I just posted, but I have to respond to Kathryn's excellent question. Why does the way we approach food have to be labelled in an ideological fashion? In important ways it shouldn't. But then, in important ways conservatism isn't about ideology in any event. As I understand it, conservatism is about preserving and enriching the western tradition of thought and action. Our civilization, with its roots in Jewish and Christian religions, with its emphasis on a very particular and important set of practices (e.g. constitutional government and a very particular view of the nature and meaning of human dignity) is not one political philosophy or another, but a set of institutions, beliefs, and practices that make up a way of life. To reduce all that to an ideology is destructive. But then again, to go against it, to reduce everything that makes life beautiful to a matter of utility and efficiency ("power down that burger so we can get out of here") is deeply destructive of the fabric of our life and culture.
