Libertarianism is a way of running the Government that goes against Conservative ideas. But if you look at the details, you can see that it doesn’t have much in common with Conservatism. Progressivism is the other idea about Government that conservatives don’t like.
But a quick look at recent history will show why Progressives and Conservatives fight and what problems they are trying to solve. The differences are easy to explain and show how Libertarians and Conservatives differ.
Their views on National Defense are the first and perhaps most important difference. Without a much stronger military than any possible enemy, we are at the mercy of any dictator who wants to take over. The more powerful our defenses are, the less interference we will get from other countries.
At the moment, at least one outside power, China, might try to take over our Government. The good news is that our ability to defend ourselves is much better than their ability to fight a war with us. The next important difference between libertarianism and Conservatism is that libertarians are against capitalism.
No matter what other economic theories the Libertarians present, creative, inventive, persistent, and hardworking people do not own the fruits of their labors. The rewards of effort and accomplishment are shared somehow so that everyone gets the same results.
In reality, this is just taking what some people have worked hard for and giving it to those who have worked less. Even though they are breaking the law, they are the same as street thugs who thieve with guns. The only difference is that the people behind this wear suits and smile. They also wrote a book of laws to keep you from getting what you deserve.
Libertarian vs. Conservative: Defense and Social Ideas!
When Libertarians and Conservatives argue, one of the Conservatives’ main points is that the country needs a strong military to protect itself. Conservatives know from our own and other people’s history that a country or other social structure won’t last if it can’t protect itself from aggression.
So, ever since we became a country, we have worked hard to ensure that our military is at least as strong as any possible aggressor. This was a big problem for the first few decades after the Revolutionary War. But now, 244 years later, we are the most powerful country on the planet and fully able to protect ourselves.
When the enemy drives tanks through our streets, it’s too late to build an army. We are now equipped with a “nuclear umbrella,” a great Air Force and Navy that are well-trained and have everything they need to fight any enemy. We even have ways to protect our interests from space.
We are safe as long as our enemies know we will defend ourselves by any means necessary. The next difference between Libertarian and Conservative ideas is that conservatives want to keep our country a “meritocracy,” which means that people get rewarded for what they do well.
People of every race who are successful are electricians, construction workers, mechanics, engineers, doctors, athletes, and even politicians.
Our very rich people have worked hard to get what they have. But that’s not all. Through their companies, tens of thousands of workers can also make a living that ranges from good to very good.
Their pay is based on their skills and what they bring to the company. Bosses who don’t pay their workers enough will find that their best workers leave. While Libertarians and others want to ensure everyone gets the same results through tax policies, Conservatives want to give everyone the best chance to succeed at whichever level they choose.
Progressive vs. Conservative: Reasons to Disagree!
Progressivism is a political reform movement that wants the Government to change to keep up with the changes in American society caused by the growth of technology, the size of corporations, and political corruption. Progressives try to “fix” income inequality, which is one of the things that Conservatives argue about.
This means they control incomes through the tax code or directly within companies. This is because the rich and the poor have a big difference in income. The technology grew quickly during the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
Electricity for homes and factories, communication by telegraph, phone, radio, and TV, commercial and military aviation, and cars all became available. Not only did these and other important innovations make life better for people in the lower and middle classes, but they also created a very wealthy class that paid for the innovations and made a lot of money from them.
Not only did the lower and middle classes get a lot of new products, but they also got a lot of new jobs. While car companies made much money, buggy companies had to change or quit. That’s what happens when you make progress. A lot of big companies had huge factories.
So the story goes, Henry Ford built his first car on his kitchen table. But to make millions of cars per year, he needed factories. The rate of income growth for the industry leaders was much higher than the rate of income growth for the workers.
Factory conditions could be very dangerous, but companies were often willing to look the other way. Because of these things, the union movement was inevitable. So, the fight between the progressive and conservative ways of thinking started.
Progressives vs. Conservatives: Problems and Causes!
There were big problems with the law because of the differences between Conservatives and Progressives. Progressives wanted to change the law so that the difference in pay between the lowest-paid and highest-paid workers would be smaller.
Unions were made, and strikes were used to pressure employers to raise wages and improve the workplace. The differences between progressives and conservatives in politics were played out in Congress. Conservatives thought that since the Constitution didn’t give them the power to deal with these issues, they should be handled at the state level.
Progressives, however, fought for a big government solution in which Federal laws would limit corporations. We still have many reminders of these early fights over laws. Our Federal Government is now in charge of education, Wall Street, medical services, welfare, etc.
The Conservatives are against all of this. One big effect is that Congress doesn’t finish its job of making laws. Instead, they enact legislation that the Executive Branch is compelled to enforce and has the legislative authority to amend.
Our Constitution sets up one legislative body called a “bicameral Congress.” The House of Representatives is the only body. Its members are chosen based on how many people live in each state. The Senate is the second body. Each state has two members in the Senate.
Congress doesn’t have the power in the Constitution to make a second legislative body, but that’s precisely what it did whenever it gave the Executive Branch the power to make laws. So that voters don’t know this, the laws passed by the Executive Branch are called regulations, but they have the same force of law as the laws Congress enacted.