This is a part 1. It would have been another Channeling Chesterton, but like Chesterton, to do that I need to do my research and I have not yet even found the book. I just heard about this morning. So this is a really superficial treatment of the basic concept, which is what are the real motivating values of Americanism, and how does Catholicism differ.
A recent researcher asked an interesting set of political questions. But he asked people to put themselves in the mindset of their perceived enemies- he asked conservatives to predict how liberals would respond, and liberals how conservatives would respond. Turns out only conservatives could do this exercise, and the reason was tied to motivating values.
Liberals in America, it seems, are stunted politically, they are motivated by care for the victim, liberty for themselves, and preservation of resources. Conservatives add to this respect for authority, rule of law, and the concept of sanctity, or the sacred. As I said, I have not read the book- I want to, but it will have to wait for now.
But even hearing about this experiment, and the apparent results, brings me to describe a third type: the ideal Catholic, who is as foreign to America as an Ausralian Aborigene. Our values do overlap the conservative and mimic the liberal- but are different from both.
The Catholic motivating values are Love, Hope, Charity, sanctity (sacredness), respect for authority, rule of law, a duty to victims, a duty to the poor, and a duty to Life itself.
I would say, as in theology, only the ideal Catholic is Universal and complete on all questions.
--------I don't have time right now, but it turns out it's a study; one which considered the conservative values as immoral Here's another blog that discusses the core issue.
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