CHARLESTON KILLINGS AN ACT WITH THE MAINSTREAM OF TODAY'S AMERICAN CONSERVATISM

6/18/2015

I view yesterday's killings of black people by a white man in Charleston, South Carolina as an act within the mainstream of American conservatism as currently practiced.

( The picture is of two stickers I saw on a car a few weeks ago.)

Please read all of NeilAquino.com

3 Comments

siredge

6/20/2015 11:33:38 am

Then you do not understand American Conservatism. And Salon.com won't be helpful in figuring out how it is practiced.

Neil

6/20/2015 03:42:04 pm

SIREDGE---I appreciate the comments you have left here at the blog.

Given the years of racial appeals, a war started based on a lie and the effort to kick millions off of health insurance, I just see very bad things when I look at the current day conservative movement and the current day Republican party.

siredge

6/22/2015 02:38:39 am

I see bad things when I look at both parties, but that is because their common motive is desire for power, not principles. I'm pretty careful about separating conservatives from Republicans, because there is a pretty significant difference between the two (I'm the former, but not the latter). I don't know first hand, but I expect there is something of the same thing in the way of progressive != Democrat.

Even then, conservative or progressive are both pretty big tents, so it's hard to say anything conclusive about either one besides that they are a coalition that has decided to work together.

I agree that insurance companies are a problem. I've worked a little in side one and I've worked where they were my clients. I got to understand a little bit of how they operate and the reason they treat policyholders poorly is because there is little reason not to- their profit margins are largely decided by the states in which they operate, so there isn't much pressure from policyholders because they make the same percentage either way, barring unexpected claims payouts. Their investments are also tightly regulated, so they can't even make much money on the premiums they have already collected. So they just keep on keeping on and everyone hates them. But the incentives are in the wrong places for them to care.

As for wars, I've been studying wars of the last couple centuries more and I've come to the conclusion that politicians go to war when they lack the imagination to find another solution. There are times when I also lack that imagination, so I decide that a particular conflict was justified, but I think we can agree that wars are, generally speaking, expensive (in life and material/dollars) and generally not a very effective way to reach most goals.

I live here in Houston, just like you do. It's the first time I've lived in a racially diverse neighborhood. It's been a good experience for the most part, and I'm glad my kids will have it earlier than I did. But I have been around many conservatives and I've found very few that weren't trying to be free from racial prejudice. Having said that, I lived in a city that was not racially diverse, so my exposure to other races was pretty limited.

I've been told my policy recommendations are racist at times and I strongly disagree with that assertion. I definitely can have a discussion about the possibility of disparate impacts, but I don't appreciate being told that my motives are racially motivated. I grew up without considering race in most of my interpersonal relationships and I figure that is the real answer, not focusing on it, especially where policy is concerned.

I read your site because I think you are genuine in your beliefs, you have principles that I think I can learn from, and because we're neighbors after a fashion. I hope that can result in a meaningful understanding between us and perhaps some of your other readers. Just don't be surprised if I jump in if you cast that "conservative" net overly broadly <grin>.

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.

Author

My name is Neil Aquino and I live in Houston, Texas.

YOU NEED TO ACT RIGHT NOW

CHARLESTON KILLINGS AN ACT WITH THE MAINSTREAM OF TODAY'S AMERICAN CONSERVATISM

Leave a Reply.

Author