So I said at the beginning that I am a Conservative Libertarian. I think the blog as a whole will be a good way to learn what those terms mean, but if you're wanting an up-front touch-base then let's go for it.
Conservatives are typically people who believe in traditional values and the wisdom handed down from earlier generations. We believe that human beings are easily swayed and corrupted and led to selfish ways, and that we need to hold each other accountable. We do not believe that the government has a place in any of this. In fact, since human beings and governments are easily corrupted, we believe it is safer to have a very weak government. This way, when it falls into the wrong hands, which it always will, those hands can't do much harm with it. Russian Roulette with water pistols.
On the flipside, Progressives are the types of people who believe in breaking the status quo, challenging the ways of life and the ruts that the world can sometimes get into. They tend to believe in scrapping systems and building them new, but they can go overboard and challenge things that are necessary for human happiness, which I'll talk about when we get to the Feminist movements.
Obviously both are very important and there is a lot of proof of that in the world. They are like the two hemispheres of the brain, one very stable and logical, and one very imaginative and creative.
I am a conservative because I believe that we've had a lot right for a long time in this country. We've made a country that's way above the world poverty line, and where most everyone gets a say. We did a good job, this time. I want to keep it a good job. I'm a woman and that has never been anything but an advantage for me. I am sad at the plight of men in the millennial generation, and I fear for the ones in my own.
But there aren't only two sides to the political spectrum. If you think of it like the left and right of a horizontal line, then add a vertical line through the middle. At the top, imagine the word Libertarian. At the bottom, add the word Authoritarian.
Libertarians believe that no matter what side of the horizontal line you personally fall on, you shouldn't use the government to impose those beliefs on your fellow countrymen. Anyone can be a libertarian, whether they believe in ancient wisdom or modern progress, as long as their beliefs aren't something they try to make others conform to.
Authoritarians are people who want to use the government to prohibit or force certain types of behavior on others. Forcing people to buy certain things (like health insurance) or prohibiting certain things (like the consumption of certain substances) is authoritarian.
I am a Libertarian because I believe that people have certain rights, and as long as they're not impinging upon anyone elses rights, they should be able to act in any way they see fit.
This sounds great to people until you take it to its extremes, which I do. I do not believe that it's okay for the government to have a say in what anyone can do on their own property – unless they are taking away someone's rights. I don't support any laws against controlled substances, alcohol, etc.
So to sum it up, a Conservative Libertarian is someone who, basically, believes in traditional values like honesty and integrity and personal responsibility and uses those in their life, but who also does not want to use the government to restrict anyone's life. Someone who wants the freedom to be as Conservative as they are without fear, and wants others to have the freedom to be as Progressive as they are without fear.
Sounds kinda nice? Yeah?