Left-Hearted, Right-Minded

Front Page Magazine ^ | 5-23-2012 | Jamie Glazov

[newheart]

FP: David Cohen, welcome to Frontpage Interview.

Let’s begin with you telling us how it is exactly that you became a conservative without abandoning your liberal ideals. How can it be that conservative policies can be the best way to achieve liberal ideals?

Cohen: When I was a liberal, I wanted America to live up to its billing as the Land of Opportunity, with no one being held back because of race, ethnicity, religion or gender. I believed that America’s diversity was its strength. I was concerned about poverty; I wanted poor people to have a genuine shot at realizing the American Dream. The key to that, I thought, was making sure that poor children across America had access to a good education. My concerns weren’t limited to America; I wanted people everywhere to be free from oppression and to have the same opportunities that I wished for my fellow Americans.

Now that I’m a conservative, guess what? I still have those very same ideals and concerns.

[madmominct]

Thank you for the post - this sounds like a great book!! I also went from being a liberal (and a Berkeley one at that!) to a conservative, because I realized that the way to achieve the best for everyone in a society are the principles of Conservatism. I posted it to Facebook.

[newheart]

I also went from being a liberal (and a Berkeley one at that!) to a conservative...

I made the same journey. Although I was not a Berkeley liberal I did make the obligatory hippie's Hajj to the campus. But I was so much older then; I'm younger than that now.

[TheOldLady]

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[HeartlandOfAmerica]

Sorry, I don't get how someone can be a liberal and conservative at the same time. The two positions are diametrically opposed.

One can't be both for life and against life at the same time.

One can't be for more big govt and for smaller govt at the same time.

One can't be for more free enterprise capitalism and for taking over 1/7th of the economy through a govt take-over of the massive healthcare system at the same time.

One can't be for the wholesome Boy Scouts and for the unwholesome gay agenda at the same time.

One can't be for a democratic Israel and for the anti-democratic muslim palestinians at the same time.

One can't be for the 2nd Amendment and for gun control at the same time.

And that's only the start. I could go on and on for hours at a time. (but I'll have mercy on you all and stop there :) )

As I said, liberalism and conservatism are diametrically opposed philosophy's of life. They can't be joined.

Godspeed

[newheart]

Cohen is very specific about what he identifies as the values that are at the heart of the liberal dream. America as the land of opportunity for everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or religion; an end to poverty; good education.

Most of us would agree with that. Where we differ is on tactics. He believes that the tactics of the liberal mindset, increasing the size of government, socialism, increased regulation, and a foreign policy based on opposition to the existence of Israel will not accomplish those goals.

A pro-choice position is not a value, it is a tactic.
Big government is not a value, it is a tactic.
Government take-over of healthcare is not a value, it is a tactic.
Etc. etc.

That said there are other genuine values that are incompatible with conservative thought. The liberals mistake “individual freedoms” with sexual freedom. Conservatives (generally) don’t.

But on so many things, many, if not most, liberals really are well-intentioned and ultimately want the same things we do. They simply don’t understand how to get there.

[Amberdawn]

What Cohen is describing IMO, are Classical Liberal values. Once he realized that the Left only USES those values to advance a radical agenda, did he come to his senses. After all, who would be against a fair shake for all or equality UNDER THE LAW? The Left doesn’t want equality, they want the dominant ethos of America destroyed.

[madmominct]

But I was so much older then; I’m younger than that now.

I like that...I would say the same...take myself so much less seriously. :)

[Chickensoup]

I was a St Botolph Street leftist. I am so conservative/libertarian now that you can hear my guns loading. Although I still wear a lot of crinkled cottons, curly long hair and sandals.

My libertarianism is mostly economic with some foreign policy stops.