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Mark Weber – Why Conservatives Can’t Win

Summary:
Mark Weber argues in the Unz Review why conservatism is finished. He says identity politics is the real deal and conservatives have nothing to counter it -  because they're not even in the same league. He says on most social issues conservatives have now become liberal, which seems to be true. Even many people on the British far-right now defend gay and women's rights against 'intolerant Islam'.On YouTube, The Britisher gives a good account about why the British Conservative Party has embraced liberal values; but he argues that some conservatism is still required to stop identity politics from running amok.I think all societies will adopt more liberal values in time, because it makes sense- it's about being decent to and fair to people. But there are excessives, for sure, which need to be

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Mark Weber argues in the Unz Review why conservatism is finished. He says identity politics is the real deal and conservatives have nothing to counter it -  because they're not even in the same league. He says on most social issues conservatives have now become liberal, which seems to be true. Even many people on the British far-right now defend gay and women's rights against 'intolerant Islam'.

On YouTube, The Britisher gives a good account about why the British Conservative Party has embraced liberal values; but he argues that some conservatism is still required to stop identity politics from running amok.

I think all societies will adopt more liberal values in time, because it makes sense- it's about being decent to and fair to people. But there are excessives, for sure, which need to be tempered.

Today not a single prominent politician who regards himself as conservative dares call for dismantling Social Security or Medicare. To the contrary, conservative politicians assure voters that they will “protect” these programs. Conservatives likewise fought the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Although there is still some residual talk of repealing and replacing it, it appears that some form of the Act will remain in place. And just as they eventually accepted the once-despised Social Security and Medicare programs, conservatives very likely will come around to accepting some version of Obamacare.
Just what is it that conservatives want to conserve? One answer that’s often given is “freedom” – by which is usually meant “individual freedom.”
Well, if individual freedom is really important, those who call themselves conservative should be very pleased with the trajectory of the past century, because Americans today generally have more freedom and “rights” than those of earlier generations.
Consider life in 1930, for example – when nearly all Americans still regarded the US as a “great” country.
For one thing, employment and job opportunities were generally segregated and restricted by sex and race. Employment notices in newspapers appeared in separate sections, one for Men and another for Women. Women were effectively barred from a wide range of jobs.
There were no “gay rights.” Homosexual behavior was punished as a crime. Any suggestion that a woman might have the “right” to marry another woman, or a man another man, would have been regarded as offensive and absurd.
By law and custom, people of European ancestry could not marry persons of other races. In most states marriage between whites and blacks was a felony.
Abortion was not a “right”; it was a crime.
Americans could not buy groceries, tools or clothes on a Sunday. Stores across the country were closed on Sundays as an expression of respect for the Christian heritage and Christian sensibilities.
No one could legally order a glass of beer or enjoy a bottle of wine with a meal in a restaurant. The sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited throughout the country.
How many Americans today who call themselves conservative would prefer life in the “great” America of 1930 to life in the “liberal” USA of our era? Is “freedom” really the most important thing that conservatives want to conserve?

The  Unz Review

The Britisher - How did UK politics become so 'progressive'?

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Mike Norman
Mike Norman is an economist and veteran trader whose career has spanned over 30 years on Wall Street. He is a former member and trader on the CME, NYMEX, COMEX and NYFE and he managed money for one of the largest hedge funds and ran a prop trading desk for Credit Suisse.

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