What is Compassionate Conservatism?

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Let's explore the oxymoron that is "Compassionate Conservatism"

Compassionate Conservatism started out meaning helping those in need while also asserting the accountability of those being helped, but has come to be nothing more than capitulation to the methods of the Left.

Compassionate Conservsatism:

A political philosophy that stresses using traditionally Conservative techniques and concepts in order to improve the general welfare of society.

--Wiktionary

The Lofty Idea

What the heck does "compassionate conservatism" mean? Its a turn-of-the-21st-century political philosophy that has been adopted and championed by President Bush. In theory (I think) it means helping those in need, while also asserting the accountability of those being helped. But in practice, under Pres. Bush's direction it has come to mean new, large government programs used to enforce conservative ideals.

Books about Compassionate Conservatism

This is how it should have been:

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Evidences of the Failure

Some examples include the following: the No Child Left Behind Act, which served to centralize oversight and control of education. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, one of the largest additions to the "entitlement state" ever. The Department of Homeland Security, and the overall explosion in federal spending.

My Other Political Lenses

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The Hoax Revealed

Is compassionate conservatism then nothing but a capitulation to the methods of the Left? "Compassionate conservatism" is big government conservatism. If that sounds like an oxymoron, that's because it is. For President Bush and other CC's, the ends (conservative ideals) justify the means (bigger government, more federal spending). Utilitarianism at its worst, ugh.

What do you think?

Has compassionate conservatism worked?

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cactusdo

Back to my USA home after two years as a volunteer in Belgium and France, found a lovely wife and we're figuring out life together.

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