How it is that we can call so many disparate, irreconcilable ideologies – various ethno-nationalisms, imperialism, financialism, patriarchy, Christian nationalism, libertarianism, white supremacy, etc – “conservative”? What binds all these views together?
It depends on what you consider conservatism. At its core, it means to conserve the values and traditions of a nation or people and, if applicable, a country. Most of the time, as it is understood, it means the ways we have done it and is often, but not always, tied to religion. If we consider that, the people you listed would be considered reactionaries, not necessarily conservatives. This is why we can, for example, have Leftist Conservatives. But if we simply consider conservatism as whatever people say they want to conserve or as a reactionary thing, the same desire to conserve can bind these groups to what many people may consider conservative.
P.S. Sorry for the late response. My finals are soon on the 15th and I have swamped in schoolwork.
That happens whenever you take something and broaden it to a massive side. If conservatism is all that then liberalism is everything from communits countries to social democracies. Its basically left/right at that point. Theoretically going back it should be about slow change ie not rocking the boat. Not making changes that are unnecessary and sticking to more traditional things. Then financially about pay as you go, not get in debt. Only investing in things with strong returns that help everybody although the idea is for the government not to do much of that and leaving it to private enterprise. government theoretically should provide a as much as possible hands off framework and enforce it with courts such along with provide for commone defense. Whats really funny is how what is theoretically modern conservatism abandons tons of that.
Well, the key component of conservatism, at least in the western world is that it’s anti, not pro.
Every part of the slate that the various sub genres you listed actually work towards is against something else.
Since the core concept of conservatism (again, in the us specifically andn the western world in general) is conserving the status quo, and the status quo is and has been distinctly for white men, cis-het in particular, being on top of the pile, that left ever other section of the “horseshoe” having to distinctly struggle out from under that oppression.
If what you’re conserving is built on oppression and inequality, don’t be surprised when groups dedicated to those things flock to the banner.
Don’t get me wrong, there are people that call themselves conservatives that are just capitalists with otherwise open minds. And there’s some that just want to keep their individual lives the way they want them, and don’t actually care if others get to do so as well. But they’re the minority, and there’s names for them like “RINO”. And they get pushed out of their essentially moderate/center place by those with louder voices and more power.
@rimu@piefed.social Same as everything else - nothing as a whole, but there is enough commonality with any individual group that the whole stands.
