Warning: getimagesize(http://modernconservative.com/blogrollimages/sword_and_olive_branch.jpg) [function.getimagesize]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
in /home4/modernc5/public_html/blogroll!details.php on line 411
Warning: getimagesize(http://modernconservative.com/blogrollimages/sword_and_olive_branch.jpg) [function.getimagesize]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
in /home4/modernc5/public_html/blogroll!details.php on line 385
 |
| Details |
| |
|
|
| Name |
| |
The Sword and the Olive Branch
|
|
| Link |
| |
http://www.theswordandtheolivebranch.com/ |
|
| |
| Description |
| |
This is my website, theswordandtheolivebranch.com. It will be updated every weekday with my opinions dedicated to current events, reviews of movies that have been out of theatre for years, and occasionally sports. But more than anything, it’s dedicated to the renewal of conservative philosophy. Yes, it’s another @##% conservative blog. But I swear it’s different.
All of my liberal friends (for better or worse, most of them are liberal) tell me I’m not like most conservatives they meet. It’s not because I’m a fair-weather Republican who throws the religious right under the bus every time I’m at a party—I have more dignity than that. It’s because I know exactly what I believe and why I believe it, even as I’m learning more every day. I can explain why I’m pro-life or against illegal immigration to liberals without losing my temper or appealing to a moral order they simply don’t agree with, respect, or even understand.
See, the argument that “conservative” equals “common sense” doesn’t cut it. For conservatism to survive the coming millennial generation, right-wingers must understand exactly where their ideals came from and be able to explain to all open-minded Americans what conservatism actually is. For starters, it’s not infantile clinging to vestiges of a golden past. Anyone who knows anything about history knows 99% of it isn’t worth re-living, and .5 of the remaining 1% would still be a nightmare for spoiled westerners. Caste systems and communes aren’t exactly ideal environments for human development. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Because even Republicans aren’t exactly conservative right now, I’m going to blog with a constant eye on reinforcing conservative values. This doesn’t mean I’m going to hector liberals about being “godless” or “unpatriotic.” What it means is that I’m going to be myself and focus on explaining why I believe the American right is rare and valuable, especially in contrast to the countless utilitarian, statist, and populist movements that pollute history. The last thing I want is to appeal to fear or prejudice. In fact, one of my greatest motivations is to frustrate such appeals. A good rule of thumb is to watch what people are being the most emotional and unyielding about, and err the other way. Even the most righteous cause can be warped by extremism.
I’ve titled my page The Sword and the Olive Branch because these are the most important tools any conservative needs to get along in America. It’s hard to predict if someone you’ve just met is going to deal with you in good faith. Some of the most hardcore liberals I know are surprisingly open to honest debate, while some of the most polite liberals I’ve met are insufferably closed-minded. Since it’s tough to tell who’s who, the best way to approach everyone at first is to hold out an olive branch-risk their condemnation by being frank, but not belligerent. Consequently, my posts will employ a lot of hemming and hawing and ostensibly redundant declarations such as “not all liberals are unpatriotic.” Trust me, they’re not redundant to people who’ve spent their entire life being taught that conservatism is simply an apology for exploitation and bigotry.
Yet due to the plain fact that not everyone will feel obligated to reciprocate that good faith, conservatives must also be ready to wield a sword when needed. Explaining my lukewarm opposition to gay marriage to someone who’s only interested in portraying my words as “homophobic” would be casting pearls before swine. Thusly I’m going to hack at some weeds every so often. It sometimes pays to be provocative like Ann Coulter rather than stately like Brit Hume. On the same token, this isn’t going to be a right-wing version of Pandagon— I also have more dignity than that.
I guess I should describe myself somewhere in here. My name is Tony. I was born on the ass end of generation X, grew up in Michigan (hence the blind devotion to Detroit sports—even the Lions), lived briefly in Florida, colleged in Iowa, and now I live in Southern California, where it often takes half a hour to drive eight blocks (as long as my car hasn’t been stolen).
On the right-wing spectrum, I’m self-consciously fusionist. I truly believe that conservatism is fundamentally the reconciliation of traditional morality and libertarianism, held together by an aversion to the far left. My favorite news magazines are Reason and National Review. Reading these alternately is like growing up with Ayn Rand and William F. Buckley as divorced parents. I’m starting to worry my dual consciousness has taken me to ridiculous extremes: I’m a Baptist who fervently supports Mitt Romney and cites South Park to explain political theory.
If you’re charitable enough to peruse my blog, you’re going to be assailed with references to great conservative thinkers such as Russell Kirk and Ludwig Von Mises. If you’re already familiar with how these men differ, this may not be the blog for you, because I’ll be covering old ground and frankly I’m still digesting the Austrian trade cycle theory. But then again if someone forced a fifth of Jim Beam down my throat while another stood across the room and shot me with tranquilizers, I could still write a 30-page extemporaneous essay on the short history of American conservatism. I work very hard to understand something before I write about it, so The Sword and the Olive Branch is going to be more thoughtful and interesting than a dilettante’s inchoate rants.
Most importantly, I’ll be having fun. I’m going to try and be least a little responsible and remain academically detached, but if you like top five lists about the most annoying things environmentalists do, or would like to witness a conversation I overheard between Mitt “Beaver” Romney and Al Gore-bot, then stick around. I’m going to have several days of play. Besides, I know that you haven’t read anything like I’m going to write down here. At the very least, I’m a novelty.
Take care,
-Afghan Whig
|
|
| Comments |
| |
|
|
| back to blogroll |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
| Search |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
| Support our efforts |
|
|
 |
|
|
| Conservative Gear! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
