[_bfhp]

The most profitable central principle for a party of corporations is deregluation of _industry_. Scaling up of the military and authoritarianism is a profitable choice as well. Those are two main incentives of many conservative parties and groups. The unifying principle of conservatism is: survival of the fittest. The strongest, toughest country, business, and individual has the right to survive. Helping and trying to understand other countries, situations, people? Irrational, weak.

[481092]

>The unifying principle of conservatism is: survival of the fittest

This isn't just a principle of a party but a natural law. This is displayed in liberal politics also. Life is a fight using powers as a utility, hard and soft powers. Liberals tend to bank on using the powers of certain ideologies, many as vague as conservative ideologies, in order for those ideologies to survive. Some use the soft power of love which may prove sometimes to be fittest when that power gathers enough political support, some use the hard powers of war and competition which may seem fittest in some occasions. And of course, love and warfare is seen and used in both/all parties even when they don't seem to realize it, sometimes hypocritically on the surface but often when you look deep enough, you see the forces of natural law shining through and it's not just love and war against each other, it's just organisms which may be ideological, biological, etc competing in what some would view as a thermodynamic machine racing towards entropic neutrality.

But to say only conservatives employ 'survival of the fittest' is such a vast simplification.

[_bfhp]

If everyday human life must echo the eons-long process of evolution, can we say the same for other natural laws? Gravity is a natural law; so people inevitably bow to their superiors? People bowing to each other is gravity shining through! But capillary action is another natural law, so it means people inevitably rise up to best their superiors...

When my cat cuddles up to me on the bed, this natural 'life is a fight' law falls to pieces. Beings are capable of generosity without a gaining idea, and most of us have encountered this as part of our lives. I have found that lovingkindness and compassion are boundless in every sentient being's heart.

I think self-identified 'liberals' generally don't have any concrete principles about power itself. As long as it is illegal to not treat all people equally, liberals seem to think government power should increase to the extent that it can relieve suffering and foster generosity. Parts of the left, with its civil libertarians and Proudhon anarchists, think about power in a deeper and more heterodox way...

[maximente]

> When my cat cuddles up to me on the bed, this natural 'life is a fight' law falls to pieces. Beings are capable of generosity without a gaining idea, and most of us have encountered this as part of our lives.

devil's advocate: your cat does this so that you continue to feed/protect/pay attention to it.

you may not like that negative point of view, but it seems like a reasonable strategy for survival in a really tough world pre-modern era (still is tough for many).

[_bfhp]

My partner feeds and plays with ours cats (I don't have as much time)

[arbitrary_name]

Research shows domestic animals build a bond with those that feed and shelter them. Sorry dude, but your cat doesnt love or care about you beyond its basic need fulfillment. And you care for it because it makes you feel needed and wanted. Altruism is not a real construct imho.

[_bfhp]

I don't feed my cats, and barely play with them. They also don't know who pays the rent...

[whatshisface]

A big military isn't profitable for most businesses, who have to pay for it with corporate taxes.