Robert Nisbet described his philosophy as conservative, though he opposed the warfare state and the welfare state, unlike other conservatives. In his short, brilliant Conservatism: Dream and Reality, Nisbet cites Edmund Burke as opposing welare even in the most dire circumstances. How ironic to read the man hailed as the founder of conservatism on this particular subject at a time when all styles of conservative–from neo to Buchananite–are ardent proponents of the welfare state, sometimes in the name of Christian charity! Writes Nisbet: “Burke [like Tocqueville] was an apostle of laissez-faire. The final part of Reflections on the Revolution in … Continue reading Conservatism One Can Respect