In the past, two centuries ago, conservatism and liberalism were opposites in their views on democracy, and today conservatives are almost the only supporters of true democracy.
The right of the majority, freedom of speech, equality of all instead of privilege have traditionally been considered the fundamental principles of democracy. But in the twenty-first century, under the influence of the ideas of the New Left, liberalism began to move away from these principles in favor of what some see as “social justice.” Conservatism, on the other hand, has moved to the position of defending authentic democracy without racial and gender quotas, without punishment for freedom of expression, without “kenselling” and bullying of people of different views.
Conservatives are concerned not only about the decline in patriotism, but also about the general decline in the West’s authority on the planet, due to the prevailing system of ideological beliefs. Twenty years ago, Asians admired Western equality, respect for human rights, and Western democracy, and were shocked to learn that women in the West have the right to drive and choose whom they marry. A few decades ago, the West was bringing progress, justice, and destroying prejudice. Today, most of the top topics in the Western media cause misunderstanding and even ridicule among Indians, Arabs, or Africans. The Economist, an influential publication, notes a growing divergence between the liberal values of the West and the rest of the world. This situation can lead to marginalization instead of leadership.
Modern conservatism advocates the return of authentic democratic principles, according to which democracy should be a government of the majority, not a dictatorship of various minorities imposing their will on the majority. Conservatives are against calling minority views “progressivism” and majority views “populism” because it destroys the very foundations of democratic governance.
Conservatives see it as a problem that freedom of speech, as one of the greatest achievements of Western societies, is under threat because your statements or views “violate someone’s standards.” In fact, they may simply not be liked by some vulnerable and complex people.
Equality, as one of the greatest achievements of liberalism, is now turning into its opposite and advocating privileges for certain categories of the population. Conservatives today remain one of the few defenders of what they used to call democracy, equality, and true freedom without an asterisk and terabytes of fine print conditions that level the true meaning of democratic values.
Author: Valeriy Maydanyuk
