Conservatives always lose

It’s not I propose or favor such an outcome. It’s just historically, it’s a fact. All physical matter, social, religious and political philosophy systems, aging, weather, land movements — you name it — in the universe are in constant flux with an irresistible pressure, which we call "change.”

Sometimes, that change is so imperceptibly steady, it may be realized only in retrospect. Let’s skim a few social, religious and political changes in just the past two millennia in western civilization.

During the time of Jesus, the orthodox leadership, which got so mad at him when he challenged their conservative power in the Judaic Temple in Jerusalem, eventually lost out to that rebel reformer’s irresistible power, anyway.

Later, when the conservative Catholic Church attempted to freeze its interpretations of the Gospels in immutable, irrefutable canonic law, along came that roughhewn, disrespectful, revolutionary monk/priest Martin Luther.

Then, the task of major conservator of Luther’s version of the Christian faith fell upon the conservatives of the church established in his name. Yet, even they were unable to hold the ramparts against the innumerable, more liberal emerging sects that refuted, refined, amended or assaulted Luther’s doctrines.

Even in the Diaspora, conservative Judaism was kicked in the butt by the rebellious commonplace Hasidim of Eastern Europe, whom they immediately excommunicated from the conservative practice of the faith. Ironically, later, those severely dressed, bearded and with Victorian morals Hasidim became the most conservative of the defenders of that faith, but not successful in holding off the moderation of more liberal congregations, all the way down to the reform temples of the western world.

In politics, the absolute powered, God anointed, ruling kings and queens, lost out by wars and beheading to the republics where the power passed on to their former subjects.

As a result, the last bastions of conserving absolute political power have been manned by Marxist communists, fascists and other dictators (i.e.. Spain, Chile, Nicaragua, Argentina, etc.) and we can see what has been happening to those conservative powers.

In the United States, in the past century, conservatives, who attempted to hold out for the established private economic system to return when the great depression was over, were politically smashed when it just wasn’t "getting over” and the country was getting close to revolution.

Consequently, they fell out of full power for decades until Ronald Reagan took office. (Then remember how little they did to end governmental agricultural and corporate subsidies set up in the intervening years.)

In the meanwhile, during that era, conservatives continued to fight any governmental intervention or support for the disadvantaged. They were firmly against Social Security, Medicare and virtually any and all social programs. Now, realizing that those have become imbedded by public support, they acknowledge those days are over and wouldn’t dare touch those "third rails,” politically.

Yet, for openers, in this new conservative era, they are still against universal health care, concerns about global warming and such things as stem cell and other scientific research, and more. And, again they will lose.

With respect to health care, Americans, mostly Judeo-Christian, will not forever countenance that in the face of irresistible rises in medical costs, at least 40 million of our fellow citizens, many of them children, are still shut out from this basic human right, need and service.

It will not be long before the public will become fully aware of the administrative costs of private insuring entities which eat up about 25 percent of premiums (versus 2 percent in the federal Medicare) and it is to the profit advantage of organizations collecting annual fixed fees to pay out as little in benefits as possible so as to maximize the amount left over for profits.

How else would the founder and C.E.O. of a major health service organization be able to walk away with a reported severance package of $1.3 billion, principally from the funds of the insured and stockholders?

It takes a while for voters, engaged in other life concerns to internalize what has been subverting fairness in our land: The unregulated power of the financial institutions, the outrageous compensation of many CEOs, the phantom major corporate accounting systems that have devastated many trusting investors and driven hundreds of employees out of their pensions and out of their jobs.

Recently, even the backdating of stock options has made executives and employees who would become ordinary millionaires into super-millionaires through fraud.

So, history doesn’t need any political parties, wild-eyed radical students, revolutionary armies or head bashing to make way for rational changes. And, although conservatives periodically return as a reaction to the irrational excesses of those who embrace too much change, too fast, in the end, Conservatives always lose.

It is the good common sense of American voters, if they knowingly exercise their franchise in this incredible miracle of a democracy who, conservatives or no, will ultimately make the changes that our religions, our public spirits and our compassion demand.

Keith Kreitman has been a Foster City resident for 20 years. He is a retired musician, playwright and interior designer with degrees in political science and journalism. He is host of "Focus on the Arts” on Peninsula TV. His column runs in the weekend edition.