César DePaço
History teaches us that nations do not perish solely under the pressure of external enemies, but above all when they allow their internal foundations to be corroded by dissolving ideologies. It is on this ground that today’s great struggle is waged between liberalism and conservatism — two opposing conceptions of life, order, and freedom.
Modern liberalism, which presents itself as emancipatory and progressive, has ultimately turned into a force that destroys the very society that embraces it. In cities where it prevails absolutely, we witness the abandonment of families, disregard for the law, the decay of public spaces, and the spread of crime. The liberal proclaims the liberation from all bonds, but in doing so, delivers the community to chaos. Where this ideology reigns, luxurious buildings rise beside crumbling neighborhoods; promises of equality multiply even as violence against the most vulnerable grows; and people speak endlessly of rights while neglecting the most basic duties.
When contradicted, the liberal often resorts to street violence, organizing destructive protests that leave behind devastation, fires, and fear. The conservative, by contrast, expresses his convictions in the silence of prayer and in respect for order, never confusing the exercise of freedom with vandalism and disorder.
In cities governed by liberal majorities, this paradox becomes even more evident. On one hand, they proclaim “defund the police” as an ideological banner and strip law enforcement of both human and material resources. On the other, they expect those same officers—deprived of support and demoralized—to carry out their mission with the same effectiveness as before. It is a blatant contradiction: the authority of the police is deliberately weakened, while impossible results are demanded of them, as if law and order could be upheld through slogans rather than proper means.
Conservatism, by contrast, does not merely resist but proposes an ordered and dignified vision of human life. The conservative prays because he knows that society cannot be sustained solely on calculations of power, but on moral and spiritual principles that transcend immediate conveniences. The conservative defends the family because he recognizes in it the vital cell where citizens are formed and cultural heritage is transmitted. The conservative respects the law because he understands that without order there can be no lasting freedom. And when he defends tradition, he does not do so out of blind attachment to the past, but because he knows that the future can only flourish upon firm roots.
Conservatism does not merely resist but proposes an ordered and dignified vision of human life. The Conservative prays because he knows that society cannot be sustained solely on calculations of power.
Between these two visions, there are practical differences that reality itself confirms. Where radical liberalism prevails, public squares become stages for fleeting slogans, and the streets turn into places of fear. Where conservatism endures, order, dignity, and hope remain. The liberal preaches the dissolution of borders and the relativization of values, the conservative reminds us that all freedom requires responsibility, and that there can be no true justice where discipline is absent.
Unrestrained liberalism leads to social fragmentation and moral decay. Conservatism, by contrast, is grounded in prayer, authority, and respect for eternal principles. One opens the door to nihilism and emptiness, the other safeguards a people’s historical continuity. The choice before us is not merely between political parties or policy programs, but between two paths of civilization. One leads to the disintegration of community life; the other ensures the cohesion necessary for a society to remain free and strong. That is why, despite the voices that seek to ridicule it, the conservative—through prayer and the defense of enduring values—is the one who most faithfully ensures the survival of liberty. For, as Aristotle taught, order is the first condition of freedom. Without order and without roots, every liberal proclamation is nothing more than fleeting noise.
César DePaço
Businessman/Philanthropist, Consul ad honorem of Portugal (2014 to 2020)
Founder and CEO of Summit Nutritionals International Inc.
President of the DePaço Foundation, staunch defender of law enforcement and conservative principles
Source: LusoAmericano