Conservatism is about more than taxes and tariffs

OPINION:

As we head into the crucial midterm elections, it’s important for conservatives to understand who they are.

We must set boundaries that exclude nuts such as commentator Candace Owens and creeps such as podcaster Tucker Carlson. Conservatism is not synonymous with MAGA, which at times seems more of a collection of slogans than a movement, nor is it the same as libertarianism, though there are similarities.

The dueling speeches by Vice President J.D. Vance and conservative commentator Ben Shapiro at the recent Turning Point USA conference throw light on the subject.

Mr. Shapiro said that a movement, like a nation, needs borders and that authentic conservatives should reject the hucksters trying to sell their particular brand of snake oil as conservatism.

The vice president disagreed.

No one should be “canceled,” Mr. Vance insisted. We should welcome one and all into our big tent.

The vice president seems to be saying that we shouldn’t exclude those who provide a forum for fascists if they happen to be his friends and that complaints about Mr. Carlson are meant to avoid a necessary debate over U.S.-Israel relations.

Conservatives have legitimate differences on issues such as tariffs and foreign intervention, but if someone disagrees with core conservative values or plays footsie with evil, he is not a conservative.

Let me begin with a confession. As a student in the 1960s, fighting the New Left on campus, I thought conservatism was synonymous with anti-communism and capitalism. It wasn’t until I read Russell Kirk’s monumental book, “The Conservative Mind,” that I understood that conservatism has a distinguished heritage and a solid intellectual foundation.

Conservatives believe the future should be guided by the past. Public policy should be measured on the standard of faith, family and freedom.

We hold that a constitutional republic is the best form of government. We embrace the wisdom of the Founding Fathers, who thought government should be strictly limited and focus on protecting natural rights.

We believe in the rule of law. We think political differences should be settled through the political process, not in the streets. We reject the notion that the end justifies the means.

We believe in capitalism as the only economic system compatible with human rights and the most efficient way to provide for human needs.

We believe in the eternal values set forth in the Bible. Before we had the U.S. Constitution, Americans had the Bible.

We think parents should be the primary educators of their children. Government should work with families to reinforce their values, not undermine them. We believe public education is a threat to parental rights and learning, that it educates poorly but indoctrinates all too well.

We believe the family is the bedrock of society. We think marriage and procreation are essential. A nation where fertility rates are constantly declining is doomed.

We believe that America has done more for humanity than any other nation over the past 250 years. We believe that open borders is a prescription for national suicide. We believe that English is our national language, the glue that holds together a diverse people. Those who come here from abroad have a moral duty to learn it.

We believe America is a Christian nation — not that non-Christians are any less American, but that our nation was founded by Christians with a biblical worldview.

Our relations with other nations should be governed by this standard: Is it in the just national interests of America? Isolationism or interventionism is a false dichotomy. Our actions should be guided by reality, not dogmas.

America should not be the world’s policeman, though at times it needs to be its fire brigade. Conservatives understand that the chief enemies of America are wokeism at home and communism and Islamism abroad.

We believe America has a special relationship with Israel.

Without biblical Israel and the encounter at Sinai, there would be no America. As President Coolidge so eloquently put it, “Hebraic mortar cemented the foundations of American democracy.’”

Israel is more than a bulwark against the spread of radical Islam. It speaks to the essence of our national identity. To turn our backs on Israel would be to betray ourselves.

Conservatives believe human nature is immutable and attempts to create heaven on earth usually result in the opposite

Conservatism is a rich tapestry woven of hopes and dreams, principles and prayers.

• Don Feder is a columnist with The Washington Times.