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Conservatism is the new counterculture

When people say I have “values,” what are they talking about? “Values” are the principles we hold dear. Values ​​are characteristics that we find admirable in ourselves and in others. When someone says they have “religious” values, it usually means they have a more “conservative” or “traditional” view of reality. Going out of their way to refrain from alcohol, encourage men to be leaders in their families, refrain from homosexual behavior, act godly, etc… When someone says they are very “liberal” or have “liberal values” , usually means the opposite, that conservative values ​​are not necessarily important or, in some cases, even undesirable.

In recent history, especially in Western nations, there is an increase in “disbelief.” Anarchism (no belief in government), MGTOW or asexualism (no belief in romantic relationships), atheism (no belief in god), apolitical (no belief in any political ideology), vegan (no belief in eating meat)… continues, we are believing in fewer and fewer entrenched traditions. We are becoming a society of hedonists. “Anything goes as long as you’re not murdering or stealing.” As a libertarian, I actually share the sentiment to some extent. I don’t think the government should regulate behaviors that don’t cause direct victims. People must be free to make decisions for themselves. I don’t think the government should lock people up for putting drugs in their bodies or engaging in transsexualism. People should have freedom of choice.

However, my problem comes when such behavior is endorsed as “positive”. We have reached a tipping point between “acceptance” and “support”. Just because you think all drugs should be decriminalized and treated as a health issue doesn’t mean you condone the behavior. The fact that I do not believe that transgender people are discriminated against does not mean that I will encourage my son or daughter to have a sex change operation. Our Western values ​​of “open-mindedness” and acceptance have been perverted into approving of any and all behavior.

We now have TV shows that endorse the idea of ​​same-sex parents raising a child, transgender superheroes, while commercials and other media often portray straight men as “idiots” or “dorky” idiots. A TV ad showing a woman kicking a man in the testicles will be considered humorous, while a TV ad showing a man pushing a woman will be considered “abuse.”

We live in an era where “conservatism” is the new counterculture. Being conservative is “edgy”, “risky” and “bold”. Even just 10 or 20 years ago, being a conservative was considered normal, especially in the southern states. Now, if you’re not screaming “white privilege”, “Hashtag #metoo”, then people will consider you a “bigot” or racist.

Many people even consider Band-Aids racist these days because the skin tone of these products caters to white Americans. Is it racist as a business owner to create a product that appeals to a broader economic demographic? Would it make economic sense to sell African-American hair care products in an Asian country like China?

We live in a society where conservatives are just one indictment away from being erased from society. “Racist”, “Intolerant”, “MeToo”, “Womanizer”.

While I agree that a society that is “too” conservative will become totalitarian and restrictive, I also agree that a society that is “too” liberal will also become totalitarian and restrictive. The extreme left and the extreme right are destroying our great nation. Paper-thin liberals and obnoxious conservative prudes are giving the rest of us a bad name!

We shouldn’t be so quick to disparage our traditions that have served humanity for thousands of years, but we should also be sane enough to realize that certain aspects need to be a little more relaxed. It seems our society is having trouble finding that sweet middle ground. Anyway, I never thought I’d see the day when being “conservative” would be considered a rebel.

“If you’re not liberal at 25, you don’t have a heart. If you’re not conservative at 35, you don’t have a brain.” -Winston Churchill

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