Thanks for spotting that, and welcome on ET, by the way! *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Why do you laugh? Those are plentiful in the European People's Party. "It's the statue, man, The Statue."
Depends on how you view conservatism, and whether or not one sees the religious aspect as instrumental (not necessarily consciously so). Traditional nineteenth century conservatism was anti free market liberalism, but a lot of that had to do with defending existing elites whose wealth, power, and status was based on land ownership and blood. Those elites are long gone, long live the new elites - whose wealth, power, and status depends on a different set of social values and rules. Of course plenty of Catholic fundies retain the old view, at least in part, but I don't see the new one as necessarily that outlandish.
