Conservatism, with regards to our political system, owes its origins to Edmund Burke's insightful and prophetic critique of the French Revolution. Conservatism basically said, don't pin your hopes on magical solutions, throwing away all tradition in favour of everything new. It embodies a wary scepticism of human, and humanity's, ability to always get things right. It urges us not to put all our eggs in one basket, so to speak.
Conservatism, then, urges Moderation. Moderation in progress, in government, in economics, etc.
Or rather, that's what it used to mean, for conservatism, like liberalism and socialism, has been shorn of its roots and changed almost beyond recognition.
In the US, for instance, conservatism means wildly unfettered markets, business without boundaries, and the bombing of Iran.
These are not conservative values.
Today, political philosophies are just convenient colours that one dons in order to have permission to dirty someone else's colours. They are team colours, to be worn in the arena.
One can only wonder at the wisdom of the Romans, who employed competing gangs of colours in the games. The reds and the greens, and their supporters, would fight it out, sometimes in violent street battles.
Politics is not only a substitute for fighting, it is an excuse for fighting, so why bother with complex ideologies that only philosophers understand when you can simply fight for a colour?
Any colour will do as long as you get to metaphorically punch someone's face in.
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