[Magic: The Gathering] Conservatism and defending the 'Status Quo' are not the same thing at all
Green and White are the conservative Colors. But why does that guarantee they would represent the status quo?
The plane of Esper is ruled by Blue, with Green suppressed and White competing with Black for second-fiddle. The plane of Jund is ruled by Red, with White suppressed and Green competing with Black for second-fiddle. The plane of Grixis suppresses both Green and White.
That is that status quo of those planes, no matter how far from conservative values they are. "Status quo" is just "who is currently in charge and setting the tone".
Black will gladly style itself as a rebel and a force for change when it finds itself lacking in power, because the nature of Black is to acquire power and dominance. But once Black has achieved dominance, it is Black's nature to maintain that dominance at any cost.
Blue is not much different. At its heart, Blue craves control and mastery and knowledge. Why would it fight so hard to claw its way out from under Green and Red, only to give up its ascendancy afterwards? Does Blue ever stop constantly watching, plotting, and counter-scheming just because it's currently winning? By no means will it allow Green and Red to plunge it back into the night of ignorance.
Conservatism
Then what is conservatism?
It is trusting in that which has earned trust. It is putting your faith in things that not only worked once before, but have worked since longer than history itself.
'Tradition' is not the worship of ashes, but the act of preserving the fire started by those who came before you.
It is also known as Institutional Knowledge. Conventional Wisdom. Generational Practice. Common Sense.
Even science, properly executed, relies on tradition. It's a terrible scientist who dismisses the laws of Cause And Effect just because someone codified it before recorded history.
Science and wisdom is about replacing the tried and failed with the tried and true, NOT tossing out everything old based on a zealously religious faith in the inherent superiority of novelty.
What's more, tradition and history record the endless scrapyard of 'new ideas' that failed.
Blue is endlessly enamored with novelty. It wants to claim it has discovered something new, in its pursuit to achieve things that no one ever has before.
But Blue's weakest subject is Green's favorite subject: History. So Blue is the least qualified to recognize when it's 'new' idea has actually been tried before. But Green remembers and tries to warn Blue.
Is Green too slow to accept change, or is Blue too quick to chase fads?
Green is far from incapable of change, but Green wisely refuses to leap without looking. If you want to convince Green that you've found a better way, Green demands that you PROVE it. Turn your theoretical future into the practical past, if you can.
Conversely, how capable is Blue of holding fast to practices and paradigms that have stood the test of time? Given that Blue is obsessed with perfection to the point of endlessly pursuing it.
