dagblog - Comments for "The Death of Intellectual Conservatism"

When I saw the words

moat — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 00:08:47 +0000

In reply to The Death of Intellectual Conservatism

When I saw the words "intellectual conservatism" , I thought you might talk about Michael Oakeshott, Leo Strauss, or perhaps Francis Fukuyama. They don't agree with each other about how we should talk about history but they all put a high premium on preserving the means at hand over reaching for methods that dissolve society's existing structure.

I suppose Hannah Arendt could be put in that category if one ignored her caustic analysis of why the holocaust happened.

Nesbit makes some good points but is weak beer compared to Ivan Illich. I prefer communitarians who work from the inside out.

Yeah, he hated those guys. He

Michael Wolraich — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 21:30:08 +0000

In reply to Goldwater did warn about the

Yeah, he hated those guys. He also opposed segregation, though as far as I know, he never publicly disavowed racists like Pat Buchanan.

The Southern Poverty Law

rmrd0000 — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 19:04:34 +0000

In reply to History repeats itself.

The Southern Poverty Law Center says Trump has "White Nationalist Positions". The last time this was seen was with Republican Pat Buchanan. Buchanan was more careful in his wording and considered an "intellectual".

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-white-nationalist-positions_55...

History repeats itself.

rmrd0000 — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 18:52:52 +0000

In reply to The Death of Intellectual Conservatism

History repeats itself. Goldwater attracted the racists. Trump attracts the racists.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/08/31/the-fearful-and-the-frustrated

Nobody in the GOP leadership is willing to call out Trump

Goldwater got Jackie Robinson and most of the other blacks left in the GOP in 1964 to abandon the party. Robinson was vocal in his disgust. Unfortunately, those blacks left in the GOP today are to weak to voice any real opposition to Trump. They get labeled as"Uncle Toms" by some.

Note that the "Uncle Tom" label refers to the servile character portrayed in many staged versions of the book. In the book, Tom was a devout Christian who died rather than reveal the position of two escaped slaves (belated spoiler alert). There is no black in the GOP with the moral courage of the character in the original book version of "Uncle Tom's Cabin". I personally don't call them "Tom's" because Tom was heroic.

Goldwater did warn about the

rmrd0000 — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 18:14:21 +0000

In reply to I certainly agree that the

Goldwater did warn about the Religious Right

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/05/13/barry-goldwaters-war-against-the...

So yes, Buckley and Goldwater

Michael Maiello — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 18:14:13 +0000

In reply to I certainly agree that the

So yes, Buckley and Goldwater were ultimately responsible for Trump, but they would nonetheless be appalled by his popularity in the Republican Party.

Don't know much about Goldwater but Buckley was basically the kind of moneyed snob that Trump really gets a kick out of being richer than...

Great question.

Oxy Mora — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 18:08:03 +0000

In reply to I agree with rmrd. I used to

Great question.

I certainly agree that the

Michael Wolraich — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 17:33:45 +0000

In reply to Trump is not a new phenomenon

I certainly agree that the GOP made its own bed, but there is nonetheless a distinction between the old conservative intellectuals and contemporary racists and xenophobes. Buckley and Goldwater opposed civil rights legislation on libertarian grounds. Goldwater and, later, Nixon and Reagan, welcomed racists, xenophobes, and religious fundamentalists as foot soldiers in their anti-tax, small-government army. But those foot soldiers have grown into a major power in the party, while remaining intellectuals have been marginalized. So yes, Buckley and Goldwater were ultimately responsible for Trump, but they would nonetheless be appalled by his popularity in the Republican Party.

I agree with rmrd. I used to

Michael Maiello — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 17:11:03 +0000

In reply to The Death of Intellectual Conservatism

I agree with rmrd. I used to lament this as well, often citing Buckley and the old National Review but have since learned that my memories of such things were more than a bit whitewashed.

Really, who is there left to pine for from a conservative intellectual movement? The guy who wrote The Closing of the American Mind?

Trump is not a new phenomenon

rmrd0000 — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 13:01:12 +0000

In reply to The Death of Intellectual Conservatism

Trump is not a new phenomenon. Barry Goldwater was championing State's Rights. Martin Luther King said that while Goldwater might not be a racist himself, he would curry favor with racists to gain votes. King said that a person of good conscience could not vote for Goldwater.

William F Buckley Jr. openly criticized the Civil Rights movement. Richard Nixon and Lee Atwater crafted the Southern Strategy. The segregationist theme was put in print in the "National Review". Ronald Reagan began his campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi, the site where three Civil Rights workers were slain. Reagan had a state's rights message. GW Bush hoodwinked homophobic black pastors with a faith-based initiative, then abandoned the program after stealing their votes. The current GOP is focused on voter suppression and has no plans to help repair the Voting Rights Act.

Trump is the modern GOP. The party doesn't want its message put in such blunt terms, but it is the true message of the GOP.