“And just what,” you may ask, “is conservative liberalism?”
Conservatism and liberalism are two different things; two different views and perspectives, but they are not diametrically opposed and mutually exclusive views and perspectives. The principles of conservatism embody the duties and responsibilities of the individual, both to himself or herself as well as to the rest of the members of a civilized society. The principles of liberalism embody the duties and responsibilities of a civilized society to the individual members of the society. It has been partisan electoral politics that has defined conservatism and liberalism as being diametrically opposed and mutually exclusive.
Rather than being conflicting and in opposition, conservatism and liberalism are complementary and synergistic in their value to free people who live in a nation that was founded based on the principle that the citizens of a nation have certain unalienable rights that cannot be infringed upon or restricted by the nation’s governments. Conservatism and liberalism are complimentary and synergistic in a nation in which it is implicit in the nation’s founding documents that each citizen of the nation has unalienable rights that cannot be infringed upon and degraded by other members of the national society.
Conservative liberalism values individual liberties but recognizes that individual liberties that are exercised without limits by one person in a society can trespass on and be destructive to the liberties of other members of the society. Put simply, my individual liberties end where yours begin, while, at the same time, yours end where mine begin.
Conservative liberalism values the freedom of the individual but also recognizes that individual freedom comes with individual duties to the other members of a free society and to the other citizens in a nation of free people. Conservative liberalism recognizes that individual freedom comes with a duty to protect, maintain and sustain the nation as a free nation of free people.
Conservative liberalism values individual rights but concurrently recognizes that individual rights come with individual responsibilities. It is the responsibility of each individual citizen of a free nation and a free society to ensure that every citizen in good standing can avail and exercise the same individual liberties, individual freedom and individual rights as every other citizen in good standing. It is the collective responsibility of today’s citizens who enjoy the liberties, freedoms and rights of free people in a free nation to preserve and protect the individual liberties, rights and freedom and ensure that the same individual liberties, rights and freedom are available to and can be exercised by future generations of citizens in a free nation of free people.