences are their positions on National Defense. Without a military capability that is far superior to any potential foe, we are at the mercy of whatever dictator seeks to conquer us. The greater the superiority of our defensive capability, the less interference we will have from foreign powers. Today, there is at least one foreign power, China, that would be a likely candidate for an overthrow of our Government. Fortunately, our current capability to defend ourselves is well beyond their capability to engage us in military conflict.
The next significant difference between Libertarianism and Conservatism centers on the opposition to capitalism by the Libertarians. Regardless of what other economic theory the Libertarians present, the individuals who are creative, innovative, persistent, and hardworking, do not own the fruits of their labors; the rewards of effort and accomplishment are distributed by some means to create the equality of outcomes. This is, in reality, simply stealing what some have earned, and giving it to those who earned less, or nothing. While they carry out this robbery with laws, they are just like the street thugs who steal with weapons. The only difference is that the politicians behind all this are wearing a suit and a smile, and a book of laws they’ve written to separate you from what you have earned.
These are two fundamental, representative Libertarian principles.
Libertarian vs Conservative – Defense and Social Concepts!
One of the core values presented by the Conservatives in the Libertarian vs Conservatives disputes is the need of military power for defense purposes. Conservatives know from history, our own and others, that countries or other social structures will not survive if they cannot defend themselves from aggression. Thus, since we began as a Nation, we worked continuously to make sure that we had at least as great a military capability as any potential aggressor. For our first few decades following the Revolutionary war, this was a significant challenge. But here we are, 244 years later, number one on the planet, and fully capable of defending ourselves.
President George Washington said it best: “To enjoy peace, prepare for war”.
It’s too late to build an army when the enemy is driving their tanks down our streets. In our case, we now have a “nuclear umbrella”, a superb Air Force and Navy, all fully trained and equipped to deal with any foe. We even have space-based capabilities to protect our interests. As long as our adversaries understand that we will defend ourselves by whatever means necessary, we are safe.
The next difference between the Libertarian and Conservative ideology is that conservatives seek to preserve our Nation as a “meritocracy”, meaning that people earn rewards based on what they have accomplished. There’s no one telling you that you have to be poor, except YOU!
We have successful people from all ethnic groups who are electricians, plumbers, mechanics, engineers, doctors, jocks, and even politicians.
Our very wealthy people earned what they have. But, more than that, through their corporations, 100’s of thousands of employees can also earn a living, from adequate to very high. Compensation is based on their skill-sets and contribution to the company. Bosses who don’t provide adequate compensation for their employees will find their best people leaving.
While the Libertarians, and others, seek to guarantee the equality of outcomes through tax measures, Conservatives seek to provide the greatest opportunity for everyone to succeed at whatever level they choose.
Progressive vs Conservative – Reasons for Disputes!
Progressivism is a political reform movement that advocates governmental changes that control changes in our American society due to technology growth, very large corporations, and corruption in politics. One of the elements of Progressive vs Conservative disputes is the Progressivism effort to “correct” income inequality. What this means is that they regulate incomes through the tax code or direct regulation of incomes within the companies. This is based on the very large difference in incomes between the haves and the have nots.
The rapid technological growth during the last of the 19th and early 20th Century certainly played a part. Electricity for home and factory use, communication by telegraph, telephone, radio and television, commercial and military aviation, and automobiles all came on line.
All of these innovations transformed life, not just in the United States, but throughout the industrialized world. Not only did these and other significant innovations make life better for the lower- and middle-class citizens, they created a very wealthy class that financed the developments, and then reaped significant financial rewards for their successful investments.
In addition to products, the lower- and middle-class members of society experienced a deluge of new jobs. While the auto makers swam in money, the buggy makers had to adapt or go under. That’s a natural consequence of progress.
Many large manufacturers had enormous facilities. While Henry Ford was able to build his first car on his kitchen table, or so the story goes, he needed factories to produce millions of cars per year. The income growth of the captains of industry far exceeded the income growth rate of the workers. Working conditions in the factories could be very hazardous, and companies were often willing to ignore such issues. The union movement was a natural consequence of these factors.
Thus, the battle between the progressive and conservative schools of thought began.
Progressive vs Conservative – Problems and Causes!
The differences between the Conservative and Progressives led to significant issues in legislation. The Progressives wanted to use legislation to reduce the difference in salaries between the lowest paid and highest paid employees in the companies. Unions were formed and used strikes to pressure employers to increase wages and improve working conditions. The progressive vs conservative political differences were played out in Congress. Conservatives believed that, with no Constitutional authority to engage in these issues, such matters should be settled at the state level. Progressives instead fought for a “big government” solution, with Federal laws restraining the corporations.
Today, we have many remnants of these early legislative battles with us, and a great deal more. Our Federal Government is now involved in education, controlling wall street, health care, welfare, and the list goes on. All of this is opposed by the Conservatives.
One significant side effect is that Congress really doesn’t finish the Legislative job. Instead, they write laws that the Executive Branch is not only required to enforce, but have the legislative authority to change these laws.
Our Constitution establishes a single Legislative body, called a bicameral Congress. There is one body, the House of Representatives, whose members are elected based on the number of citizens in each state. The second body, the Senate, is comprised of two members for each state. There is no Constitutional authority for Congress to create a second legislative body; that’s exactly what they did when they gave legislative authority to the Executive Branch. To hide this fact from the voters, the Executive Branch legislation is called “regulations”, but are just as enforceable under the law as are the “laws” passed by Congress.
And so, the battle between the Progressives and Conservatives will continue until either the Supreme Court or Congress takes action.
