What is largely obscured by the constant distraction of an untethered president is the rapid philosophical collapse of conservatism. It has been said that in the long run liberalism always wins. This is primarily due to the fact that most human beings, particularly those in free and democratic societies, are biased toward progress, and liberalism is a forward-looking perspective, while conservatism is generally backward-looking. If you consider the progress we have made as a society — be it civil rights, security for the disabled and the elderly, the reduction of pollution, or consumer and worker protections — these have been progressive ideas that prevailed against conservative resistance.
William F. Buckley Jr., often considered the father of modern conservatism, once said, “Conservatives pride themselves on resisting change, which is as it should be. But intelligent deference to tradition and stability can evolve into intellectual sloth and moral fanaticism, as when conservatives simply decline to look up from dogma because the effort to raise their heads and reconsider is too great.” The predicament of 21st-century conservatism could not be more accurately described. Let’s look at three traditional conservative principles to see how Buckley’s warning has predicted the present.
1. Limited government is a necessary evil required to maintain a civil society. From this cautious and pessimistic view of government, conservatives have evolved into a movement that despises government and believes it can do no good. But some challenges we face today — from a broken health-care system and a crumbling infrastructure to lax gun laws and global warming — require a nationwide response that can only come through government.
This antagonistic view of government produces two ill-conceived outgrowths. First, because government is viewed as the enemy, taxation is seen as evil. This lies behind the myopic economic policies of the right. Their answer to everything is to cut taxes, primarily on the wealthy. They really haven’t had an original economic idea since Reagan was baptized into the supply-side religion. And trickle-down theology is disastrous in practice. It has given us horrendous inequality and massive debt. As Buckley warned, this is a sign of a movement so weighed down by dogma that it cannot raise its head and reconsider.
The second outgrowth of government loathing is that conservatives have placed their trust instead in the authoritarian institutions of capitalism, presuming incorrectly both that the market can solve every problem and that its profit-seeking organizations will self-regulate. But these beliefs lead inevitably to the decimation of the middle class, the destruction of the environment, and the dilution of democracy. As wealth has purchased political power, we find a conservative movement favoring policies that enrich the rich, exhibiting a callous disregard toward the poor, and flaunting a cavalier attitude toward the health of our planet.
2. Individuals are more likely than bureaucrats to know what is in their own self-interest. This individualistic and anti-government sentiment has been twisted and expanded by 21st-century conservatives into a general mistrust of experts of any flavor. If someone has real expertise, he or she is not to be trusted. And it is not just government bureaucrats, but scientists, economists, policy analysts, health care specialists, intelligence operatives and diplomats. The conservative movement used to have a solid intellectual foundation, but as it became first the obstructionist party and then the party of the wealthy, it has forsaken its philosophical roots for a shallow, greed-based form of tribalism.
3. Buckley: “I mean to live my life an obedient man, but obedient to God … never to the authority of political truths arrived at yesterday at the voting booth.” The conservative movement has drifted free of its moral moorings. With its collective embrace of Donald Trump, the conservative movement has turned its back on Christian virtues and family values. In the words of Michael Gerson, former speechwriter and policy analyst for George W. Bush, “Trump’s background and beliefs could hardly be more incompatible with traditional Christian models of life and leadership. Trump’s past political stances … his character … and even his language … would more naturally lead religious conservatives toward exorcism than alliance.” But personal morals apparently no longer matter.
The conservative movement is in deep trouble. But unless it can raise its head out of the ideological echo chamber and reconsider, it will become increasingly irrelevant in a world tilted toward progress.