I think it would be fairer to characterize Burke as a liberal. He, after all, was opposed to the absolute power of the aristocracy. It is also a mistake to look at political labels only through Anglo/American eyes. Burke was a flaming, radical liberal compared to the French conservatives, those who lost many of their heads while he was still alive. That Burke would then criticize the French revolution, after seeing its excesses, is really not too surprising. Burke, after all, was living in a country that had the beginnings of democratic traditions, far more than almost any place in mainland Europe, and the "mob" mentality that was expressed in that revolution must have been frightening to most Britons.
If you will note, I didn't refer to Burke at all. The original article did, but not me. Also, I didn't really define "conservative." I referred to the original meaning. The difference between conservatives and liberal, in that sense, is really who should rule. Should it be an aristocracy based on inheritance, property, and religion, or should it be rule by the people. Thus, when I speak of conservatives, I mean those who are in favor of inheritance, property, breeding and wealth as the proper basis for being in the ruling elite, and liberals are those who are in favor of the people governing themselves, with limits being placed on the tyranny of the majority. The US is a liberal government with a liberal Constitution. Those who were opposed to the liberal US government were encouraged to move to British possessions, such as Canada and Jamaica, often forcibly. As I said in my post, I don't really believe that there are many "conservatives," as I mean the term, in this country. Rather, the term "conservative," which has many good connotations BTW, is really more of a comparative term indicating those who, as you say, are skeptical of change. If you view the political spectrum along a willingness to accept change, the conservatives want to go slower than the liberals, but both have similar objectives. At the radical end of the spectrum, Communism and Fascism, although radically different from each other in theory, the two ends seem to meet in terms of political tools and techniques. Neither have proven satisfactory as a means of assuring freedom or prosperity.
To claim that there is any "original" meaning of the term conservatism is to assert that Maistre—who certainly was an advocate of authoritarian monarchalism—is the paradigmatic conservative, and that there could be no other. Moreover, it implies that Maistre's version of conservatism is the direct antecedent of today's self-labeled conservative politicians, who exist in a representative republic. I find that a pretty big stretch, even moreso than the claim that the president is a true conservative.
While I may be wrong, incidentally, I suspect that the only realm in which Burke has something in common with "classical liberals" in the 19th-century sense is in the economic sphere, where he disdained government interference. But it wasn't for the same reasons as 19th century liberals. Burke was no fan of liberty as a general principle (and he would have scoffed at the notion of general political principles in general, except ones relying on tradition and religion).
(no subject)
If you will note, I didn't refer to Burke at all. The original article did, but not me. Also, I didn't really define "conservative." I referred to the original meaning. The difference between conservatives and liberal, in that sense, is really who should rule. Should it be an aristocracy based on inheritance, property, and religion, or should it be rule by the people. Thus, when I speak of conservatives, I mean those who are in favor of inheritance, property, breeding and wealth as the proper basis for being in the ruling elite, and liberals are those who are in favor of the people governing themselves, with limits being placed on the tyranny of the majority. The US is a liberal government with a liberal Constitution. Those who were opposed to the liberal US government were encouraged to move to British possessions, such as Canada and Jamaica, often forcibly. As I said in my post, I don't really believe that there are many "conservatives," as I mean the term, in this country. Rather, the term "conservative," which has many good connotations BTW, is really more of a comparative term indicating those who, as you say, are skeptical of change. If you view the political spectrum along a willingness to accept change, the conservatives want to go slower than the liberals, but both have similar objectives. At the radical end of the spectrum, Communism and Fascism, although radically different from each other in theory, the two ends seem to meet in terms of political tools and techniques. Neither have proven satisfactory as a means of assuring freedom or prosperity.
(no subject)
While I may be wrong, incidentally, I suspect that the only realm in which Burke has something in common with "classical liberals" in the 19th-century sense is in the economic sphere, where he disdained government interference. But it wasn't for the same reasons as 19th century liberals. Burke was no fan of liberty as a general principle (and he would have scoffed at the notion of general political principles in general, except ones relying on tradition and religion).