If anything can be said about the PRESSident, they have perfected the use of labels to an art form. Before embarking on this expedition into confusion, for the sake of clarity, terms will be small letters, labels will be presented in capitals. A term is like a definition of a word or philosophy, a 'label' is a name given to a group to identify it. One particularly powerful example is in the label given to SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES. What is a SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE? Why does the PRESSident like that label so much?
To start with, one must first define the term conservative (small c)? A true or pure definition of conservative is one who desires to conserve and protect the responsible exercise of individual liberties. A true social conservative is one who desires to protect the encroachment of government on individual liberty to act responsibly in a social context. True social conservatives may or may not care for abortion as an option any more than SOCIAL CONSERVATIVEs. However, the true conservative solve this problem by promoting (not legislating) personal responsibility. Personally responsible people just don't need abortions. They are willing to accept the consequences for their actions. Strangely, people who have this position are not labeled social conservatives (or SOCIAL LIBERTARIANs), rather they are labeled by the PRESSident as SOCIAL MODERATEs. More on this apparent conundrum later.
Well then who are SOCIAL CONSERVATIVEs? They are people who believe that government should exert control over an individual's reproductive liberties through any available legislative process. This is hardly a 'conservative' (small c) position. Rather, it is at best a populist moderate or perhaps a federalist position. The SOCIAL CONSERVATIVEs are really 'social federalists' closer kin to the typical big government position where government has its hands in everything. Perhaps a more honest label for SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES would be SOCIAL POPULIST.
What is a liberal? A liberal is term for those who believes that society, via the government and taxpayers, has the obligation to help people when they screw up regardless if it was their fault or not. Personal responsibility, while a desired trait, is not a requirement for a healthy liberal society. The goal of liberals is to have an equal and just society.
A SOCIAL LIBERAL is one who believes that abortion is an acceptable form of birth control. Pregnancy is not the fault of the individual but rather these things just sort of happen. Government (or some other third party) should pay for abortions whenever desirable. Social liberals and SOCIAL LIBERALs represent the same group.
From the perspective of individualism and collectivism, this creates a relatively clear and straight forward spectrum from social conservatives (SOCIAL LIBERTARIANs) to social moderates (SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES) to social LIBERALS. Only problems is the LIBERALs don't want to be portrayed as anywhere near close to the moderates (the SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES). So they come up with a different perspective that benefits them rather than confuses them.
LIBERALs and SOCIAL CONSERVATIVEs view the world through different windows that conservatives. They don't see the perspective of responsible exercise of individual liberty. Liberty and personal responsibility don't count for squat to either of them -- they are not conservatives. They see the issue as one of proabortion versus prolife. This takes the true social conservatives and plops them in a swamp between the SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE and SOCIAL LIBERALS. For lack of a better terms, these true social conservatives are labeled SOCIAL MODERATES.
The intent is to create confusion for the individualist social conservative. They are perplexed on how they ended up in the middle ground between one group that wants the government to cover for everybody's mistakes and another group that wants to use government to force everyone to believe in their way of life. The conservatives stand for smaller less intrusive government both in financial and social aspects. They don't care to have to pay for government to provide abortions for those who lack personal responsibility or to pay for enforcement of mandates on personal behavior that infringe on responsible individual liberties.
In summary, if you are a SOCIAL MODERATE, but conservative on everything else, do not be confused. You are really conservative on every issue. You might term/label yourself a social libertarian or SOCIAL LIBERTARIAN, if it makes you feel less confused. Both term and label are interchangeable. This may put you in the camp with some who wish to legalize drugs. However, both sides of that issue can afford comfort for true conservatives as there are many well respected conservatives on both sides of the drug issue.
If you are a SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE, you are not really a conservative, but are rather a moderate in a CONSERVATIVE disguise. Your beliefs and positions are understandable and well within your right to have. Whether you have the right to force others to believe in your position is another matter. If you are a true conservative, with CONSERVATIVE leanings, that is fine. You can fight for fewer abortions through promoting personal responsibility as well as by promoting limited government policies to promote that position.
SOCIAL LIBERALs, alias the PRESSident, love the confusion there LABELISM has created. By sandwiching the true conservatives between the moderates and liberals they have created flumuxed the normally principled conservatives. The conservatives feel they are left with the option of supporting the lesser of two evils -- shall it be big government liberalism versus big government oppression. Rather than sacrifice their conservative principles of liberty, many conservatives will compromise their belief in personal responsibility and support the liberal positions on the abortion issue rather than support the oppression of liberties sought by the so called MODERATES.
This is fine with the liberals, they can always use a little support from their otherwise arch rivals. Ah, the benefits of the PRESSident -- being the media. It is amazing the political power that some can derive from selling paper towels and laundry soap.