Most of the current leaders and many of the rank and file within the American conservative movement have as their defining characteristic a bottomless pit of pessimism and timidity, combined with an overarching fixation with civility. Their political opponents, the liberals, have as their defining characteristic an air of confidence that they are always right as well as the smartest people in any room, combined with the knowledge that they can intimidate and exploit the aforementioned natural proclivity of the conservatives. There is an obvious cause and effect at play.
Those on the left side of the American political spectrum have latched onto political theories and philosophies that stress the importance of a collective or strong central government as the primary solution to man's need to survive and prosper. These concepts have as their core the need for a central ruling class, theoretically benevolent, which dovetails nicely with the innate superior mindset of the left.
In order to govern and control the levers of power, the left must obtain the consent of at least the majority of the citizenry. That is relatively easy to do, as the preponderance of the population will choose the path of least resistance in order to acquire security and prosperity. Thus the left has an easy sell when they promise that they, in charge of the government, will guarantee a substantial standard of living for all.
Never mind that the centralized approach to governing by a dominant ruling class has ultimately failed throughout the history of mankind, whether it was designated as a monarchy, oligarchy, or dictatorship, or in the modern era, adherents of Marxism, socialism, or communism. For these philosophies to succeed, they must have an economic underpinning that can provide the foundation for massive social spending.
Conservatives, on the other hand, have a much harder sell. They must tout the fact that only limited power granted to government combined with a capitalist economic system can produce sufficient wealth to underwrite a social safety net for the public and finance the wealth and security of any nation.
Capitalism does by its nature celebrate the success of the individual, not the collective. Individuals, separately or together, driven by the motive of self-enrichment, produce goods or services desired by others. In the process, jobs and wealth are created, thus benefiting society as a whole.
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