Clashism or Vosemism?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I have to agree with Vosem; modern "conservatism" (whatever that means) is really an outgrowth of classic liberalism. My ideology, while probably intersecting more with Clash at various points, is still growing from the same soil that Vosem's ideology comes from.

Conservatism to me is about the protection of the individual. I have no idea where this notion that conservatism is solely about protecting a certain time and place comes from. If conservatism is about protecting collective traditions, than what traditions do we save? Who decides? What period do we go "back to" in order to prosper again? The 1950s? 1776 (where if I wanted to, I could take out a blunder-bluss and steal Cathcon's pumpkins!) There is no logical consistency in this very malleable brand of conservatism. This is how Reagan-candy gets made.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Socialism is value-neutral

What?

I think he meant in the sense that socialism is neutral on concepts like cultural traditions and nationalism.

It isn't though. Socialism has no more room for the nation state than communism does, since both maintain the same long term ends.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Socialism is value-neutral

What?

I think he meant in the sense that socialism is neutral on concepts like cultural traditions and nationalism.

It isn't though. Socialism has no more room for the nation state than communism does, since both maintain the same long term ends.

And yet, strangely enough, socialism in a variety of forms has made do with the nation-state, to the point that for a number of post-Soviet republics, the Soviet system was the first time where they functioned as territorially-defined, distinct entities...

Are we speaking in terms of practice or just ideology? While many of the early socialist movements were indeed nationalistic, it's also worth remembering that the Soviet Union adopted "socialism in one country" while supporting revolutionary movements abroad to the very end. They never surrendered on world revolution.