A healthy democracy requires a strong conservative party and a strong liberal party arguing for their views publicly and vigorously. The voters decide what views they prefer, and vote accordingly. We don't have that.
"True conservatism’s great virtue is that it teaches us to be humble about what we know; it gets human nature right and understands that we are primarily a collection of unconscious processes, deep emotions, and clashing desires. Conservatism’s profound insight is that it’s impossible to build a healthy society strictly on the principle of self-interest. Build institutions that support the development of moral and strong-willed citizens. A society should nurture inner lives and helps balance sentiments, desires, and motivations.
Trumpism is the opposite of that. Trumpian Republicanism plunders, degrades, and erodes institutions for the sake of personal political gains. The movement is held together by hatred of the Other. Trumpians live in a state of perpetual war, they need to continually invent existential foes—critical race theory, nongendered bathrooms, out-of-control immigration.
Trumpism feels the need to treat half the country, metropolitan America, as a moral cancer, and view the cultural and demographic changes of the past 50 years as an alien invasion. Yet pluralism is one of America’s oldest traditions; to conserve America, you have to love pluralism. As long as the warrior ethos dominates the GOP, brutality will be admired over benevolence, propaganda over discourse, confrontation over conservatism, dehumanization over dignity.
What happened? Why are conservatives drawn to this form of dehumanizing politics?
(a lot of this was plucked from: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/01/brooks-true-conservatism-dead-fox-news-voter-suppression/620853/ )
@wildgrass said"Conservatism’s profound insight is that it’s impossible to build a healthy society strictly on the principle of self-interest. "
A healthy democracy requires a strong conservative party and a strong liberal party arguing for their views publicly and vigorously. The voters decide what views they prefer, and vote accordingly. We don't have that.
"True conservatism’s great virtue is that it teaches us to be humble about what we know; it gets human nature right and understands that we are primarily a ...[text shortened]... ntic.com/magazine/archive/2022/01/brooks-true-conservatism-dead-fox-news-voter-suppression/620853/ )
This made me laugh. Whenever someone said "let's improve society somewhat" conservatives stood in the way. Abolishing slavery, women's suffrage, civil rights for African americans, gay rights, workers rights.
On the contrary. conservatives are guided by the principle "this doesn't affect me, changing it might, we're in no hurry, we can wait"
@wildgrass saidThe biggest problem with conservatism is that humanity is moving too fast.
A healthy democracy requires a strong conservative party and a strong liberal party arguing for their views publicly and vigorously. The voters decide what views they prefer, and vote accordingly. We don't have that.
"True conservatism’s great virtue is that it teaches us to be humble about what we know; it gets human nature right and understands that we are primarily a ...[text shortened]... ntic.com/magazine/archive/2022/01/brooks-true-conservatism-dead-fox-news-voter-suppression/620853/ )
For better or for worse. But too fast.
This is breeding anger.
And any aspiring authoritarian will seize the advantage of that anger.
Mussolini and Hitler ran the same playbook.
Different grievances. But same playbook.
- Joined
- 27 Sep 06
- Moves
- 251103
@mghrn55 saidI agree, conservative, by it's very definition,
The biggest problem with conservatism is that humanity is moving too fast.
For better or for worse. But too fast.
This is breeding anger.
And any aspiring authoritarian will seize the advantage of that anger.
Mussolini and Hitler ran the same playbook.
Different grievances. But same playbook.
is resistant to change and, in the last 20 years,
we have seen tremendous societal changes---
Black President, woman Vice President, gay marriage,
the list goes on. The rapidly changing demographics of
our nation have put fear in the traditional offices of
power namely, white, suburban males. They strive to hold
onto their power, their guns and their entitlement but, change is
inevitable and as was pointed out, change is indeed more rapid than ever.
@Dood111
You really don't understand SHTYE. He is trying to get you to say WHY you are conservative if that is what you are.
He is trying to get you to open up as to what are your objections to liberals and all of that.
So try that, answer his queries.
@mghrn55 saidHealthy conservatism makes logical arguments about the harms of rapid societal change. Sometimes mistakes are made by moving too fast. They've lost the argument in favor of memes and 'own the libs' narratives.
The biggest problem with conservatism is that humanity is moving too fast.
For better or for worse. But too fast.
This is breeding anger.
And any aspiring authoritarian will seize the advantage of that anger.
Mussolini and Hitler ran the same playbook.
Different grievances. But same playbook.
@zahlanzi saidIt hasn't always been that way. The narcissism and fear of others is new. I think conservatives have made enormous contributions to society in the past by recognizing the potential unforeseen harms of trying to fix society through government programs. This was Abe Lincoln conservatism. Liberal ideas need constructive criticism and outright rejection if they are bad. Problematically, all the modern conservatives care about is owning the libs on twitter.
"Conservatism’s profound insight is that it’s impossible to build a healthy society strictly on the principle of self-interest. "
This made me laugh. Whenever someone said "let's improve society somewhat" conservatives stood in the way. Abolishing slavery, women's suffrage, civil rights for African americans, gay rights, workers rights.
On the contrary. conservatives ar ...[text shortened]... guided by the principle "this doesn't affect me, changing it might, we're in no hurry, we can wait"
@wildgrass said"The narcissism and fear of others is new"
It hasn't always been that way. The narcissism and fear of others is new. I think conservatives have made enormous contributions to society in the past by recognizing the potential unforeseen harms of trying to fix society through government programs. This was Abe Lincoln conservatism. Liberal ideas need constructive criticism and outright rejection if they are bad. Problematically, all the modern conservatives care about is owning the libs on twitter.
That is true of both major political parties. Propaganda encourages this divide to conquer most of us. They want us to bitterly oppose each other so we don't see our common enemy, the oligarchy. The Plutocracy. The Fascist State.
Trump and Biden are both too far to the right. Come join me at the real left.
Embrace Socialism.
@metal-brain saidI totally disagree with your assessment of Trump. Look at his budgets and all his social engineering projects. He governed as a liberal.
"The narcissism and fear of others is new"
That is true of both major political parties. Propaganda encourages this divide to conquer most of us. They want us to bitterly oppose each other so we don't see our common enemy, the oligarchy. The Plutocracy. The Fascist State.
Trump and Biden are both too far to the right. Come join me at the real left.
Embrace Socialism.
@jimm619 saidPut AverageJoe1 in the fear column. Thanks a lot. Thanks a lot. Hey, what do you fellers have coming next? I mean, should I just spend hell out of my money, a few trips around the world, whatever, or just wait for y'all to come get it. What would you libs do if you were me? I bet you would spend it.
I agree, conservative, by it's very definition,
is resistant to change and, in the last 20 years,
we have seen tremendous societal changes---
Black President, woman Vice President, gay marriage,
the list goes on. The rapidly changing demographics of
our nation have put fear in the traditional offices of
power namely, white, suburban males. They strive to hold
onto thei ...[text shortened]... ntitlement but, change is
inevitable and as was pointed out, change is indeed more rapid than ever.
- Joined
- 27 Sep 06
- Moves
- 251103
@averagejoe1 saidChange is inevitable,
Put AverageJoe1 in the fear column. Thanks a lot. Thanks a lot. Hey, what do you fellers have coming next? I mean, should I just spend hell out of my money, a few trips around the world, whatever, or just wait for y'all to come get it. What would you libs do if you were me? I bet you would spend it.
don't be so frightened,
be more accepting, and
don't be so narrow-minded.
Would you, at least try, not to
always be so totally,
less than average, joe?