The Conservative grassroots voted overwhelmingly to restrict gender-affirming care for trans youth under the age of 18 on Saturday.
The Conservative grassroots voted overwhelmingly to restrict gender-affirming care for trans youth under the age of 18 on Saturday.
Of course he is, it’s right there in the name, what are Conservatives trying to conserve ? While modern society is by no means one of no or minimal disparity, I’d say we’ve made meaningful advances towards a less disparate society in many ways. Conservatism is about conserving the traditional social and economic systems, it is not about progress, slow progress, careful progress or anything else that folks have diluted themselves into believing. Where conservatism is unable to conserve the traditional systems, it will seek to restore them when they have the power to do so. Understanding that their political message is unappealing to many, they will of course deny this, but one only needs to look at countries where conservatism has consolidated power to see the truth. Historically marginalized people will never be safe from conservative political forces so long as those forces have a legitimate chance to gain power. They will work to restore privilege disparity and erase hard fought gains won over decades or even longer. No area of human rights is safe from prolonged conservative rule, not women’s rights to healthcare and civic participation, not LGBT rights to marriage, privacy, open participation in society and healthcare, not workers rights to safe workplaces, and certainly not any historically marginalized group hoping for a hand up in seeking employment or education.
A party with the name Conservative. That is all. The Reform Party, as they were originally known, has never pretended to be conservative with respect to governance.
Let’s not forget that glorious period where they were called the Conservative Reform Alliance. Which everybody in the world instantly turned into the Conservative Reform Alliance Party.
For the sake of the next reader who might entertain repeating this: Technically it was the Canadian Conservative Reform Alliance, or CCRAP.
Canadian CRAP, yes. Absolutely. It was Canadian CRAP.