10-25-02, Political Footnotes
What is a Right Wing
Conservative?
By Stuart James
IPS Features
President Franklin Roosevelt said, “A conservative is
a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk
forward.”
Several months ago, I received an email from a reader
asking for my definition of a “right wing republican.” In reflecting on the
issue, the best definition I found is President Roosevelt’s statement about
conservatives. It is my belief that President Roosevelt’s definition is more
applicable to the right wing movement—a movement that plagues the Republican
Party.
In defining the term right wing conservative, I do not,
however, believe President Roosevelt goes far enough. Moreover, I believe that
President Roosevelt’s definition might be unfair to Moderate Republicans and
Conservative Democrats—who, in my opinion, have the best ability to govern.
A right wing conservative is a person with two perfectly
good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. A right wing
conservative will take two steps back refusing to accept any view--other than
their own.
The right wing movement is an extremist movement. It,
unfortunately, undermines the political process. Right wing conservatives are
often narrow-minded. They cannot accept any view other than their own.
Unfortunately, many right wing conservatives wear “Christianity” as a
“badge,” using Christianity to force their views on others.
Right wing conservatives fail to recognize that they do
not have an exclusive right to Christianity (or any religious belief)—liberal,
moderate, and mainstream Republicans, Democrats, and Independents can also be
Christian—something the right wing movement is unwilling to accept.
The right wing movement will use any means to win. The
right wing movement undermines the constructive work of the true fiscal
conservatives—fiscal conservatives like Republican Senators (past and present)
Robert Dole and Richard Shelby and Democratic Senators (past and present) Sam
Nunn and Zell Miller.
Extremism is the name of the right wing game, extremism
that fails to recognize others have different views, views to be considered in
the art of compromise—an art essential to effective governance, an art the
right wing movement is unwilling to use.
The right wing movement is rigid, unforgiving and
judgmental. The best statement describing this movement’s thought processes
comes from the following comments made after the attacks on September 11, 2001:
“God gave U.S. 'what we deserve…God continues to
lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we
deserve…the abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God
will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we
make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the
feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an
alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way - all of them who
have tried to secularize America - I point the finger in their face and say,
'You helped this happen.' "—The Reverend Jerry Falwell, a right wing
conservative leader, on why America was attacked on September 11, 2001.
Enough said…
Stuart F. James
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