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Conserving what is good.
Reforming what is bad.
Progress with intelligence.
Those are conservative values. And they jibe completely with the betterment of the world.
(And, by the way, they are also the values of the Torah and the New Testament.)
The list of conservatives who have either propagated or adopted conservationist values is long and distinguished. For a smattering, take a look at this list at ConservAmerica.org. Doubtless you will find some familiar names, and a few facts that might surprise you.
When indeed. If conservatives stuck to conserving the best, we could talk about it. Unfortunately, they seem hell-bent on destroying everything they can and giving the money to the richest. Not what I think conservatism should be, and I bet you feel the same way.
It happened when the Leftists used that idea as a cover for attacking the productive in order to give their money to less or non-productive. It happened when the Left promulgated the idea that all environmental woes were caused by the First World and that the solution must be stripping them to give their money to the Third World. It happened when beings such a Mr. Pennington here bought into this crap.