Category: Politics, Power, and Governance

THE RATIONALITY OF THE CONSERVATIVE POSITION ON EDUCATION

The conservative argument is a) that our children spend more time being indoctrinated into socialism than they are educated. (true after 5th grade) b) that the teachers union blocks reforms to the process, putting teachers above students. (demonstrably true in all cases) c) that we spend more than anyone else and get poorer academic results (the data shows this to be true) d) that we have lost competitiveness in the working and lower classes because of all of these factors, and this has endangered the privileged position of the american economy. (demonstrably true) e) that it is not possible for people with traditional values to avoid oppression of their values by the socialist state. (certainly true)

ALL of these are legitimate concerns supported by the data. They are not wrong to hold these values. It might be argued that the political necessity of overcoming the difficulty of mixing races, cultures and values is so costly and difficult that we must bear these costs at the expense of our economic privilege. But that is a preference, not a truth.

The conservatives hold a different preference: the competitiveness of the tribe. They have a broader moral code (see Haidt) that takes into consideration more variables. They value normative capital more highly. And they hold these values at the expense of the individual, and tolerate the consequences of proportionality (meritocracy) in favor of its benefits. They are not irrational, emotional, or cruel. They simply have additional considerations beyond simple maternal caretaking.