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{"id":4641,"date":"2012-11-09T11:18:23","date_gmt":"2012-11-09T16:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/frenchrevolution\/?p=4641"},"modified":"2012-11-09T11:18:24","modified_gmt":"2012-11-09T16:18:24","slug":"the-southwest-airlines-way-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/frenchrevolution\/2012\/11\/09\/the-southwest-airlines-way-back\/","title":{"rendered":"The Southwest (Airlines) Way Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

National Review<\/em> put together a symposium on \u201clessons learned\u201d following the 2012 election. \u00a0Here was my contribution:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s virtually impossible to construct a conservative political majority out of a liberal culture.\u00a0 Thus \u2013 paraphrasing Daenerys Targaryen<\/a> from George RR Martin\u2019s outstanding Game of Thrones<\/em> books \u2013 to go forward, we must go back.\u00a0 We must go back to the hard work of rebuilding our culture.\u00a0 Can conservatives truly hope to prevail if we can\u2019t arrest the growth of illegitimacy and the decline of marriage?\u00a0 Or if we leave the education of our children to those who reject and scorn conservative values?\u00a0 Or if the entire pop culture outside the conservative cocoon reinforces that scorn?<\/p>\n

Even a singular political talent like Ronald Reagan would have difficulty winning in our current cultural environment.\u00a0 Yet conforming is not an option.\u00a0 Conservatives should reject any political movement that responds to negative cultural changes simply by making peace with that change and becoming merely a slightly-less malign cultural force.<\/p>\n

In essence, we must become a missionary force in our own culture.\u00a0 We can\u2019t outsource cultural transformation to even the most charismatic politician. Our liberal friends don\u2019t read our websites, watch our television, or listen to our radio, but perhaps they\u2019ll listen to the neighbor who brought them a hot meal when their mother was sick, or to the co-worker who stayed late to help them meet an urgent deadline.<\/p>\n

At the risk of lurching from geekery (the Game of Thrones<\/em> reference, above), to the trite, I\u2019m reminded of the somewhat silly, yet also profound, \u201cSouthwest [Airlines] Way\u201d \u2013 where employees are asked to demonstrate a warrior spirit, servant\u2019s heart, and fun-loving attitude.\u00a0 In true conservative spirit, we can learn a lot from the culture of one of America\u2019s most successful businesses.\u00a0 After all, as Ronald Reagan understands better than anyone, there\u2019s no warrior quite as effective as the happy warrior.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"