Conservatism is about favoring tradition and supporting the status quo. Going this wild about a common grammatical construct because it reminds you of people you hate for existing isn’t conservative, it’s something far worse.
One could argue that so called “traditions” they are holding so much dearly in their heart never was fully a thing and is just the product of past idealizations and marketing propaganda. “The perfect suburban american trad family” from the 60s is a construct made by marketing people to sell fridges, diamond and beautiful car.
I think we agree that most self-identified conservatives aren’t actually very invested in the status quo or tradition, and are actually regressive reactionaries, but I think it’s a clearer point to say that most self-identified conservatives aren’t in fact conservative, than that conservatism isn’t actually what people (claim they) mean when they say conservative. At that point, conservatism loses its meaning.
There is a difference between historical conservatism and what it has become. Even setting that aside, there is much daylight between what a movement will profess and what it will ultimately produce.
Conservatism is about favoring tradition and supporting the status quo. Going this wild about a common grammatical construct because it reminds you of people you hate for existing isn’t conservative, it’s something far worse.
No, that’s a lie conservatives tell to make their ideology seem less abhorrent.
What conservatism is actually about is perpetuating hierarchy.
One could argue that so called “traditions” they are holding so much dearly in their heart never was fully a thing and is just the product of past idealizations and marketing propaganda. “The perfect suburban american trad family” from the 60s is a construct made by marketing people to sell fridges, diamond and beautiful car.
Idealizing a fake era of greatness which came before the weak, but also very powerful bad people took it away.
Now where have I heard that one before? 🤔
That’s just what Conservatism claims to be about, but it has always been regressive
I think we agree that most self-identified conservatives aren’t actually very invested in the status quo or tradition, and are actually regressive reactionaries, but I think it’s a clearer point to say that most self-identified conservatives aren’t in fact conservative, than that conservatism isn’t actually what people (claim they) mean when they say conservative. At that point, conservatism loses its meaning.
Conservatism hasn’t lost its meaning, conservatism just never meant what conservatives claimed it meant; it’s always been a façade.
Conservatism is about conserving (and reinforcing) power structures; all talk about ‘tradition’ and ‘stability’/‘status-quo’ is wool over your eyes.
In liberal democracy, the status quo is liberalism. Conservatism was to conserve the monarchy and aristocracy.
There is a difference between historical conservatism and what it has become. Even setting that aside, there is much daylight between what a movement will profess and what it will ultimately produce.
No, there really isn’t. True conservatism is an unbroken line from royalists, to confederates, to nazis, to Trump.
It’s the allegedly small government, pro-freedom “conservatives” – i.e. self-deluded liberals who mislabeled themselves – who were the aberration.