Vignettes

Conservatism – world view & strategy

To me, being conservative isn’t just about free trade, law & order, active citizenship or values; it’s about those things as well, and devotion to one’s nation and to our Western civilization at large. More fundamentally, however, conservative political in my opinion, is based a certain view of the world. We consider societies, civilizations, nations to be organic in that they grow, develop, flourish and demise as a collective whole, throughout the ‘chain of generations’. Over time, certain institutions and customs will appear – some will die out, others prove their strength and persistent usefulness.

This is a Darwinism of institutions taking place everyday, everywhere, that the Old will wither or cement its position, challenged by the new. I’m on the side of the “Old”, for the simple reason, that changes should be gradual and out of an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix’ point of view. I honestly believe that institutions that have passed the test of time are legitimate, and that undue challenges to this are to be avoided.

That said, change is a fundamental property of civilization, and as a leader, a politician for instance, it is one’s task to manage and capitalize on changes while sticking to the underlying principle: Take baby steps. Be sure. Avoid haphazard changes. Work with what you have. Be skeptical.

• A country is an organic construct, that grows and changes. It should do so gradually and harmoniously
• Change is constantly occuring; we must manage entropy.
• It is our main task to support, improve and protect Western civilization

The Need for Independence and Liberty

Viewing society as an organic whole has its potential pitfalls. The most dangerous of these is the idea of Master Plan. The notion that society has an inherent goal other than self-preservation inspires people and ‘masterminds’ to take radical steps and forget the individuals and institutions that make up society and civilization. Getting caught in the big picture cannot justify forgetting this very picture’s constituent members. So we must balance collective, societal considerations and responsibilities that are essentially ideological, with an “empirical” respect for individuals.

To do so, we need to protect the individual, the citizen, from Civilization. We want to avoid anarchy – the dissolution of society, collapse of the State, and disorganization – as well as totalitarianism – the dissolution of very concept of the Individual, collapse of the family and despotic over-regulation; so we need a strong, well-ordered State, an independent, vigorous civil society and Individuals that cannot become ‘figures’, ‘statistics’ or mere resources. We must establish and then protect the balanced trinity of State, Society & Individual. Individual rights establish the boundary between government and state’s power and the individual; they should seal off the individual like a cell’s membrane, and make for a framework in the larger framework of a nation, like a layered box. Within the individuals legally defined ‘sphere’, he or she reigns supreme, by exercising private property, privacy and liberty. The outer layer to the inner core of society (the individual) is Society – by this I mean families, businesses, organizations, religious groups and the likes, that are immensely important in establishing identity, societal cohesion and industry. Finally, overarching Society and the Individual, we have the State with its main and ultimate charge of protecting all against internal and external threats.

Apart from protection, in my eyes, the State has very little to say. And per my theory of different ‘spheres’, government has no say in what happens in private life, or the semi-public Society. Government holds all authority and power regarding public life – business is, however, not public. Neither are churches, families or other organizations, that are governed by private property and the guidance of their own leaders. For practical reasons, governmental authority at times has a spillover into the rest of Society, and into the private sphere: This is always regrettable and bitter. Society and individual citizens sometime hold great sway over government; this too is regrettable. I am against bribery and hunger strikes.

• Holism is important, but individuals are invaluable and must be protected.
• Government, civil society and the individual should be clearly and vigilantly seperated.
• Government’s main task is ensuring order, peace and the liberties of a nation.

Leadership

.. is another fundamental. The role of the leader as driving force in society, State and in private life cannot be underestimated. We need the elite, the inspiring, the motivated, intelligent and the strong to guide, create and protect. Leaders come from all walks of life – some are politicians, businessmen, homemakers and community leaders. And we need them desperately to exercise their authority to maintain law and order, prosperity and progress – any form of government or ideology that does not take into account the role of leaders is faulty, in my eyes. I am opposed to mob rule, vulgar egalitarianism and direct democracy; I am in favor of representative democracy, the constitutional monarchy of Denmark. In all, it’s about good governance; benign authority.

Yes, I am authoritarian, in the sense that I am in favor of authority – disparity of influence – the power of the few, call it what you want. I don’t think that everyone is cut out to lead. Not everyone can take care of others, be responsible for them. Not everyone has the force of will and providence to make unpopular decisions. And I think that those who can lead – who do so – should have the mandate to use force to back up decisions. What form of government you have decides how power is distributed and what boundaries it has; that you need (and most often have) people exercising power, to be, is indisputable.

• Active leadership throughout society should be encouraged

• Leadership ensures guidance, order and stability

• Governmental, business and community leaders are legitimate authorities in their respective areas; this must be respected.