United States | News & Politics

Hey there. So I'm doing some reading trying to see if I'm just wrong here. I might be?

Just for context about where I learned about Conservatism, its roots, and how it functions in America now, this is really good distillation of what I've been learning: The Alt-Right Playbook - Endnote 3: The Origins of Conservatism.

There's a few bits in there that I find particularly salient for this discussion. First, that early Conservatism was trying to figure out how the aristocracy could maintain its position in society post-monarchy, and they eventually settled on "the market". Second, that Conservatism has an everpresent undercurrent of "the wealthy deserve what they get, the poors are just freeloaders." And third, that conservatives in the US say they care about measured steps and slow steady progress, but then all of a sudden they're about swift, decisive action (usually by invading somewhere).

That final point is a big reason I tend to balk when people say that conservatism is about slow and steady progress vs revolutionary action. That's something I grew up believing in the US, but it just never seemed accurate to how any conservatives in the US actually behaved. Virtually nothing conservatives say or do here make sense through the lens of "slow and steady" but make a lot more sense if you view it through a lens of preserving hierarchies and ensuring the people at the top stay there and those at the bottom grovel harder.

So I see these throughlines, and I have a hard time imagining that Conservatism (of the old European variety) simply had no strains here in the US. Yet, a lot of what I'm reading suggests that American conservatism is, as you said, a bit different. I haven't looked deeply enough yet, but my initial thought is because the USA itself was instituted against monarchy, the pro-monarchy bits may not have fit, but the strict traditional hierarchy preservation certainly did.

I dunno. You have any idea how hard it is to unfuck your brain? It's harder than you think!

Then please, enlighten me.

Surely I'm not so "brain fucked" that I can't learn? Help a brother out.

Edit: I love how for a supposedly leftist community, a guy asking for a lesson is down voted. The leftist infighting is real. You think I wouldn't read what you sent?