To speak of American conservative action…may seem a contradiction in terms. The instinct of the conservative, as Lord Hailsham observes, is to enjoy life as he finds it, not to mold society nearer to his heart’s desire; nor does he think of practical politics as the end and aim of being. Family life, church, literature, good talk, good dinners, sometimes good hunting—these things please him far more than parliamentary intrigue or journalistic controversy. It is this mood of enjoyment, in part, which until recently put conservatives at a disadvantage in the United States. For this has been a land of great expectations, rather than of realized satisfactions.
The conservative has no enthusiasm for circulating petitions or addressing mass meetings. When he acts, he acts only from compulsion.—Confessions of a Bohemian Tory
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And I respectfully submit that the siren-song of politics, the loss of community and the distractions of mass media have made most conservatives less conservative in the way that our sage describes. Not here, though. In TIC's admittedly modern medium, we can augment our fireside readings in a way that St Russell could not in his bachelor days that were often deprived of good conversation in Mecosta. Away from my books and like-minded friends, a coal fire, a glass of madeira and a laptop provide interest and sometimes even merriment. Thankee, Winston and Brad!
Amen to Kirk and Masty. I'll drink to TIC's hearty dose of sanity in an insane world.