Compassionate conservatism
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Compassionate conservatism is a political philosophy that was invented by Marvin Olasky, who went on to memorialize it in his 2000 book Compassionate Conservatism: What it is, What it Does, and How it Can Transform America, and Myron Magnet of the Manhattan Institute. Olasky has been called the "godfather of compassionate conservatism". The phrase was popularized when George W. Bush adopted it as one of his key slogans during his 2000 presidential campaign against Al Gore.
According to its proponents, a compassionate conservative is someone who believes that conservatism and compassion go together and complement each other. This is opposed to the traditional criticism that conservatives tend to be harsh.[[Citing sources citation needed]] A compassionate conservative sees the social problems of the United States, such as healthcare, immigration, the environment, etc., as being issues for which conservatives can find better solutions than the "failed" programs of liberals and the War on Poverty. Compassionate conservative philosophy argues for encouragement policies in support of traditional families; welfare reform to promote individual responsibilization, workfare; active policing; standards-based schools, and helping poor countries around the world.
As U.S. president George W. Bush puts it, "It is compassionate to actively help our citizens in need. It is conservative to insist on accountability and results."[link]
Contemporary American Conservatives argue that compassion has always been a part of their beliefs. This argument states that the principles of conservatism lead to a more prosperous and stable society that is inherently compassionate towards others, in which local communities help their own in a neighborly fashion, rather than depend on national efforts with less community based understanding of issues. It is also argued that Conservatives aim for a society that helps others to help themselves, thereby avoiding reliance on the government for their needs. However, some people, especially more fundamentalist conservatives as well as people from the political Left, have criticized American compassionate conservatism as just another word for a moderate, regardless of whether they are a Democrat, Republican or a member of a third party.
Conservatives, however, contend that their policies are better for these groups in the long run by creating superior opportunities through growth. In the words of Magnet,
In 1984 Representative James R. Jones of Oklahoma (a Democrat) told the New York Times (8 November 1984):
Earlier the same year Republican Ray Shamie proclaimed that "I believe in a visionary and compassionate conservatism" (Christian Science Monitor, 20 September 1984, p 19).
In 1981, Vernon Jordan of the National Urban League said, of the Reagan administration,
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Criticism and response of compassionate conservatism
Political opponents of conservatives, who consider conservatives as compassionless, have claimed that compassionate conservatism is a meaningless phrase, an oxymoron, and an example of hypocrisy intended to confuse voters and simultaneously appeal to the middle and right of the political spectrum. These critics of the term contend that it is nothing more that a repackaging of the conservatism of Newt Gingrich and the Republican Revolution. Similar criticism have been made in turn by compassionate conservatives against "New Democrats" versus classical Democrats.Compassionate conservatives offer a new way of thinking about the poor. They know that telling the poor that they are mere passive victims, whether of racism or of vast economic forces, is not only false but also destructive, paralyzing the poor with thoughts of their own helplessness and inadequacy. The poor need the larger society's moral support; they need to hear the message of personal responsibility and self-reliance, the optimistic assurance that if they try —as they must —they will make it. They need to know, too, that they can't blame "the system" for their own wrongdoing.
Critics further charge that conservatives have historically been indifferent to the concerns of those not in the mainstream culture (see AIDS, mental illness, same-sex marriage). In fact, some charge that conservative actively stigmatize these groups (see Culture Wars). Many argue that locally-driven "compassion" creates a potential for unequal treatment of similar problems and for local biases to take precedence over general standards.[[Citing sources citation needed]] Some argue that the use of charitable religious groups administering social programs violates the principle of separation of church and state; courts, however, generally recognize that the First Amendment permits religious organizations to be neutral beneficiaries of government programs, such as federal aid to a Jesuit-run school like Georgetown University.1980s uses of the term
Olasky and Magnet were not the first to use the term "compassionate conservative," but they were the first to popularize it and Bush was the one to associate it with a concrete (though unsupported) domestic policy agenda. I think we should adopt the slogan of compassionate conservatism...We can be fiscally conservative without losing our commitment to the needy and we must redirect our policy in that direction.
I do not challenge the conservatism of this Administration. I do challenge its failure to exhibit a compassionate conservatism that adapts itself to the realities of a society ridden by class and race distinction. (New York Times, 23 July 1981, p 17)
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