Conservatism is the new counterculture

When people say that I have “values”, what are they talking about? “Values” are the principles we hold dear. Values ​​are characteristics that we find admirable in ourselves and in others. When someone says they have “religious” values, they usually mean they have a more “conservative” or “traditional” view of reality. Do your best to abstain from alcohol, encourage men to be leaders in their families, refrain from homosexual behavior, act in a godly manner, etc… When someone says they are too “liberal” or have “liberal values” , usually means the opposite, that conservative values ​​are not necessarily important or, in some cases, even undesirable.

In recent history, especially in Western nations, there is a rise in “nonbelief.” Anarchism (no belief in government), MGTOW or asexualism (no belief in romantic relationships), atheism (no belief in god), apolitical (no belief in any political ideology), vegan (no belief in eating meat)… continues, we are believing in less and less entrenched traditions. We are becoming a society of hedonists. “Anything goes as long as you’re not murdering or stealing.” As a libertarian, I actually share the sentiment to a degree. I do not believe that the government should regulate behaviors that do not cause direct victims. People should be free to make decisions for themselves. I don’t think the government should lock people up for putting drugs in their bodies or engaging in transgenderism. People should have freedom of choice.

However, my problem comes when such behavior is endorsed as “positive”. We have reached a tipping point between “acceptance” and “endorsement”. Just because you think all drugs should be decriminalized and treated as a health problem doesn’t mean you condone the behavior. Just because I don’t think transgender people are discriminated against doesn’t mean I’ll encourage my son or daughter to have a sex change operation. Our Western values ​​of “open minded” and acceptance have been perverted into approving of any and all behavior.

We now have television shows endorsing the idea of ​​same-sex parents raising a child, transgender superheroes, while commercials and other media often present straight men as “jerks” or “awkward” jerks. A TV ad showing a woman kicking a man in the testicles will be considered humorous, while a TV ad showing a man pushing a woman will be considered “abuse”.

We live in an era where “conservatism” is the new counterculture. To be conservative is “edgy,” “risky,” and “bold.” Even just 10 or 20 years ago, being a conservative was considered normal, especially in the southern states. Now, if you’re not yelling “white privilege”, “Hashtag #metoo”, then people will consider you a “bigot” or racist.

Many people even consider band-aids racist these days because the skin tone of these products caters to white Americans. Is it racist as a business owner to create a product that appeals to a larger economic demographic? Would it make economic sense to sell African American hair care products in an Asian country like China?

We live in a society where conservatives are just one charge away from being wiped out of society. “Racist”, “Bigot”, “MeToo”, “Womanizer”.

While I agree that a society that is “too” conservative will become totalitarian and restrictive, I also agree that a society that is “too” liberal will also become totalitarian and restrictive. The far left and the far right are destroying our great nation. Paper-thin-skinned liberals and obnoxious strait-laced Tories are giving the rest of us a bad name!

We shouldn’t be so quick to belittle our traditions that have served humanity for thousands of years, but we should also be sane enough to realize that certain aspects need to be a little more relaxed. It seems our society is having trouble finding that sweet middle ground. Anyway, I never thought I would see the day when being “conservative” would be considered rebellious.

“If you’re not a liberal at 25, you don’t have a heart. If you’re not a conservative at 35, you don’t have a brain.” -Winston Churchill