American Toryism and John McCain
Here's an interesting article on the contrast between American-style conservatism (what Andrew Sullivan calls "Palinism") and British-style Toryism.
Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe are "moderates." John McCain and Tom Ridge, the author persuasively argues, are really British-style conservatives.
While I am very much a social conservative, in other ways I have some sympathy for what the article describes as "Toryism." I have a tough time fitting into the American political spectrum, too. So do members of a conservative group with which I have little in common- the Libertarians, whom Robert Bork describes as a kind of hybrid between liberals and conservatives.
In any case, a great deal of unrest on the American Right is caused by the fact that it is composed of an ideologically diverse lot. Maybe a better understanding of how all those mutually-antagonistic ideologies fit under the broad banner of "conservatism" will help everybody make sense of a political spectrum which can be rather confusing these days.
ADDENDUM: Here is an article on where the potential 2012 candidates stand on the conservative spectrum, including some helpful graphics.
Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe are "moderates." John McCain and Tom Ridge, the author persuasively argues, are really British-style conservatives.
While I am very much a social conservative, in other ways I have some sympathy for what the article describes as "Toryism." I have a tough time fitting into the American political spectrum, too. So do members of a conservative group with which I have little in common- the Libertarians, whom Robert Bork describes as a kind of hybrid between liberals and conservatives.
In any case, a great deal of unrest on the American Right is caused by the fact that it is composed of an ideologically diverse lot. Maybe a better understanding of how all those mutually-antagonistic ideologies fit under the broad banner of "conservatism" will help everybody make sense of a political spectrum which can be rather confusing these days.
ADDENDUM: Here is an article on where the potential 2012 candidates stand on the conservative spectrum, including some helpful graphics.
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