Transitory Right Wing Politics

Conservatism is seen and spoken of as reactionary, a term used with the intention to denigrate. The label is partially accurate, as part of being conservative is to react to imprudent actions; but the label is not denigrating. It should only be denigrating when conservatives themselves profess that the solution to the left’s radical agenda, to unmoor and upend social and cultural standards, is nothing at all, save for a few hollers and complaints until there’s no choice but to accept the change. This is usually what is criticized of the libertarian or centrist, who position themselves against radicalism and then scoff at the populist right wing who, though they may be acting in reaction, are at least giving some fight.

For more on conservatism as reactionary, see Luke’s article in our editors’ blog below.

What conservatives fail to understand is power, and how to wield it. The most exemplary figure that I can see that does understand it is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. While he acts in reaction to “woke” policies that infiltrate his state, he then takes measures to legislatively counter them. Some examples include removing math textbooks that were steeped in Critical Race Theory, prioritizing parental rights in education, or removing special privileges from Disney (whose leaked footage shows their pro-LGBT agenda and attempted to push back on the parental bill).

But most times, and often they sit by and absorb the disingenuous names that are thrown at them, while automatically accepting to be the minority opinion, which is why conservatives have lost so much cultural ground. Other times, conservatives capitalize on when they are needed, rise to power to solve the problem, and then are dropped. The best example for this is on crime, where Republicans’ rise to power is showcased as transitory, where they are unable to legitimate their control and only win over Democratic constituents by an exception to their principles.