Oct 16, 2018
Beyond expressing and defending conservative values, part of
Saving Elephant’s mission is to call out to those conservatives who
no longer know where they belong. In a world where those on
the Right are often characterized as populist Trumplicans against
the Deep State, it can be challenging to know where you fit if you
still believe in traditional conservatism.
So, where does the conservative fit? What’s wrong with
populism? What’s wrong with establishmentarianism? How
do we rekindle that spirit of inquiry in a free republic? How
do we take back the cultural heritage of debating ideas instead of
mindlessly focusing on winning and juvenile social media
posts?
Bob Burch joins the podcast once more to delve into these
issues and offer some practical solutions. Ultimately, if
conservatives are going to recover the cultural heritage we’ve lost
by pulling the debate away from warring populist and
establishmentarian mentalities and instead focus on ideas and
values, it’s going to take a lot of work. But that work can
be rewarding and enriching.
The most important thing we can do at an individual level is
engage and encourage conversations that invite civic debate rather
than run from it. To do that we must first leave the comfort
of our political echo chambers and risk engaging with those who may
not agree with what we have to say.
If that sounds hollow because it’s “just talk” then I want to
challenge you to think differently. Part of what it means to
live in a free society is that we have not only the freedom, but
the duty to talk things out. Part of what gives the United
States its uniqueness and its purpose are the stories we tell
ourselves. This isn’t feel-good psychology, this is civics
101. It does change things when we talk, because we’re forced
to interact with our neighbors and reach either consensus or at
least a workable compromise.
Shouting at one another on social media isn’t talking.
Donating cash and time to elect people who have little interest in
what we have to say or believe isn’t talking. But working
through our differences one by one, first at a local level between
friends and neighbors, is precisely what makes our nation
exceptional. Do you want to make America great again?
It’s not going to happen because you elected the right
person. It’s only going to happen when the people begin
talking through what’s right.