ProgressiveSpirit.com What are Progressive Values? Documentary Project & Study Group

Failed Conservative Values Project

Sure, conservative ideas and policies have failed, but the failures go even deeper to the very heart and essence of the conservative movement, to their Failed Conservative Values. In this project, we will pull back the mask of Conservative Family Values, Conservative Traditional Values, Compassionate Conservativism, individual freedom, individual responsibility, individual liberty,  etc. to the underlying Failed Conservative Values of authoritarianism, fear, dogmatism, fundamentalism, secrecy, greed, indifference, division, arrogance, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, etc.

Join in our effort to create a documentary and book about these failed values. We are looking for contributors to submit chapters for a book and video clips showing how conservative values have failed. Send me links, articles, blog postings, videos, etc. and any other resources to help reveal the Failed Conservative Values.  Email me or post your comments to our discussion list.

I started to create a model of  conservative and progressive values at this url.  I use it as a framework for how to think of the interaction of  progressive and conservative; spirit, values, principles, ideals, philosophy, issues, and policies.

What needs to be done:

• Systematically take each of the stated conservative values and show how they have failed. Unmask them and show what the real underlying values are. (As source from conservative websites)
  • Family Values
  • Traditional Values
  • Compassionate Conservativism
  • Financial Conservatives
  • Social Conservative
  • Individual Freedom
  • Individual Liberty
  • Individual Responsibility
• Work back each of the issues to the underlying  conservative values that have failed.
  •  S-CIP -  For example, take and show how it ties back to the failed conservative value of indifference. Also, show how it dispels the proposed value of Family Values.
  • Housing Crisis - What are the underlying failed conservative values that led to this?
  • Katrina -  What are the underlying failed conservative values that led to this?
  • etc.
• Ask and record as many people as possible talking about how Conservative Values have failed.
  • Create an online Youtube video database of these stories. (see the list below)
• Unmask and articulate the real conservative values of;
  • authoritarianism
  • fear
  • secrecy
  • dogmatism
  • greed
  • selfishness
  • indifference
  • self-righteousness
  • intolerance
  • division
  • hierarchy
  • arrogance
  • fundamentalism
  • hypocrisy
  • violence, brutality, cruelty
  • other? send your suggestions.
  • relate each of these values to conservative principles, philosophy and policies.
• Write posts and articles about Failed Conservative Values. Engage conservatives about how their values have failed and document the exchanges.
• Create a list of metaphors of conservative values.  (see below)
• Define Values
• Define Failure
• Some progressives object to telling conservative that their values have failed. Analyze this objection.
• What are your suggestions of how to proceed?

Comparing Progressive and Conservative values.

Traditional Progressive Values	Versus	Traditional Conservative Values
Progressive Family Values		Conservative Family Values
Democracy		Authoritarianism
Hope		Fear
Empathy		Selfishness and Greed
Caring		Indifference
Integrity		Corruption
Openness and Transparency		Secrecy
Open-Mindedness		Close-Mindedness
Searching		Dogmatism
Unity		Division
Peace		Violence and Brutality
Freedom		Control
Truthfulness		Self-Righteousness and Hypocrisy
Honesty		Corruption
Progressive Patriotism		Conservative Patriotism
We're all in to together		Dog Eat Dog Individualism
Common Good		Good of the Rich and Powerful
Equality		Hierarchy and Privilege
Responsibility		Irresponsibility
Tolerance		Intolerance
Hard work		Speculation and Corruption
Creativity		Conformity and Fear
Compassion		Coldness

Daily Failed Conservative Values Posts
When we interview progressives about their values, we also ask how they compare to conservative values and how conservative values have failed.  (We'll be posting more here about this project shortly)

Failed Conservative Values Interviews

Failed Conservative Values Barack Obama: Status Quo v Change
Failed Conservative Values: Dona Ridgeway - Authoritarianism
Failed Conservative Values: Elaine Charkowski - Patriarchy Family Values

Failed Conservative Values: Norman Solomon - Dog Eat Dog Greed
Failed Conservative Values: Don - Greed is Good
Failed Conservative Values: Norma - Greed
Failed Conservative Values: Karen Suarez - Greedy
Failed Conservative Values: Dan Healy - Greed Force
Failed Conservative Values: David Lutness - Me First
Failed Conservative Values: George Ripley - Me First
Failed Conservative Values: Nancy Kops - Selfishness
Failed Conservative Values: Ben Leet - Selfishness
Failed Conservative Values: Gordon Wright - Psychopath
Failed Conservative Values: Eric C Bauman - Ego Centric
Failed Conservative Values: Heartlessness
Failed Conservative Values: Trin Yarborough - Entitlement

Failed Conservative Values: Aris - Fear Power
Failed Conservative Values: Frank - Fear

Failed Conservative Values: Arun Akkineni - Self-Righteousness
Failed Conservative Values: Fred Davis - Self-Righteousness

Failed Conservative Values - Brenda Emerson - Hypocrisy
Failed Conservative Values: Michelle - Hypocrisy
Failed Conservative Values: Steve Reed - Hypocrisy

Failed Conservative Values: Jim Dean - Corruption v Tolerance

Failed Conservative Values - Robert Cuthbert - Compassionate Conservative
Failed Conservative Values: Joseph Lyons - No Compassion

Failed Conservative Values: Brian Galt - Family Values
Failed Conservative Values: Joan - Family Values

Failed Conservative Values: Deloris - Name Calling
Failed Conservative Values: Jay Jackman - Neglect
Failed Conservative Values: Michael Nagler - Dehumanization

Failed Conservative Values: James Hargrove - Fundamentalism

On Failed Conservative Values Discussion: Michael Nagler
 

Failed Conservative Values Metaphors

Failed Conservative Values Metaphor - Robert Cuthbert - Drug Addicts
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Brian - Threatened Bear
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor - Joseph Lyons - Unequal Playing Field
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Michael Nagler - Wolverine
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor - Gary Alford - Vacuum
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Arun Akkineni - Strict Teacher
Failed Conservative Values - Bill Honigman - Restrictive - Intolerance
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor - Brenda Emerson - Under Glass Prize
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor - Jay Jackman - Predator
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Dan Healy - Red Pill Sleep
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Don - Bull Elephant
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Time Bomb
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Jim -Mud Stuck Elephant
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Owen Jackman - Hyena
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Kenneth Arnold - Angry God
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Joan - Quicksand
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Meat Grinder
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Michelle - Sold Soul
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Norma - Anaconda
Conservative Values Metaphor: Bill Honigman - Porcupine
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor Fred Davis - Feathering Nest
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor - Eric C Bauman - Fire v Rainbow
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor - Brian Galt - Brier Patch
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor - Harry Scott - Shredder
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Steve Reed - Backhoe
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Salazar-Rivera - Snake v Dolphins
 

Comparing and contrasting conservative and progressive values?
     Video clips on Youtube

• Progressive V Conservative Values? Louise E. Specht
• Progressive V Conservative Values? Katharine Kunst
• Progressive V Conservative Values? Alice W Clark
• Progressive V Conservative Values? Frances Townes
• Progressive V Conservative Values? James Latimer
• Progressive V Conservative Values? Joellyn Richards-Martel
• Progressive V Conservative Values? John Stone King
• Progressive V Conservative Values? Kathryn Schreiber
• Progressive V Conservative Values? Kent Gilbert
• Progressive V Conservative Values? Lee Williamson
• Progressive V Conservative Values? Carolyn Scarr
• Progressive V Conservative Values? Esther Ho
• Progressive vr Conservative Values? Tony Tiscareno
• Progressive v Conservative Values? Richard J Wagner
• Progressive v Conservative Values? Ahjamu Makalani
• Progressive v Conservative Values? James Forsyth
• Progressive v Conservative Values? JC Stiassni
• Progressive v Conservative Values? Henry E Ha
• Progressive v Conservative Values? Carole M Marie
• Progressive v. Conservative Values? Cheryl Mollicone
• Progressive v Conservative Values? Barbara A Levin
• Progressive v Conservative Values? John R. Michael
• Progressive v Conservative Values? Mary L Jacobs
• Progressive v Conservative Values? Nina Shar
• Progressive v Conservative Values? Scott Henderson
• Progressive v Conservative Values? Tony Hale
• Progressive v Conservative Values? Mimi Kennedy
• Progressive v Conservative Values? Diane Strack
• Progressive V Conservative Values? Charles M Taylor

Daily Posts on Failed Conservative Values

28.  Failed Conservative Values: Jeeni Criscenzo on Scapegoating
		I interviewed Jeeni Criscenzo in Sacramento, California. Jeeni brought up the prevalent use of scapegoating by conservatives.  I find it curios how a Conservative Movement that preaches individual responsibility is so adept at finding scapegoats and not taking true responsibility. I think it has to do with the type of responsibility they preach. It is not the unqualified progressive sense of responsibility, where you feel responsible for yourself and the society around you, but rather conservatives always talk about a qualified 'individual responsibility' which actually is really no longer true responsibility, but rather a value of selfish self-centeredness. It's like taking the value of love or caring and saying we're for 'individual love' or 'individual caring'.  The values lose their meaning and are turned into nothing but the Failed Conservative Value of individual selfishness and greed. opednews.com/articles/3/genera_edwin_ru_080430_failed_conservative_.htm democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts/25145 dailykos.com/story/2008/4/30/135551/781/1012/506473

27.  Failed Conservative Values: Barack Obama on the Status Quo v Change
		In his Pennsylvania primary speech, Barack Obama talked about change and how the Status Quo resists change. As I interview people about what are Progressive Values and about how Conservative Values have Failed, the interviewees repeatedly talk about the conservative fear of change and the promotion of the status quo. We start off with this exploration of the Failed Conservative Value of the Status Quo with Barack Obama's speech on change versus the status quo. democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts/25118 opednews.com/articles/genera_edwin_ru_080427_failed_conservative_.htm dailykos.com/story/2008/4/27/164645/549/1006/504461 groups.yahoo.com/group/ProgressiveValues/message/279

26.  Progressive Values Stories: Brianna Leavitt on Taking Back Family Values - Justice & Responsibility
		I interviewed Brianna Leavitt at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley.  She feels conservatives have taken over the term Values and Family Values, but she doesn't want to just give up the words to them. She goes on to talk about the Progressive Values she learned in her family. Her mother always reached out to the poor and homeless.  Brianna  was taught empathy, justice and responsibility by her parents and grandmother. These are in opposition to the Failed Conservative Family Values that exclude people. democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts/25113 opednews.com/articles/genera_edwin_ru_080426_progressive_values_s.htm dailykos.com/story/2008/4/26/192548/369/347/504095 groups.yahoo.com/group/ProgressiveValues/message/278

25. Progressive Values Stories: Peter Harvey on Community versus Intolerance
		I interviewed Peter Harvey at a Oakland, California Democracy for America meeting.  Peter  passionately talked about the progressive value of community and shared an early memory of the community reaching out to him.  However, he thinks that conservatives have completely missed the mark of religious teachings by going off into intolerance. democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts/25089 opednews.com/articles/genera_edwin_ru_080425_progressive_values_s.htm dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/25/14513/0750/374/503043

24. Failed Conservative Values:  Violence and Brutality
		This article is a rather harsh critique of deeper Failed Conservative Values.  In interviews, Richard Wagner told me he thinks thuggery is a failed conservative value and Herman Blackmon mentioned the lynch mob. I didn't think that either the lynch mob or thuggery were actually values. They seem more like manifestations of a value or perhaps of multiple values. democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts/25075 opednews.com/articles/genera_edwin_ru_080423_failed_conservative_.htm dailykos.com/story/2008/4/23/13825/2777/677/501723 groups.yahoo.com/group/ProgressiveValues/message/253

23. Failed Conservative Values: Barbara, Carole, Nina on Dogmatism
		I'm starting a new series of articles on how Conservative Values have Failed.   It's obvious that conservative ideas and policies have failed, but the failures go even deeper to the very heart and essence of the conservative movement, to their Failed Conservative Values. In this series, we will pull back the mask of Conservative Family Values, Conservative Traditional Values,  individual freedom, individual responsibility, individual liberty, Compassionate Conservativism, etc. to reveal the underlying Failed Conservative Values of fear, authoritarianism, secrecy, dogmatism, greed, indifference, self-righteousness, arrogance, hypocrisy, etc. democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts/25030 opednews.com/articles/genera_edwin_ru_080421_failed_conservative_.htm dailykos.com/story/2008/4/21/133117/358/240/500118 groups.yahoo.com/group/ProgressiveValues/message/241

Conservative Values Voters Summit.
An article about the main conference for social conservatives and a call for confronting them head on.

I asked some questions about Failed Conservative Values for the Youtube/CNN Democratic and Republican debates.

Values Voters: Have Conservative Values Failed?

 

CNN Youtube GOP Debate Question: Conservative failed Values

 

CNN Debate Ques: Failure of Republican Conservative Values

 

CNN Youtube Debate Question 2: Republican Values Failed

 

Bush Legacy Project
I heard about a multi million dollar campaign by conservatives to try and raise the Bush administrations approval ratings just before he leaves office. It they can leave on a higher note and claim success for the conservative Bush administration, they will be able to refer back to it for years to come.. The Bush Legacy Project is a progressive initiative to make sure this doesn't happen.