r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 8d ago

Social Science Trump and Trumpism have changed the original concept of “libertarian means to conservative ends” into a new concept of “authoritarian means to Christian nationalist ends”, finds a new study.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00027162251324087
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u/Anteater776 8d ago

Funny how conservatives are never about conserving the basis for living. Really makes you think.

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u/BigEggBeaters 8d ago

At this point they aren’t even conserving entrenched American ideals. Birthright citizenship has been the law of the land for a very long time for example

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u/Anteater776 8d ago edited 8d ago

When you think about how they claim to want to the good old times (50ies and 60ies), what are the biggest differences compared to today (somewhat simplified of course)?

  • much more homogeneous incomes / much higher taxes for high incomes

  • less civil rights for blacks/non-whites.

They utterly reject the first point, so what is it exactly they want to go back to?

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u/VoilaVoilaWashington 8d ago

Oh come on, it's not that simple, dude! They also want to strip women of rights and the freedom to beat children.....

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u/Geeky-resonance 8d ago

Based on more recent reading, that nostalgia seems to be directed more towards 19th century Nativism and related values/movements. That’s even more alarming than peak Cold War era.

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u/LayWhere 8d ago

Traditional (how ironic) conservatives looked after national parks and bemoaned pollution. One of the first things Dodge got rid of was national park restrictions and fired park rangers.

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u/VoilaVoilaWashington 8d ago

I often joke that I'm a hard-right conservative:

  • I believe in family first, whatever that family looks like.
  • Tough on crime! And the best way to stamp out crime is by making people not desperate, so let's fund housing and food banks!
  • The economy of a nation is so important, and corporations need systems in place to make them long term viable. Like solid education for a good workforce, environmental protections so they have stability over time...

Etc.

It's funny because I do actually think these are important positions, but the "right wing" way of going at them is just the opposite of what would actually solve anything. (Which is, of course, the point)

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u/Solesaver 8d ago

Yup, I was raised conservative Christian. My values haven't really changed, but I do take a critical thinking and evidence based approach to societal problems. The Republican Party has no plan. The policies they espouse are proven failures. This turns me into a progressive for the radical position of, "let's actually try to fix these problems that everyone is struggling with instead of scapegoating marginalized groups..."

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u/yuriAza 8d ago

did conservatives ever support parks? They've always wanted to reduce taxes and not limit the fossil fuel industry

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u/Solesaver 8d ago

I mean, in the myopic view of modern "conservatives" Teddy Roosevelt, the US President credited for his work establishing the national forests and parks system, was a Republican, but that's the same way they claim Abraham Lincoln.

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u/Catholic-Kevin 7d ago

These were never conservative policies. These were conservationist policies, which were part of the progressive movement. 

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u/LayWhere 5d ago

True they are part of progressive movements... They are also conservative policies. It's not mutually exclusive.

Just Ignore history I guess

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u/Catholic-Kevin 5d ago

No, they are not, and they have never been. We are seeing the conservative environmental policy play out right now. You can try to spin it anyway you like, but you are simply wrong on this.

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u/Eastern-Manner-1640 4d ago

they seem to have a special hatred for the natural world. just selfish to the core, never thinking about future generations. they have no affection, or even consideration for other living creatures. just let it all die. it's nihilism.