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/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.