Because the left seeks social justice it incorrectly assumes small government conservatives don’t. This lack of understanding simultaneously facilitates its own self-righteousness while fueling a “justified” hatred of what it sees see as the selfishness and greed of the right. One sees this hatred on a daily basis openly and vocally directed at the Tea Party movement, the Republican Party, Conservatives and conservative organizations.
While those of us on the right disagree with the point of view of our progressive opponents most of us trust that their motives are altruistic. Clearly though, the left doesn’t return this favor.
This past week I had the opportunity to discuss politics with a well known writer from the French Caribbean. He was surprised to discover I was on “the right.” I explained to him that the right in America is not like the right in Europe. Unlike the continental right we are not interested in controlling the government for the exercise of corporate or business interests but would rather use our elected majorities to reduce the size and scope of state power and control. I further added that our goal was small government and individual liberty. He admitted this concept was a revelation to him and quite “astounding.” He then asked “Without the state then who will help the poor?” I told him conservatives believe history has demonstrated time and again that the state has proven to be a poor steward of the poor and has repeatedly failed its anti poverty goals. I stated that empowering the government to create “fairness” or achieve “social justice” creates a tyranny and that tyranny for social justice is still tyranny. He took it all in and we moved on to other subjects but what stayed with me was his admission that the small government philosophy of America’s founding fathers and the constitution of the United States was until now unknown or at best, inadequately taught to him. Perhaps conservatives need to recognize that this well educated university professor is the norm rather than the exception, that the animus directed at us springs from an intentionally and almost universally produced ignorance and/or distortion of our philosophy. Am I claiming a conspiracy? No, instead I attribute this situation to an intellectual hubris that allows otherwise critical minds to be closed to the opposing conservative philosophy. It is worrisome that within our institutions of higher learning there is little or no diversity when it comes to political philosophy. There is instead a suffocating and stifling agreement that results in the suppression of both thought and speech. To be accepted and respected by your peers as a college professor one must be on the left. In such an environment is there any doubt that indoctrination has replaced education in the most of the world’s colleges and universities?
Scott Armstrong