"You know you're a Conservative when..."

Iain Dale is inviting people to complete the sentence, "you know you're a Conservative when..."
OK. Here goes:
1....you think people should get on their bike and look for work, unless they cross a border in doing so.
2...you think people should stand on their own two feet, unless they have a rich daddy.
3...you think people should stand on their own two feet, unless they do so by joining trade unions.
4...you believe in equality under the law, even though it's mostly your opponents who have achieved this.
5...you think state authorities shouldn't intervene in markets, unless doing so would benefit your business or support share prices or house prices.
6...you deplore youngsters' ignorance of history, but forget about primitive accumulation.
7...you think a centrally planned economy is a bad idea but centrally planned companies are great.

Comments

[scumble]

Now that's a rather good list - not sure there's a lot left to add.

[Scratch]

You believe in a thrusting free market society where open competition seperates the wheat from the chaff but oppose inheritance tax.

[john b]

scratch, isn't that chris's point 2?

[Neil]

...you believe the justice system is totally broken, but we should bring back hanging anyway.

- or, to put it another way -

...you believe the state should never interfere with our lives, yet believe the state should be allowed to kill people.

[Scratch]

John. Oh yeah, it is pretty similar.

[alabastercodify]

...when you don't excuse the bigots on your own side by saying "but they can't be all bad cos they're on my side".

[Steve Stevens]

…you don’t believe in abortion, even after a rape, unless it’s your 16 year old daughter who is pregnant by her boy friend.
…you think homosexuality is the worst thing on the planet, but can’t wait to have a hook up with your boy friend as long as no one including the wife finds out.

[Luis Enrique]

I like these.

I'd also like to see "you know you're progressive when ..." but I fear some of the responses would be dull (i.e. when everything is America's fault).

[Neil]

...when you don't excuse the bigots on your own side by saying "but they can't be all bad cos they're on my side" (unless they're members of your golf club).

[Andrew Duffin]

Nice list.

But I don't think joining a Trade Union counts as standing on your "own" two feet.

Iny my book it counts as forming a gang, and using the power of the gang (usually backed by the violence of the statre) to distort the market in your favour.

[alabastercodify]

Neil, people who are members of golf clubs aren't called "conservatives", they're called "golfers".

Get a dictionary.

[alabastercodify]

...when "if only" doesn't automatically translate to "give me your money so I can realise my dreams".

[james C]

YKYAACW...you think John Redwood will win you votes.

[TG]

I'm not convinced by your 5th point:
"...you think state authorities shouldn't intervene in markets, unless doing so would benefit your business or support share prices or house prices."
That has little to do with conservatism, and everything to do with the fact that when people are faced with the choice between their principles and their self interest, they tend to go with the latter rather than with the former. The rest of the list is spot on though, if only for one strand of small government conservatism.

[Submarine]

You know you're a Liberal when you hate ethnic cleansing, but love mass immigration.

[Maynard Handley]

'Iny my book it counts as forming a gang, and using the power of the gang (usually backed by the violence of the statre) to distort the market in your favour.
"

But corporations (specifically limited liability) are somehow completely natural?
Do you know anything about the law or history or corporations?

I think most leftists would be quite happy to give up Trade Unions if the right gives up corporations.

[Leo Petr]

Andrew: Whereas starting a company is absolutely nothing like starting a gang?

[Bob B]

"7...you think a centrally planned economy is a bad idea but centrally planned companies are great."

Try reading Alec Nove on:The Soviet Economy. It's a serious pity that few of the government's special advisers seem to have done so or the rest of us have noticed more awareness on the part of ministers about how target setting can distort resource allocation, something that Soviet planners were already familiar with in the 1950s.

[AYY]

Can't believe all these comments about "good list" "nice list", etc.
No. 1 is utter balderdash. Conservatives have no problems with legal border crossings. As for No. 2, why should the government get what you'd rather give to your family?
No. 3 has already been covered. No. 4 isn't comprehensible. No. 5 -- Ford is a left wing company, and besides what's unprincipled about suggesting the Fed do what it's supposed to do?

No. 6 -- the inconsistency is what exactly? No. 7 --well of course you can deplore centrally planned economies and think centrally planned companies are great. What's the problem. Can't imagine why any rational person, liberal or conservative would disagree with that.

[AYY]

Can't believe all these comments about "good list" "nice list", etc.
No. 1 is utter balderdash. Conservatives have no problems with legal border crossings. As for No. 2, why should the government get what you'd rather give to your family?
No. 3 has already been covered. No. 4 isn't comprehensible. No. 5 -- Ford is a left wing company, and besides what's unprincipled about suggesting the Fed do what it's supposed to do?

No. 6 -- the inconsistency is what exactly? No. 7 --well of course you can deplore centrally planned economies and think centrally planned companies are great. What's the problem. Can't imagine why any rational person, liberal or conservative would disagree with that.

[AYY]

Can't believe all these comments about "good list" "nice list", etc.
No. 1 is utter balderdash. Conservatives have no problems with legal border crossings. As for No. 2, why should the government get what you'd rather give to your family?
No. 3 has already been covered. No. 4 isn't comprehensible. No. 5 -- Ford is a left wing company, and besides what's unprincipled about suggesting the Fed do what it's supposed to do?

No. 6 -- the inconsistency is what exactly? No. 7 --well of course you can deplore centrally planned economies and think centrally planned companies are great. What's the problem. Can't imagine why any rational person, liberal or conservative would disagree with that.

[AYY]

Can't believe all these comments about "good list" "nice list", etc.
No. 1 is utter balderdash. Conservatives have no problems with legal border crossings. As for No. 2, why should the government get what you'd rather give to your family?
No. 3 has already been covered. No. 4 isn't comprehensible. No. 5 -- Ford is a left wing company, and besides what's unprincipled about suggesting the Fed do what it's supposed to do?

No. 6 -- the inconsistency is what exactly? No. 7 --well of course you can deplore centrally planned economies and think centrally planned companies are great. What's the problem. Can't imagine why any rational person, liberal or conservative would disagree with that.

[AYY]

Oops, sorry for the multiple posts. Not sure what happened.

[Neil]

Are the complaints on this thread not a right-wing version of 'but communism has never been tried'.

I mean, all this might not have anything to with 'conservatism', but conservatives definitely have a *bit* of reputation for this stuff...

[reason]

AYY
you need an irony transplant.

[James]

When "political correctness" equals the end of life, heaven, and western civilisation.

Heres my post on PC on my blogg - take a look:

http://theleaningpost.blogspot.com/2007/08/getting-tired-of-anti-pc-screaming.html

[andre gasparre]

When you are against pulling the plug on a brain dead vegetable, but believe in euthanasia when it's about one of your relatives.