People gravitate to idealism. Idealism is linked to faith which is linked to Hope.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
History both modern and ancient, is full of examples of how human beings can endure unimaginable deprivation, affliction, anxiety, sadness, loss and injury. But without hope, human beings die as surely as a leaf on a maple tree in autumn.
How does conservatism give exciting purpose to Humanity? By providing REALISTIC HOPE, for the present along with reassurance of forgiveness for errors of the past, plus above all, vision for the intermediate and long term future for this world.
For an example of how strongly people may be united by focus upon a plan for the future, look to Japan. Despite the many ups and downs of the Japanese state and economy over the intervening years since the collapse of the Empire (and the God-Emperor monarchistic system post WWII) the Japanese people have remained steadfastly dedicated to and overall, content with their government's leadership throughout it all.
Japanese businesses are marked by a distinct difference from U.S. and European businesses - they most often have an extreme long-term plan for their company's success. Many (most) Japanese people believe that long-term success depends upon long term planning and not surprisingly, having roots that go deep into traditional values.
So how may we in the US emulate this? Again, we may look to the Japanese. The Japanese arose from the ruins of defeat of both their military and their economy in a world war, to become one of the most prosperous nations in the modern world. Their whole culture embraced Free Market Capitalism and focused their entire spirit on renewing their pride and prosperity by focusing all of that magnificently intellect and industrious self-disciplined dedication to a vision of the future.
They understood that;
"The power of the mind is not a joke."
It is not unusual for a Japanese company to have a plan of action which projects out to over one hundred years (three generations or more). This is a foreign concept to us because our history has taught us that long-term planning is often a pipe-dream, impractical and therefore an almost complete waste of time. One of the curses of living in a time of such rapid change is the adoption of the fiction that long-term planning has no positive value. But I say it is not only a worthy pastime, but that there is a lot of evidence that without it, neither capitalism nor conservatism will endure past the 21st century.
R. Buckminster Fuller may be one of the preeminent constructive minds of our modern time. He was a polymath. Although he was primarily an architect, inventor and engineer, he was also a powerful philosopher/thinker and advocate for both free market capitalism and technology. Fuller also understood (and wrote) about the almost supernatural power of free market capitalism in conjunction with responsible management and technology to bring positive change in the world.
Frankly and in all sincerity, every single serious-minded conservative should read Fuller's magnum opus, Critical Path if for nothing else to read the chapter at the start of the book about the history of free market capitalism and technological inventions. If a better case has ever been laid out in print for the superiority yea, magnificence of applied innovative technology in a free market system for making the world miraculously better, I have never read it.
Anyone who is unsure of how to answer the question, "Why is capitalism a good thing" must absolutely read this book. It is devastatingly convincing and will shatter forever anyone's illusions about there being any substitute that could possibly supplant this principle economic system as the last, best hope to improve Humanity in the modern age.
Fuller had if nothing else a singular vision and firm conviction on how the Destiny of Man was tied to the future of both technology and free market capitalism. He provided this vision in a comprehensive telesis about how the brighter future may be brought to Dawning by something so powerful it transcends politics, transcends paradigms of economics and includes above all appreciation for and integration of the Spirit of Humanity and stir the soul of all people of any economic "class" to give them realistic hope for the future.
