Social conservatism and neoconservatism have revived authoritarian conservatism, and not for the better of conservatism or American democracy. True conservatism is cautious and prudent. Authoritarianism is rash and radical. American democracy has benefited from true conservatism, but authoritarianism offers potentially serious trouble for any democracy.

John W. Dean
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Social Conservatism, or traditional values, are values that are held to be right by all people, regardless of their political affiliation. Every country that has gone down the authoritarian road has done so in part by creating laws to restrict certain aspects of life. Social conservatism is any conservative movement that places itself against the rest of the world and the liberal ideologies of equality for all human beings. Neoconservatism is a conservative movement that places itself against other countries in order to gain power. Therefore, it is better described as an internationalist movement rather than a conservative one.

Source: Conservatives Without Conscience

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More Quotes By John W. Dean
  1. Social conservatism and neoconservatism have revived authoritarian conservatism, and not for the better of conservatism or American democracy. True conservatism is cautious and prudent. Authoritarianism is rash and radical. American democracy has benefited from true conservatism, but authoritarianism offers potentially serious trouble for any democracy.

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