PS

‘Liberal’ and ‘conservative’ denote political identity, or more precisely, the group of people who share common beliefs.

Neither group produces more or less bad behaviors because bad behaviors are pathologies that transcend communal or tribal identities. There are murderers of all political persuasions. Their politics did not make them murderers. For every thousand right wingers who commit crimes in the name of their beliefs, there are an equal number of people who identify with so called liberal planks who also commit crimes.

If ideas alone are somehow ‘proof’ of some kind of ‘lesser than’ or inferiority, that is a very slippery slope. What is a good idea today may very well be a bad idea tomorrow and so on.

Still, you raise an interesting point- how change ought to be reflected and measured. You are in fact pointing to the Fukayama-Berman ‘debate’.

Francis Fukuyama essentially believes that real progress happens when the best of the past is retained as we move forward.

Marshall Berman posits that there is no progress until the past is rejected and overturned.

There is one more distinction I’d like to make. Conservatism is not the GOP, or at least, it ought not be. I consider myself a conservative though I hardly support the GOP planks of today. The party has chosen to pander to the religious right and to date that choice has proved to be disastrous. I certainly want no part of that.

Here’s a thought: Independent voters are more important today than ever. Why? Because independents refuse to tow a particular party line. What that really means is simple- they want both parties to table their best ideas and cooperate. When either the liberals or conservatives bicker and attempt to rip each other apart, they push independents to the opposite side. There is no cooperation or even a pretense of such. Partisan politics and demonization only push independents away.

Simply disagreeing with an idea does not invalidate that person. If that persons behavior is offensive or potentially dangerous, that is a whole other story.

More later if you want to continue.

I need to recover from some outpatient surgery.