The (guilty) conscience of a conservative

by Craig Schiller

Book Overview

An argument in the 1970s that attempts to unite that American conservatives need a coherent philosophy if they are to save Western culture. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870003836
• ISBN13: 9780870003837
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: Arlington House Publishers
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Prophetic; A Pre-Bush 43 Call for Compassionate Conservatism

In ``The (Guilty) Conscience of a Conservative,'' published in 1978, Rabbi Craig (Mayer) Schiller comes close to what Jews call ruach hakodesh (the holy spirit). He forecast that the American Right could become a force again by clarifying its principles through the adoption of ``compassionate conservatism.'' Here's Rabbi Schiller's advice advice to the Right, which was then still reeling from associations with Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford -- ``To regain its losses...the Right must stress those features of conservative doctrine which could catch the fancy of the moderate liberal thinker. Humanism is a vague term but it suits this context; It refers to a commitment to the needs of man.(p.149).'' Rabbi Schiller also rings prophetic in foreshadowing the emergence of Ronald Reagan. Here's Schiller (p.148) describing what qualities a successful conservative leader would have -- ``...His style would have to identify him unmistakably with the common man. He would need both humor and humility and willingness to communicate with West Virginia miners, Canarsie tenement dwellers, and Pittsburgh steelworkers. He would have to enjoy (or at least give the appearance of enjoying) crowds, hand shaking, parades, press conferences, and all the rituals of mass-sufferage democracy in a way that neither Landon, Taft or Goldwater ever did. He would have to show a fervent loyalty to traditional faith and old-school patriotism - not like a granite-faced Puritan but with sincere emotion and compassion. He would stand four-square against the abuses of the welfare state and four-square in favor of its legitimate practices. He would court the approval of special-interest groups like labor or ethnic minorities but not in the manner of the liberal establishment, which caves in to their every demand; he would separate the justifiable from the absurd. Ideally, he would have risen from humble origins and thus could quite literally fulfill his image projection.'' That sounds a lot like Reagan to me. Rabbi Schiller appreciates the role limited government has played in American history yet advises the Right to accept the welfare state as a given. This is sound practical political advice (polls show no desire from the public to do away with most social programs) that's bound not to please libertarians. A libertarian could argue that keeping government in the ``compassion business'' is like handing Washington a blank check which is bound to result in higher taxes and restricted freedom. Rabbi Schiller acknowledges this dilemma but concludes that properly educated conservatives could navigate us through the danger. Rabbi Schiller's main concern (like any good conservative) is social stability. Since Reagan's election in 1980, conservatism in the U.S. has become increasingly respectable and popular. Among factors contributing to this are a boost in patriotism due to wars and the emergence of right-leaning media such as the Rush Limbaugh Show and the Fox News network. Republicans and co