Why I'm Conservative
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has reinforced some of my strongly held conservative beliefs.
Conservativism
I’m not really sure what to write about this week. I have spent all week keeping up with, thinking about, and talking about the Russian invasion of Ukraine; but, there has already been so much written about Ukraine that I don’t feel like I have much else to say that hasn’t already been said. I am not a foreign policy expert and my knowledge regarding military matters is limited which means I can’t comment on the Russian strategy, state of the war, or potential outcomes.
With that said, I am capable of making obvious observations like identifying the many evil actions of the Russian military and the many blessings that we often ignore in America. While not necessarily profound, these observations have consumed my thinking over the course of the last week. It’s unfortunate that it takes an event like this to remind Americans of these two realities.
It has also made me remember why I am a conservative. The constant fights over policies that take place in a functioning democracy like ours can lead conservatism (and progressivism for that matter) to be defined by specific policy positions. For example, conservatives can become primarily associated with wanting lower taxes. While this is generally true of conservatives, policy positions alone cannot fully encompass American conservatism. As Russell Kirk wrote,
Perhaps it would be well, most of the time, to use this word “conservative” as an adjective chiefly. For there exists no Model Conservative, and conservatism is the negation of ideology: it is a state of mind, a type of character, a way of looking at the civil social order.
In a sense, conservatism is a framework in which to make conclusions, not a specific set of conclusions. At its core, conservatism isn’t a set of policies but a way of operating in the world based upon deeply held assumptions about the world. There have been many attempts at defining these assumptions held by conservatives so I’m not going to do that here, but I do want to talk about how the Russian invasion of Ukraine has reinforced two of my conservative assumptions.
Restraint on Power
One of the most valuable reminders that this invasion has provided is the consequences of centralized power. According to Merriam-Webster, power is the “possession of control, authority, or influence over others.” This control, authority, or influence can come through benign means; however, politically it usually manifests itself through violent means. In fact, one of the most fundamental aspects of the government is its monopoly on violence as possessing the only legitimate claim to use physical violence in a community.
In every society, power will exist. It cannot be gotten rid of because it will always find itself in somebody’s hands. Utopian nonsense, like John Dewey’s ideas of “democracy,” that try to get rid of power altogether is the stuff of fiction. This makes the distribution of and limitations put on power vital to consider which is the point in which most conservatives and progressives frequently depart.
Russell Kirk compares a conservative’s view of power with a progressive’s which he calls the “radical.” He writes,
It is characteristic of the radical that he thinks of power as a force for good—so long as the power falls into his hands… Knowing human nature for a mixture of good and evil, the conservative does not put his trust in mere benevolence… the old intricate web of restraints upon will and appetite—these the conservative approves as instruments of freedom and order.
Conservatives are skeptical of power because they hold a basic assumption that human nature is both good and evil. In order to avoid power being used by humans for evil, conservatives believe in setting up limits and restraints on the will to power that all humans possess. Term limits, veto power, impeachment, federalism, separation of powers, and other constitutional structures are upheld by conservatives because they prevent the centralization of power into one branch or person.
Russia is the case study for why these institutional roadblocks for the consolidation of power are so important. Over the course of the last 20+ years, Vladimir Putin has consolidated power to the point where he has total control of the Russian government. He has decided to use this power to increase his power even more by invading Ukraine. The lack of safeguards and limitations on his power have led to the destruction of Ukrainian cities, hundreds of Ukrainian deaths, the restrictions of Russian freedoms, and the arrest of hundreds of Russians that have protested against the war.
Not every use of power is for this kind of evil, but the human tendency towards that kind of use makes safeguards essential.
Importance of Gratefulness
In a similar vein, the imperfectability of humans makes a “perfect” society impossible to achieve. Even if it could be achieved, like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, humans would ruin it. A world full of murder, theft, war, inequality, lying, and all sorts of other maladies isn’t ideal, but it’s the world that we live in nonetheless. As such, we have to figure out ways to live within this nonideal world instead of chasing after an unachievable fantasy world of perfection.
The temptation towards utopianism is particularly strong during times of peace, prosperity, and happiness. These times make humans forget why particular institutions exist in the first place. We can entertain the thought of defunding the police only when our community doesn’t experience crime; for, a community that experiences crime understands why the police exist.
Since America has been the world’s superpower for the last 30 years, the temptation to criticize the very institutions that make America great has become strong. Whether it is America being called racist by the woke-Left or decadent by the MAGA-right, people are taking the blessings of America for granted instead of cherishing the values that have prospered America. This lack of gratefulness leads to an escalation of anger and deepening hostilities over increasingly insignificant things.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has helped me put the various debates we have in America into perspective and be increasingly grateful for the aspects about this country that are great. Don’t get me wrong, I will still passionately argue in favor of conservative principles over progressivism, and I won’t compromise an inch on what I believe to be true. But, I will also take the time to appreciate my fellow Americans nonetheless.
Being a conservative, I know that a perfect America is impossible and that I will always be at odds with others in some capacity. I can take the time to appreciate the greatness of this country regardless because I don’t feel the constant need to identify America’s drawbacks for the sake of “progress.” Yes, there are other Americans that I vehemently disagree with and have values that are diametrically opposed to mine; but, I have to figure out how to live with them since a perfect world in which everyone agrees with me is impossible.
Since perfection is unattainable, I don’t feel the need to make everybody think like me. Rather, I accept that I will always face ardent opposition and prefer to be grateful instead. For example, it’s not ideal to be called racist, misogynist, weak, stupid, ignorant, bigoted, or whatever other adjective people who disagree with me want to launch my way, but I will be forever grateful that they are launching words and not rockets.
God Bless,
Hunter Burnett