"The British conservative philosopher Rogers Scrutin wrote somewhere that

the distinction between conservative and liberal politics is that liberals conceive of politics is a means of achieving certain goals, of progressively moving society toward some better state, where the problems that have always beset us over the centuries are finally solved. Conservatives, on the other hand, Scrutin says, conservatives understand social problems as permanent features of the human condition.

So ask a liberal what the purpose of politics is, and they might tell you the elimination of poverty or, elimination of racism or the promotion of scientific achievement, or depending on the era, a eugenic population. Conservatives follow Aristotle's formulation in saying that politics is much more like managing a friendship. What's the purpose? What's the goal of a friendship? There isn't really any goal except to make sure that we're still friends, and hopefully better friends tomorrow. And so, to a conservative, that's the purpose of politics as well, and if you don't think that way you or not a conservative. It's rooted in an essentially tragic view of the human condition, one that assumes frustration and suffering and compromise are a part of life and always will be. You solve today's problems and new ones will replace them tomorrow. Probably new ones that are a direct result of your solution to the old ones. But as long as we're all still friends tomorrow, as long as we're all still talking to each other in good faith, then we'll be able to meet tomorrow's problems, whatever they turn out to be."

-Darryl Cooper

Martyrmade Podcast, WHOSE AMERICA?, PT. 2: INNER CITY BLUES,

June 25, 2023

https://martyrmade.com/23-whose-america-pt-2-inner-city-blues/

#DarrylCooper #Martyrmade #WhoseAmerica