Sunday, March 1, 2009

A Swiss Ski Slope as a Metaphor for Conservatism

As I was skiing, dodging snowboarders, I was reminded of something that first crossed my mind in 1996. On January 1, 1996, I was hit in the head by a snowboarder. And it hit me -- a ski slope is the perfect metaphor for the conservative movement.

Stay with me here a minute.

The skiers are like the traditional conservatives. You ski basically the same way you did in 1900, though the equipment is updated and better. Change tends to come slowly and in an evolutionary manner. And the skiers are used to being the ones for a long time to be skiing around.

The snowboarders represent the libertarians. Brash, not really into the old rules but like to make them up as they go along.

The problem is that both groups have to share the same ski slope. And they both are looking to get to the same place. But they have a tendency to get on each other's nerves and each other's way.

Granted, this breaks down a bit. I cannot fit the social conservatives into the mix. As for the neoconservatives, I figure they are the guys on the anti-avalanche patrol shooting off cannons every now and them to move snow.

3 comments:

Rodak said...

And the liberals, I suppose, are the guys sitting in the ski lodge, getting soused and never going near the slopes?

Anonymous said...

Anthony...

(*SMILE*)

No one enjoys drinking adult beverages as much as I do...

(*SIGH*)

But, buddy... you may be developing a problem.

(*WINK*)

BILL

Anthony said...

Maybe the social conservatives are the cross country skiers. They have been doing it a long time, but off on their own. And getting then on the same slope and to head in the same direction with the downhillers and snowboarders is difficult and they want to head in a bit different direction.