What's a great Conservative manifesto? (2024)

I just read Conscience of a Liberal by Krugman, which is a fantastic read full of data and history. I'm looking for something similar that argues the Conservative view - I want to see if they have any good arguments. Thanks!

Those who accept their fate find happiness; those who defy it, glory.

By today's standards American conservatives would consider Goldwater a pinko socialist.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.

They'd consider the original owner of the National Review a pinko socialist too for having liberal friends.

Because valuing the opinion of people across the aisle is sick and wrong.

edited 28th Sep '11 12:44:15 PM by Midgetsnowman

@ Radical Taoist: By the sounds of it, I guess they'd consider most of the rest of the world's Conservative Parties Socialist as well?

Keep Rolling On

Yes.

To put it in perspective, our "left", the democratic party, is Center-right leaning by european standards

I know — from the British point of view at least the Right in America makes the BNP look like, well...moderates — and things that are major issues there, are things dealing with things other countries had solved years ago.

Although, due to Americanitis, some might be coming back due to links between some parts of the American Right and other parts of the British Right (at least), but are still marginal.

It just seems like another planet from here — I'm having trouble relating to it.

edited 28th Sep '11 1:13:21 PM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On

Drifting off topic here...

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On topic, seconding Burke, if you're interested in more traditional conservatism; while I don't agree with much of what he says, his style is very readable for the period and there's no denying his considerable influence.

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I have that book at my mom's house.

edited 28th Sep '11 1:54:48 PM by joyflower

wow. Just the editorial review for it makes me want to burn it.

It is important to read other peoples views in order to get an insight into their way of thinking and seeing the world. Even if it DOES make you want to shake them by the goddamn throat.

I think it might be best to see if you could find a well informed and intelligent conservative to bounce ideas off from the Kruggman book. I find that that's generally a better way to learn about a movement.

edited 28th Sep '11 2:03:06 PM by JosefBugman

American conservatimsm hasn't worked. So I don't get how you could "prove" it will.

edited 28th Sep '11 2:03:57 PM by Erock

If you don't like a single Frank Ocean song, you have no soul.

If you are a strong Christian, you can read some C. S. Lewis.

But then again, that's my answer to everything.

("I need something to help with my arthritis."

"Read some C. S. Lewis and call me in the morning.")

Go play Kentucky Route Zero. Now.

Its neccesary to at least examine the viewpoints and see the sources used, even if you disagree with it, otherwise how can you ask people to do the same for your views?

I, personally, cannot read C.S. Lewis, ever since reading The Last Battle I want to go back in time and strike him upside the head with a plush lion toy.

Perhaps "the wealth of nations" as well? It's certainly an important economic book in modern conservatism.

C. S. Lewis is interesting, at least. I guess Rand might be at least somewhat intriguing. The Fountainhead and Anthem are, anyhow. Not so much for Atlas Shrugged. That's all I have off the top of my head, though I'm not much for political reading...

I am now known as Flyboy.

^^ What was wrong with The Last Battle? A little preachy for a children's novel, I'll grant, but anything apart from that?

Though what I've read of Lewis pertained more to Christian ethics than conservatism per se.

edited 28th Sep '11 2:11:51 PM by BobbyG

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I don't know, its just when the dwarves go off at the end made me so angry. You know? The sort of anger that just makes it really hard to continue reading any further? I dunno, maybe its because I like dwarves and what they represented far more than Aslan.

Indeed, we are getting OT, I apoligise.

Just given the book review here

Author and conservative talk radio host Levin (Rescuing Sprite, Men in Black) takes on the Statist, a liberal straw man, in this collection of polemics against left-wing tenets (like "economic and social justice"), touchstones (like the New Deal) and institutions (strongholds of liberal thought like academia and the mainstream media). With "an insatiable appetite for control" and a veil of "moral indignation," Levin finds the Statist not only in congressional Democrats and President Obama's White House, but in "neo-Statists" like compassionate conservative Michael Gerson, and the Fed and Treasury under G.W. Bush. Many of Levin's arguments reiterate familiar tropes, including a "strict constructionist" view of the Constitution that sees Social Security as patently un-American. Predictably, Levin opposes the extension of health benefits, derides global warming (implicating Obama's "global warming czar" as a leader in "the Socialist International's Commission for a Sustainable World Society"), and fights back against immigrants, whom the Statist portrays "as universally more virtuous than the citizen." For those new to the Tea Party, Levin offers a handy roundup of conservative talking points, but anyone paying attention to talk radio over the past few years won't learn anything new.

I'd say this is a decent roundup of contemporary Tea Party-style conservatism.

But that's just a guess, I brand myself as neither Liberal nor Conservative and generally don't read books by staunch authors saying they're either.

go ahead and do every stupid thing you can imagine

Though that review is rather obviously written by somebody who disagrees with the book; some of the quotations from more conservative reviewers are rather more positive.

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I tend to look at evaluations of political writing less on "do I agree?" and more "is the argument and writing good?"

I am now known as Flyboy.

Bobby: Well, in general, political manifestos tend to be rated on whether or not the person writing the review agrees with the book or not. I simply picked a review that I found the most likely.

go ahead and do every stupid thing you can imagine