Story:Conservatives, in Conservation of What?
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Dr. Piero Adrazzo, Psychologist
"There is a mythology of Rossan politics that has slowly formed over the course of octades. It has become so integral to our understanding of the electoral process, that it is nearly impossible to accidentally deviate from this understanding, and only once we become conscious of the nature of it can we begin to unravel our other beliefs. It concerns the nature of our two major parties, which arose out of the bitter conflict between La Rossa's path to internationalism and reactionaries who opposed it. The latter, taking on the name of Isola, would become the new home of the old Denunzian political machine, unions and Laborists. Their vision, as this disastrous administration is proving, is a return to total state control, bolstered by vague notions of democracy and progress, consequences be damned. On the other side, as one may be grateful for, different views were adopted. Our founding tenet, as is usually noted on this side of the aisle, is that Mare is the party of wise conservatism, one which emphasizes individualist freedom and contribution, standing against foolish attempts at progress, to stand up for what makes this nation the greatest to exist for the whole span of the archipelago.
This is a myth, of course, a story we tell ourselves without fully believing it. Perhaps some of the younger people in the coalition still do naively take this notion at face value. Those on the older side, such as the writer of this column, may roll their eyes and point out the obvious – what conservatives have supported changes from octade to octade, and rather drastically at that.
When Mare was formed almost 4 octades ago, it was in vain defense of the nobility, a rather ignoble effort that predictably resulted in graft, corruption, and heritable entitlement. It is an effort that is perhaps best that they abandoned. Though it somewhat persisted after Barozzo's ousting, the election of Dux Marone (nominally an independent, but undoubtedly a conservative in many ways) led to a shift towards exemptionism, a more noble endeavor that resulted in the state taking a more hands-off approach domestically following previous abuses. What followed was a much more deserved defense of merit and acquired worth, a nation of people valued not by birth but what they manage to accomplish. It is not in any way in question how this morphed into the tacit support of a Modhes priest in office.
But although the superficials have changed, among all these permeates a connecting thread – a commitment to internationalism, to open trade, and to free migration of people. While the free trade of goods has always had an impact on preserving peace in La Rossa, the last item on the list could have only been an ideological response to an unprecedented situation. The acceptance of foreigners, people from other islands, cultures, religions, was a choice. This poses an interesting paradox. The core idea of the conservative movement is not merely not traditional, it is at its core anti-traditional. It cannot be anything but. The entrants into the country cannot be forcibly assimilated into our culture (nor is this being tried), and even if they could the process would never be total. They would still serve to introduce new ideas into our environment, ones that may at times clash with the very foundations of our society. Buglio has undoubtedly changed with the rising middle class of Kalami and Modhes immigrants, who have been here so long as to start families, temples, insular communities on thus land. Their Gods, beliefs, ideas have been freely accepted, and anyone who has even dared suggest anything to the contrary has been branded as some loony isolationist.
And yet for the sake of intellectual honesty, I am compelled to ask: What does La Rossa believe in? What exactly are these immigrants disrupting? More interestingly, what do Rossan conservatives, the protectors of tradition, believe in? I do not ask for cop-out answers such as "freedom of belief." That is the playing field we have set, but it is implicitly in our role as players on it to stand for something. But the conservatives stand for little beyond this. Isolans do have beliefs. They do not let a single moment of silence pass without mentioning them. What is the conservatives' response? That they are free to hold them? This is, unfortunately, the case with most questions. How should businesses conduct themselves? The conservative responds, "I do not know, but they should have the freedom to act." How should our political class behave? The conservative again responds, "I do not know, but they should have the freedom to act." What beliefs should our people be instilled with, to help preserve the greatest nation to ever exist? "I do not know, but they should have the freedom to act."
There is no moral fiber coursing through Mare. There is merely a commitment to the political process as it exists, without actually taking a stance to any issue relevant to our times. To be able to judge merit, we must first be able to define it. This is a worthless task in a world where anyone's definition is as good as another's. It is clear that without standing for anything, the conservatives have opened the playing field they created to be taken over by those who actually hold opinions of substance. It is no wonder the opposition to Spadi has proven so ineffectual so far. Dux Papregoli, flawed as he was, believed in something. Iolanda Marpecci, the Advisor of Salino, and likely Duxal contender, does not.
It is not a paradox as much as empty-brained ignorance. There is no conservative who has not made their commitment to the House of Light clear. They are what makes this country great, after all. This reasoning, of course, stands, even as Utlia is aiding a Dux that is actively tearing at the cornerstones of this country. It, of course, stands when private mercenaries, our nominal allies in the WATC, act like pirates, barely any better than the Qouel-bo that the HoL has spend so much effort into trying to displace. It, of course, stands, even as the Modhes Temple sends colonists to our shores, after what we have seen they have done to Nongba, Hapšaw, T'vaqi. For what other answer is there? The HoL is what makes this country great. A lie oft repeated is as good as the truth. A lie is all that is left – there is nothing else to stand for.
As our island is slowly torn into bits, chipped away and plundered, I only wish this nation's conservatives spend but a moment of ponderance on the beast they have created. Conservatives are sleepwalking into oblivion.