Conservatives were once guided by the moral principles of economic liberty, free markets etc. what happened?

[abfabinri]

And what's pathetic about all of this is that conservatives continue to mouth the principles for which their forebears stood. "We favor free enterprise, private property, and limited government," they often remind us. Yet, when you ask a conservative, "Does this mean that you favor abolishing public schooling and having a totally free market in education?" he answers, "Oh, I believe in free enterprise, but education is just too important to be left to the free market."

Or if you ask conservatives, "Does this mean you favor repealing Medicare and Medicaid and occupational licensure so that there will be a totally free market in health care?" they answer, "Oh, we believe in free enterprise, but health care is just too important to be left to the free market."

Or: "Does this mean you favor abolishing Social Security and leaving retirement and the honoring of mother and father totally to the free market?" Their answer: "Oh, we believe in free enterprise, but that would cost us votes."

The sad truth is that there is no difference in principle between a leftist (or a "liberal," in the corrupted sense of the word) and a conservative. And both sides know it. The "liberals" will always have the upper hand on the conservatives, because as soon as conservatives start preaching such mantras as "We favor free enterprise and small government," all that "liberals" have to do is bring up Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and public schooling. They know that conservatives will hightail it for cover, proclaiming for all the world to hear how they will fight to support these socialistic programs along with the taxation needed to fund them.