Despite the anti-socialist rhetoric from the modern conservative movement, I have realized that the modern conservative is the socialist’s best friend. Where the Conservative is adverse to change, they have accepted the 20th century version of America that includes socialist lite policies (Social Security, Medicare, FDA, SEC, FCC, Government Schools, etc.). Therefore, the modern conservative is fighting to preserve a lower bound for socialism, while the progressives (modern liberals) seek to expand it.

Scale of Socialized Goods and Services According to Political Philosophy

As time moves on, the modern conservative will simply change what they are willing to preserve. In the past 100 years, government has grown and so has its involvement in our economy and personal lives. Much of this involvement has become accepted by the modern conservative and has become the new lower bound for socialism. Where the Conservative of the early/mid 1900′s was against government entitlements and federal control of our economy, the modern conservative now accepts some of these programs as worthy endeavors and could not imagine life without them.

It will only be a matter of time before Universal Healthcare will be the new lower bound, in part or in whole if it is not repealed before the “benefits” begin and become accepted as the new norm. The modern conservative, then, is the equivalent of a climber’s anchor on the progressives’ assent to their goal of total socialism. If a part of the public manages to loosen the grip of the climber to cause them to fall, we will not fall lower than the common accepted lower bound of big government, socialism and tyranny that has been accepted by the ‘other side’, the modern conservative.

The only thing that will change this, is when enough of the population changes their view outside of the left/right, liberal/conservative, democrat/republican paradigm, where they then have the power en masse to dislodge the anchor and the climber, and set a new course for Liberty.

“Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.”
– Dwight D Eisenhower, Letter to his brother, Edgar (1954)

Also see: New Individualist Review, VOLUME 2, NUMBER 2, SUMMER 1962