The slow agonising death of the right

Now I've got your attention

I think the right in the US are becoming, ideologically speaking, a spent force still moving on momentum but running on empty.

The things that sustained right wing politics have traditionally been the American Empire (manifest destiny, anti-communism and neo-con dogma) and free market economics (laissez-faire and neoliberalism). The first died in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan the second has been in trouble for some time.

For many on the American right differing versions of free market thinking has long been thought of as a basic panacea to all economic ills. Even slave owner’s support laissez-faire economics and as part of their ‘nation building’ the no-cons wanted to impose neoliberalism on the Iraqis. But even some supporters of neoliberalism have begun to notice its deficiencies and inch closer to those that have long been in opposition to it.

So the question is have these big ideas that have long held the right together lost (or are losing) their cohesive powers and with it the ability to hold the right together.

It does seem rather fractious these days, the Republican Party seems to have been hi-jacked by a cult of personality that seems rather isolationist and protectionist in its outlook. Many moderate Republicans have been repulsed and seemed to be followed by old school conservatives while those to the further right seem to feel more at home.

I might not have agreed with what seemed to be the two ideological pillars of the US right but they were dynamic and held a vision of the future whoever misinformed and flawed that was.

But what is the rights vision now, many seem to be looking to the past of turning back the clock to when ‘America was great’ that is the very opposite of forward looking and when such talk comes from the further right worrying and even racist.

The economic vision seems even more confused with many Trump supporters seemingly opposed to neoliberal philosophy while voting for those that push (at least some) of that agenda. I heard one saying they were for the free market and protectionism in the same sentence without seeming to see the contradiction in any way. They seem to want a nationalistic neoliberalism with protections for themselves and the free market for others. That isn’t a vision for the future it is a mess.

Ok I don’t think the right is going away but if it wasn’t for a 18th century squire electoral system and some dubious electoral practices would it even be the force it is today?

 

You had me at "death".

 

They don't seem to have the young voters the Democrat's do. I think this since I rarely see a person under 40 is openly Republican. Also, they work so hard to highlight the young voters they do have I think of it as a marketing spin. Like "hey young people come over here and join your friends". They work very hard to prove what would go without saying if it was true.

If they are doubling down on anti-socialism they have no idea what Americans want anymore. They are stuck in the 1950's.

 

Stuck in the 50s? Like, when Americans didn't want communism?

 

No, when they thought only white men mattered and when they did not understand the difference between social democracy and communism so despite the high tax of the time any debate is ended when you say "this is communism".

Looks like you don't the difference either.

 

Always with the cute stuff. Oh well. According to conventional whining, the "when white men mattered" issue has not changed at all. What I find alarming is anyone who is so hair-triggered to call people racists. That's a real issue. The history of communism in the 1950's US is on display all over the place, I'll interpret it as I see fit. You make broad assumptions about me with slim experience. It's frustrating. I'd prefer you stuck to the issue instead of tossing turds.

 

you probably live in a legitimate city, don't you? around here, a majority of the non-republicans are younger, but even the young people are way more likely to be republicans than anything else.

 

I could say you do the same of me.

Your support of various topics speaks to your morals. If my view of that offends you oh well. All my views are form your words. If you want to feel like a victim well that's right out of your people's playbook.

No I live in a small town. It's outside a major city but very mountain rural. Population of 20K

 

And more will switch from Democrat to Republican than vice versa as they get older.

 

Not really

I guess it's all how one does the statistics.

 

So then, this all hinges on your idea of "support". Also, "your people's" sounds dangerously close to "you people". If you recall that was a cardinal sin and launched the identity-politics industry!

 

And the US is getting older. Importing brat machines isn't going to guarantee votes. Have a popover froggie.

 

I'm not even sure what identity polotics is.

It's just a word cons use when they don't want to be responsible for their actions. Like it's unfair to say anything since oh now you are making it all about race.

Like I said you speak in a condensing tone and think you know more than you. That's probably why I annoy you. I actuly bring some thought and speak on person's actions. You can't fight that so all you have is snarky comments and the idea you are picked on as con.

 

The real shame is that Trump didn't run as an independent. But, he needed to defeat each party in order of 1) the easiest to infiltrate AND 2) the easiest to humiliate.

We need a 3rd choice. Not like Perot, who couldn't handle death threats against his grandchildren. I'd say Bernie, if it was not so late in his life. Besides, I don't think he can fool democrats again.

Hogan's a republican though.

 

Condensing you say?

 

And there it is. You're here to "fight".

I don't know how I could have made it more obvious that I am NOT here to "fight".

 

i realize i really have no clue where you are. as in, other than being in the US i can't even narrow it down to a major region. not sure if that's by design or if i just haven't paid proper attention.

anyway, if you're talking about a suburb that would still make sense to me. where i currently am is something like 14k, but it's a good hour from any major city, with miles and miles of farmland in between. and people are right wing as fuck. i really don't identify as a liberal, or anything else for that matter, but i find myself leaning more and more that direction only because i can't stand listening to the idiots on the other side anymore.

 

fight is not the word I would use. Correct arrogant ignorance perhaps but I'm not really a fighter. People don't usualy bother me physically and mentally I don't really find you worth it. You probably put more stress into this then I do. My theory is that the goal with you.

A boat rocker. You said it yourself you enjoy being an asshole. So I just figure I must be doing something right.

 

I don't really have a party but anti-trump which puts me in a specific spot here. For as much as I am accused of pigeon holing that one fact is enough for many to do the same.

I'm in Colorado.

 

Panic

But you don’t address the issues and more often than not throw out stuff you can’t then defend from criticism LOL I mean in my experience you often don’t even seem capable of answering simple questions.

Much like you pseudonym indicates you seem to get scared and then run away.

Whose conventional thinking?

I mean it would seem to me that in fact many people are much more accepting of a multicultural and mixed society than was prevalent in 1950’s America.

I think that there has been a distillation, with 1950 attitudes becoming concentrated in smaller groups were racism to one degree or another still exists, are you claiming otherwise?

LOL and what the fuck does that mean?

I mean come on man first you would have to display some fitness to do the interpreting and so far that really hasn’t been on display - as I’ve pointed out on many occasions you don’t even seem capable of answering simple questions.