Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: fieldmarshaldj

By YOUR standards yes. Europe is not a homogenous whole. Each nation has a separate culture, history, tradition - each has arrived at “conservatism” at this point of time by decidedly tortous routes. Conservatism in Britain, for example, has marked class overtones. In Poland its very socially conservative; in Germany and Austria a very christian background.


10 posted on 06/09/2009 12:36:24 AM PDT by Vanders9
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies ]


To: Vanders9

“Conservatism” in Europe is definitely not the same thing as “conservatism” in the US. Pretty much every party in Europe regards statism in some form or another as a given, the basis upon which everything else is built. By American standards, they’re all varieties of leftism. American conservatism is predicated on limited government, federalism, and the ascendancy of individual rights. There really isn’t any noticeable equivalent to our conservatism in Europe anywhere. That’s why saying “on the right” means something very different here than it does there.


14 posted on 06/09/2009 5:09:29 AM PDT by Doug Loss
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies ]

To: Vanders9

When the media defines Italian Fascism and German Naziism as “right wing” or “Conservative”, that’s where the definitions are decidedly screwed up. There is very little equivalent to American right wing/Conservatism, that being personal liberty, small government, low taxes, etc. I’ve said many times that Europe could use a REAL right wing, not another facet of leftism that the media terms “right wing”, which is anything but.


15 posted on 06/09/2009 12:09:06 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps !"~~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson