L & R Difference: Social Revolution v. Character Development

As a continuation from my previous blog posting, I share (again) the profound explanation of the difference between liberals and conservatives … largely in the words of SRN (Salem Radio Network) host Dennis Prager.  [If you haven’t read the Monday, July 6, 2015 posting, consider reading it before this one.]

The difference between the ‘Right’ and the ‘Left’ concerns a fundamentally different method that each utilizes in order to improve society.

Prager says, “Conservatives believe that the way to a better world is almost always through moral improvement of the individual – by each person doing battle with his own moral defects.  It is true that in particularly violent and evil societies such as fascist, communist and Islamist tyrannies the individual must be preoccupied with battling outside forces.  Almost everywhere else, however, and certainly in a free and decent country such as America, the greatest battle of the individual must be with inner forces – that is, with his or her flawed character and moral defects.”

Prager goes on to say, “The Left, on the other hand, believes that the way to a better world is almost always through doing battle with society’s moral defects (real and/or as perceived by the Left).  Thus, in America, the Left defines the good person as the one who fights the sexism, racism, intolerance, xenophobia, homophobia, Islamophobia and other evils that the Left believes permeate American society.”

This accounts for why the liberals are so preoccupied with politics … as compared to conservatives.  Whenever the term “activist” or “social activist” or “organizer” is used, one infers that the term refers to someone on the Left.

“One consequence of this difference is that conservatives believe that good is achieved far more gradually than liberals do,” says Prager.  “The process of making a better world is largely a one-by-one-by-one effort.  And it must be redone in every single generation.  The noblest generation ever born still has to teach its children how to battle their natures.  If it doesn’t, even the best society will begin to rapidly devolve, which is exactly what conservatives believe has been happening to America since the end of World War II.”

Prager goes on to say, “The Left does not focus on individual character development. Rather, it has always and everywhere focused on social revolution.  The most revealing statement of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, the most committed leftist ever elected president of the United States, was made just days before the 2008 election: ‘We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America,’ he told a large rapturous audience.”

“Conservatives not only have no interest in fundamentally transforming the United States, but they are passionately opposed to doing so.  Fundamentally transforming any but the worst society – not to mention transforming what is probably the most decent society in history – can only make the society worse,” says Prager.  Of course, conservatives believe that America can be improved, but not transformed, let alone fundamentally transformed.

The Founding Fathers understood that the transformation that every generation must work on is the moral transformation of each citizen.  Thus, character development was at the core of both childrearing and of young people’s education at school.  John Adams said: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”  And in the words of Benjamin Franklin: “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”

Why is that, you ask? – Because freedom requires self-control; otherwise, external controls (which means an ever more powerful government) would have to be imposed.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel