Fiscal + Social - Radical = Bio Conservative

What does being socially conservative *really* mean? (0.00 / 0)

I'm having trouble understanding what being socially conservative really means to most Republicans. Your definition continues confuses me and I'd venture it'd confuse/worry most people who might want to agree with it.

Oppose genetic engineering of children. Okay, that sounds bad, but what would dems allow that you wouldn't? Phrasing it like that is overly vague. If there are policies we're against, why not just state them?

Don't like abortion, but support choice and privacy. So what's the position here? We'll complain about abortions, but not do anything about it? Same for same-sex issues.

IMO, the problem with conservatives is that most of the rhetoric seems to be just that, which plays well to a shrinking base but just creates anxiety/concern among those who might agree because they can't tell what we're actually saying.

I'd simplify the message and draw clear lines.

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by: AllstonR @ Tue Nov 13, 2012 at 03:17:06 AM UTC

Answers (0.00 / 0)

I'm having trouble understanding what being socially conservative really means to most Republicans. Your definition continues confuses me and I'd venture it'd confuse/worry most people who might want to agree with it.

I didn't define what "socially conservative" means in my diary, I described a few things that Bio-Conservatives tend to believe. Interestingly, the wikipedia entry on Social Conservatism includes all of the positions of a Bio-Conservative, but I think there are some deviations, in that bio-conservatives are more concerned with biotechnology and less with society (how's that for stating the obvious).

What is it you think "confuses/worries most people" in my definition of Bio-Conservative?

Okay, that sounds bad, but what would dems allow that you wouldn't?

The Dems would allow same-sex procreation and genetic engineering and transgender reproduction. As long as they stay controlled by the Libertarian Transhumanists and LGBT extremists in their party, they would oppose a law that creating a distinction in rights for same-sex couples by limiting reproduction to a man and woman using their own genes. They would favor public funding of abortions and same-sex procreation and sex change operations.

So what's the position here? We'll complain about abortions, but not do anything about it? Same for same-sex issues.

Basically we'll just let go the "no exceptions" and "life beings at fertilization" positions, and go back to the incremental changes to promote a culture of life, and not get ahead of ourselves by pushing a human life amendment.

With same-sex issues, we'll preserve marriage as a man and a woman with the right and approval to conceive offspring together with their own genes, but be tolerant and respectful of gay people and support Civil Unions defined as "marriage minus conception rights" with federal recognition.

I'm trying to be straightforward and clear, there is nothing hidden that I am "actually saying."

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by: John Howard @ Tue Nov 13, 2012 at 18:38:02 PM UTC

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clarification (0.00 / 0)

I shouldn't have said that bioconservatives were less concerned with society than social conservatives, indeed it's the other way around I think. Most of our concerns are for how biotechnology will affect society and future people as a whole, we aren't concerned as concerned with individual one-at-a-time effects as we are with the cumulative effects. What I should have said is that social conservatives are often more concerned with the individuals involved, a poor person that needs care and comfort and spiritual guidance, the local community, whereas bioconservatives might be less helpful to local soup kitchens and unconcerned with anyone's spiritual well-being while we think about the harmful effects of bio-technology. Those are good things about social conservatism that are absent from bioconservatism, but those are not the "extreme" and "radical" things I was referring to in the title. The extreme things about social conservatism that are unpopular are religious judgmentalism and intolerance and absolutism on opposition to civil unions and abortion with no exceptions to rape. Those aren't bioconservative opinions, one can be a bioconservative while still supporting civil unions and emergency contraception and abortion in the event of rape and incest (and one can still be a social conservative too, though many seem to believe that they have to be absolutists to be social conservatives, I say that's not true.)

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by: John Howard @ Tue Nov 13, 2012 at 21:31:37 PM UTC

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