CT:
Exactly, it’s a trade-off and I’m so I’m not defending liberalism 100%, and also as times change so must the measures. On discrimination laws, yes, the concern is assimilation. My understanding is Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi supported the czar over Napolean for this very reason. Having said that, most of the examples you gave wouldn’t effect a religious Jew (except for showing favoritism in hiring). But if your view is that it is better to live with precarious rights in order to encourage a more wholesome or halachic America, maybe that’s a discussion worth having some time. Finally, you say, “The laws that protect Sabbath observers (which, BTW, have more holes than Swiss cheese) can also be construed as conservative as they encourage religion.” The big point to make on your statement is that whether you can “construe” something as conservative ignores the reality that it’s generally only the liberal groups that have pushed for these things. By the way, yes , there are cutouts: why should I be entitled to a job at a bar if all their business is on a Saturday? Makes sense. Anyway, there are things like abortion we don’t like but there are things on the right that could also be against halacha or dangerous to a Jew. It seems as orthodox Jews have gotten more comfortable and affluent, they are automatically willing to take a sledgehammer to the laws that have benefited them rather than fix them with a scalpel. Personally, I believe many of us don’t have an adequate background perspective of history and how this country works, so it’s not something done on purpose; much of the inflexible conservative hype we hear is a result of a dangerous business model the oligarchal media companies re using, preying on less educated folks, but that’s for a different day.
