Government Homework # 3

  Not in anyway giving anyone permission to plagiarize or copy this and also not verifying the authenticity of any of the information. Also note that there are probably no sources listed and I am not one myself, so don't quote me. This is just some of my homework; thought it might be interesting to someone:

                 In the interview with Stephen Colbert, George Will explains his opinion of the difference between conservatives and liberals as a competition between the values of freedom and equality. He believes that conservatives favor freedom and free market, viewing the inequalities produced as acceptable. Liberals, in his opinion, make equality the first priority and are willing to restrict or inhibit freedoms. He also states that, from a conservative point of view, the government’s job is to “deliver the mail, defend the shores, and get out of the way.”

                Personally, I do not particularly agree with Mr. Will because I think that his explanation is much too simple, somewhat erroneous, and leaves out some of the most important aspects of conservatism and liberalism. Some of the key elements to conservatism tend to be based on Christian religious views and the belief that everyone should have to live by them, whether or not they are Christian. This is evident by the right-wing views of pro-life, anti-same-sex marriage, anti-stem cell research, etc., which are entirely based in a religion that not everyone follows. Liberals, on the other hand, may be religious, but tend to not push a particular religious view onto the general public; like that same-sex marriages are wrong. I consider this to be one of the most important distinctions for me, as I think that freedom, which Mr. Will says conservatives value most, should include the right to make your own decisions about who you want to marry and what you want to do with your body.

                Additionally, this is just my opinion, but I think it would be more accurate to say that conservatives favor greed, selfishness, and individual convenience than to say they favor “freedom and free market.” Though their religious views tend to be Christian, meaning that they believe in and supposedly practice the teachings of Jesus Christ, conservatives have a view that people who are less fortunate are on their own. Like Stephen Colbert’s assessment, which Mr. Will agreed with, “some people will get screwed, but that’s life.” I consider this to be absolutely contradictory because Christianity typically teaches that you should love your neighbor, help your neighbor, give back to your community, and so on. I have always believed that Jesus would probably have been willing to pay more taxes so that his neighbor who had less than him could see a doctor, have something to eat, or be able to make it through a tough economic time.