Have you ever wondered why some people who identify as conservative get so angry when things change even for the better? Why do people want to change things? Why can't they leave well enough alone? Things have worked fine for a long time.
This anger manifests itself at all levels from small groups to entire populations. For example, many organizations will be functioning just fine until someone wants to change something for the better. All agree it is the right thing to do. The change is made and the organization falls apart. People get angry. Blame is placed. The church, the club, the society, the government are thrown into turmoil, splinter and possibly dissolve.
Republicans resist the Democrats. Tea Parties form and resist change. Extreme religious militias plot violence and rebellion. Organizations including churches and governments lose sight of their original vision. What's up with this?
In my opinion, it is a conflict between the progressive and reactionary social natures of people. I suspect a person's social outlook on life is a product of their experiences and less a product of nature - their genetics. I am not a social scientist by any stretch of the imagination. These are simply my observations.
Let's take a look at some definitions and see if you agree or chose to disagree.
A "reactionary" is an individual who seeks a return to a previous state (the status quo ante) and by extension any ideology or political or social movement espousing such a viewpoint. The term is meant to stand in opposition to and as one end of a political spectrum whose opposite pole is "progressive". While it has not been generally considered a term of praise it has been adopted as a self-description by some such as H. L. Mencken
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Progressivism is a political attitude favoring or advocating changes or reform. Progressivism is often viewed in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies. The Progressive Movement began in cities with settlement workers and reformers who were interested in helping those facing harsh conditions at home and at work. The reformers spoke out about the need for laws regulating tenement housing and child labor. They also called for better working conditions for women.
In the United States, the term progressivism emerged in the late 19th century into the 20th century in reference to a more general response to the vast changes brought by industrialization: an alternative to both the traditional conservative response to social and economic issues and to the various more radical streams of socialism and anarchism which opposed them. Political parties, such as the Progressive Party, organized at the start of the 20th century, and progressivism made great strides under American presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Lyndon Baines Johnson.
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Reactionary versus Progressivism creates quite a dynamic within society. Change is difficult work for most people. It is easier to dream about the good old days and avoid current reality. Reality is people living in marginalized groups without equal rights. Reality is oppression by the wealthy, white, chauvinistic hierarchy dominating all others. Reality is poverty, homeless and hunger. These are just a few of the current issues reactionary / conservative people refuse to address because change for them is too difficult.
Change is easier for those who are affected by all of these modern day issues. It is not hard to change if you have nothing to lose. It is not hard to demand equality when you are not treated equally. It is not hard to demand change when you cannot afford health care, food or shelter because you are discriminated against by employers and do not stand a chance at gainful employment.
Every person has the right to choose whether they want to live in the past or move ahead. The other option is to learn from the past, live in the moment and plan for the future. There can be no history if one always lives in the past because there will be no future.
Obama says McDonnell made ‘unacceptable omission'
By AP Published: April 9, 2010 Updated: April 9, 2010 8:22 AM
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says Virginia’s governor made “an unacceptable omission” when he proclaimed Confederate History Month without mentioning slavery.
“I don’t think you can understand the Confederacy and the Civil War unless you understand slavery,“ said Obama, the nation’s first black president. First lady Michelle Obama is descended from a South Carolina slave.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell came under harsh criticism for issuing April’s history month proclamation without any reference to slavery. The Republican governor at first defended his decree, saying it was intended to honor the Confederate sacrifice on Virginia soil and promote tourism. On Wednesday he apologized and added a paragraph condemning slavery, saying that leaving it out had been a “major omission.“
Interviewed by ABC News on Thursday in Prague, Obama said the controversy was “a reminder that when we talk about issues like slavery that are so fraught with pain and emotion, that, you know, we’d better do so thinking through how this is going to affect a lot of people.“
Original Article
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