Change This

Jeff Jarvis is talking about ChangeThis over at Buzzmachine.  ChangeThis is a manifesto hosting site.  Yes, perhaps if Ted Kazinsky hadn't hated technology so much he could have become the Unablogger.  I'm guessing ChangeThis will cater more to the left than the right and to explain I offer this story:

I'm going to lunch with some coworkers.  As usual, names have been changed to protect the innocent.  There is myself, my coworker who I will call Izzy, and another coworker I will call Tom.  Izzy is an engineer like myself and is a car nut.  Tom is a computer programmer and not a car nut. 

As we drive Izzy and I are discussing car engine design (pushrods vs. dual cams) and Tom, seeking inclusion, says "I think we should stop using the pistol engine.  We've been using it for almost a century so there has to be something better out there.  Its such old tech." 

Izzy and I look at each other.  Izzy smiles and replies with "You're a Democrat aren't you Tom."

"Yeah how did you know?"  Tom was amazed as he had never discussed his politics with us.

"Because you want to change something just to change it.  You have no alternatives to the old process and don't really know much about it, but you just think we shouldn't use it simply because its old."

The two engineers go on to explain why the piston engine is still here after 100 years to the computer scientist.

This is really what separates conservatives from liberals.  If a solution to a problem lasts 100 years, conservatives will see it as a good solution.  Its lasted the test of time.  Liberals see it as old and out-moded no matter what.  They want to change it, even if they don't know of anything better.  They want change and "progress" solely for change sake.  This is part of the point of ChangeThis, change is good no matter what.

This is not to say that conservatives don't want change as well.  I'd willingly write a manifesto about the US highways needing to adopt the keep right principle used on the German autobahn.  It's a great solution and has really contributed to lower accident rates over there.  But thats still a solution that has met the test of time, just not here.