Never in my life have I considered myself conservative or Conservative. I grew up with hippie type parents, in a low-to-middle income household. I learned to believe the value of social justice, which manifested in a variety of ways, mainly in the power of groups to establish and uphold the rights and freedoms of individuals, and the responsibility of government to take care of its people. I learned that the political "left" was the side that cared most about these issues and principles, and I learned that if I wanted to support those goals, often called "ideals" since they seldom were accepted by enough of the populace to be the stuff of actual policy, then I would support that side.
Today is election day in Canada, the second election day we've had in less than 2 years. I've always been interested in staying informed about the issues, and lord knows I always have an opinion or two about everything that goes on. I suppose my political voice is one that tends to chime in with the outraged minority, which can comfortably rage on about the injustices in our society, which surely must exist because We have never had a chance to govern, and therefore show how things Should be done. We can grudgingly accept that economic prosperity can be attributed to the government of the day, although we will grumble that it has been largely on the backs of people who can scarcely afford to carry it, while those who can are offered every means of avoiding their responsibility.
Because the election campaign has been in full swing for the past couple of months, we have been exposed to the usual mass of political rhetoric, most of which I recognize as being pretty much meaningless. But every once in a while something would trigger something in me, and this time it actually came from the Right.
A CBC radio program was doing a series of profiles on what they called "power brokers," or people who held positions of political power but who worked largely behind the scenes. The one that got me thinking was about a high level campaign operative for the Conservative Party of Canada, and particularly for the leader, Stephen Harper. This is a guy for whom the phrase "staunch conservative" might as well have been coined, because everything about his background and experience is about being a conservative. But, the documentary seemed to ask, what
is a conservative? At its absolute core, and utterly simplified, the identity was defined as someone who felt that the rights and responsibilities of the individual overrode the rights and responsibilities of the group. This got me thinking.
I have spent many years doing both paid and unpaid work in organizations that are unionized, rely on committees for their operation, are non-profit, and have goals such as the education of the people and the care of our children. I am a member of a union, and I have proudly and angrily walked picket lines. I believe in a "safety in numbers" principle that invites equality and accomplishment. I have witnessed firsthand how a group as an entity can shield and protect its weakest members...even when...they don't deserve it?
Yes it's true.
Okay. I believe there are circumstances in which the group principle is very appropriate, such as in society at large, when I am having a hard time, there should be a safety net that is there to catch me and help me get back on my feet. And if I'm unable to get back on my feet, despite my best efforts, it should be there to take care of me because that is what we have always strived for as a society. That is how our society is set up, what it shouts about and bases policies and decisions on. At least ostensibly. And I believe we as citizenry have a right to hold our policy-makers to those principles.
But okay. I also believe that there are times when the group principle becomes so ingrained that it becomes unhealthy. The shielding and protecting invites abuse, and allows those who are unmotivated to coast along at the expense of others. The struggle for uniformity, for equality at all costs, actually diminishes the quality of the whole, because the Group becomes the most important thing, and we forget that within the Group, Individuals also play a key role. Without individuals who value quality and their own role in producing it, the success of the group is utterly without value. It is meaningless.
When I heard those words, that conservatives value and struggle to uphold the rights and responsibilities of the individual above all else, I had a moment where I wondered whether that was actually a more accurate representation of my own values. Because I do, very strongly, believe that everyone should take responsibility for his own actions, and that our society has many many ways for individuals to hide from those responsibilities, everything from tax loopholes to union contracts to insanity pleas. And then I realized, no. I don't think that I am the most important entity in our society, that I should be accountable only to myself. Yes, I absolutely believe that I should take responsibility for my own actions, and that I am the creator of my own destiny. But I also believe that anything good that I do, and anything bad that I do, ultimately affects the groups in which I live, and I should be responsible to those groups and do my best.
Every time there is an election, I think about the political process and structure in which we all live. I wouldn't dream of giving up my right to participate in that process, even in the small way I'm given, that of marking my X on the ballot where I believe my conscience is best represented. But every time the campaign rhetoric starts up again, I get a little more fed up, a little more disgusted. There is no high road in politics, even in those lofty ideals I've always held.
