You’re Not REALLY Conservative…..

If I had a nickel for every time someone said that to me, I’d be almost as rich as Trump! I’ve been a conservative from the time I was 16 but for some reason people still believe my political/governance beliefs are some sort of passing fad or a not-so-silent cry for help or worse attention. You’re not REALLY conservative, and then it trails off…leaving each participant in the conversation to fill in the blanks with the heavy accusation hanging in the air. So for all future conversations and to prevent any further doubt or confusion…yes, yes, I am INDEED conservative/right-leaning/Republican/Tory or whatever else is appropriate for the environment of the time. Now this is part of why this discussion is particularly interesting to me — my views don’t change based on my being OUT of America. Imagine that! American politics is so encompassing globally that I always feel forced to say I’m Republican but truth is, it doesn’t really matter to me. All I care about is that the theories of conservationism are applied in the way that people have decided to govern their societies.

The first retort to me when I insist I have indeed thought about my positions on the matter is about guns, “but what about the guns, you actually believe people should have semi-automatic rifles to kill themselves?” Uhm, not exactly. Firstly, guns is such an American topic it would be a non-productive effort to constantly focus on it all the way here in Nigeria. But let’s play along. Thing is, conservatives and most other right thinking people don’t disagree on ideals of society, only on the manner and methods these ideals are ensured. In the case of guns, it is safe to say most everyday people don’t believe in the killing of another human being and believe such occurrences should be punished under law. Yes, even gun-toting lobbyists believe this. To many who fight for the right to bear arms, there are two main issues: it is a right enshrined in the constitution; and it is a right put in place to ensure the citizenry’s ability to defend itself against tyranny, especially tyranny of the government. The only solution to negating this right, is for the people to come together (again) and decide that they no longer believe a right to defend against tyranny is an important fabric of the American society. It’s not about killing in of itself. That is not the point. So personally do I want to carry guns? NO. Do I believe that less access to guns will reduce the number of deaths by guns, possibly. However, American democracy is about the collective and I have faith that “the people” will figure it out. The people as a collective, rather than the good educated folks of say, Massachusetts.

Conservatism is about believing in institutions rather than in the “inherent good” or rationalism of a person or a subset because history has shown over time that we are not inherently “good” when left to our own devices. Passions, greed, and ambition are three things that can turn even the most well intentioned individual. It means respecting at the utmost levels whatever law or system of laws that the community has devised to govern themselves. In addition, it is my personal belief that conservatives ascribe to the point of view that naturally, “not all fingers are equal”, that is, not all people are born into equal circumstances. This is not about the value of man, but about the circumstances. While it is a worthwhile altruistic pursuit to try to ensure equal access to opportunities to create wealth and to build a happy life (no matter what that means to an individual), it is not a natural order. If we accept this, then we have to accept that there exists a tension between just how much society to going to take from those who have, to aid those who don’t. Note this is not a discussion on whether we should “be our brother’s keeper” or other moral persuasion, but on just how much and how do we compel this behaviour? To me this is the ultimate question facing us today as we contemplate how we want our communities to be organized — the world over. Not the American-laced gun control or abortion or LGBT conversations (though these are indeed worthwhile discussions on the side).

I do understand however, the attractiveness of focusing on some of these regional issues (gun control, etc.). It is often times easier to focus on the symptom rather than figure out the disease itself. I recently watched South Africa’s controversial politician Julius Malema (see below) talk eruditely on his belief that all land should be collected from private ownership then re-distributed, by government, to the populace in a bid to equalize the playing field and the effects of apartheid. He believes, quite rightly, that poor black South Africans cannot have true freedom until they have economic freedom.

However, the conservative in me is left thinking, “the government will do WHAT?” How do we leave a system of human beings to judiciously re-distribute raw wealth without corruption and injustice? How do we re-claim land from a landowner who acquired the land post-apartheid without that individual truly feeling the loss of such an asset without a willingness for reparation? This is truly what it’s like to be a conservative. We don’t disagree onthe way the world is NOW, all its injustices, its unfairness, however knowing all of this, on the aggregate, what is the BEST, most lasting solution to these issues? I admire Malema’s passion and grit. I admire his absolute commitment to bringing stark truths about white privilege, the legacies of apartheid and more to the forefront. However, I am highly sceptical that his solution is workable and that it will bring lasting peace to any or all of his fellow citizens.

So what about Trump? As someone who grew up in America, loves the country and ultimately believes in its ideals, I can understand his appeal. Forget the racists who hang on to him — they have to hang on to someone anyhow and they are citizens too! — but he is becoming the symbol of the overdue backlash on political correctness. I appreciate the appeal in challenging what exactly it means to be American in today’s world.

Why is Israel/Japan our ally? Why do we police the world with our taxes? Are we still a nation of immigrants?

I suspect the populace has changed slightly but the fabric of the society has not moved along with it. It is time to come together again and renegotiate what exactly the American ideals are and my hope is that as always, the American people will get it right. Trump is the catalyst to this conversation.