Batocchio's The Persistance of Ideology

I came across this old post from Batocchio, the Vagabond Scholar,  and think it hits many nails on the head. I have such a hard time understanding conservatives. Just what is it that they are thinking? How can they be so blatantly wrong, and unapologetic, about so many things for so long? The post explains a lot -- and has great links to back up the arguments. It is blogging at its best.

This is the introduction to his analysis of three areas of policy -- economics, foreign policy, and human rights:

If conservatism at its best involves sticking with policies that have proved effective, at its worst it entails sticking with policies that have proved unsuccessful or even disastrous. It's not as if some pure, beneficent strain of conservatism is common, though, to the degree it exists at all. Movement conservatism has long consisted of policies that benefit a select few at the expense of the nation as a whole. In many cases, conservatives are still obstinately pushing ideologies and policies that have yielded horrible results – sometimes even for themselves. Admitting error is rare among this ideological crowd, taking blame is rarer still, and actually changing approaches is seen as anathema.