The Strange History Of Conservatism

I confess to being very confused about Conservatism and my confusion was made all the more apparent to me after listening to the totally baffling programme on the subject last week from AnnMckelvoy on BBC radio four entitled Grand Tour of Conservatism.She cited Edmund Burke,Caryle and Ruskin and as the programme progresed the actual meaning and sense of Conservatism seemed to recede in a gargantuan fog of obsfuscation,evasion and vague generalities.Obviously Conservatism has its roots as I suspected in confusions,half baked or unbaked philosophy,compromise,cynicism,unprincipled populism and opportunistic pragmatism.Its proud boast has always been that it is not an ideology but its very claim to strength is actually its greatest weakness as those who do hold ideologies ie the collectivists be they of Socialist Labour or Liberal stripe have prevailed by their consistency over the centuries leaving the Conservatives compromising at every turn and seeking to co opt the collectivists to gain political power without principle.Hence the absurdity that is modern conservatism which has accommodated and compromised with the Left on its long journey to the Big Leviathan State as we know it today.