Thoughts on conservatism

Clover
Kozlik's regular account 🍀🐐

1,594

Jul 3 2025, 3:48 PM

#11

https://reddit.com/comments/1lqx972/comment/n16dylk

GlitchyButGood
Quote:heinous

Summarizes the entire republican party for at least the last 50 years. This isn't the first time republicans have sabotaged or manipulated policies and programs to maintain power, and it won't be the last time Americans fall for it.

2 a.m. ACA repeal attempts: Tried to gut Obamacare in the middle of the night so no one would notice

SCOTUS: Blocked Garland because it was an “election year,” then shoved Barrett through weeks before the 2020 election

Deferred budget disasters: Places like Kansas and Wisconsin slashed taxes while telling voters nothing bad would happen, because they knew the impact wouldn't be felt for several years. Sure enough, schools lost funding, infrastructure crumbled, and essential services were gutted. Kansas’s economy tanked so hard they had to repeal the tax cuts just to stay afloat. In Wisconsin, public schools and universities were hollowed out, and the promised economic growth never materialized. But by the time voters realized what happened, the people responsible were already reelected or out the door.

Debt ceiling games: Blow up the deficit with tax cuts, then freak out over spending, but only when a Dem's in office. If the next president is a Dem - big if in our fascist hellscape - I guarantee you the debt, which will 100% grow under Trump (again), will be blamed on that person. Probably before they even take office.

While the average republican voter is certainly not aware of the game - that the entire party only exists to stay in power and enrich themselves - they also don't care when someone points it out. Trump managed to whip them into such an emotional frenzy that they can't come down from it long enough to think rationally.

Clover
Kozlik's regular account 🍀🐐

1,594

Aug 15 2026, 9:56 AM

#12

https://reddit.com/comments/1vosbwk/comment/p3t9tl9

Quote:
That is right wing ideology in a nutshell: it is based on "natural social hierarchy" where people ascend or descend over time to their rightful step in that ladder. The idea is that we can not mess with that hierarchy as perfect hierarchy will create a perfect society. When you ascend high enough you are so far above average citizen that laws become unfair: you are so good at being better that you should not have so many restrictions put on you, it is wrong to demand such a person to follow the same ruleset than the lowest of the low follow, they should have the power to choose what laws to respect.

The idea is simple to understand if we look at highway speed limits: a person with great car and obviously then incredible car control, better ability to assess risks and make better decisions should not be limited to average speed limits. They know how to drive faster and yet be more safe than some housewife in their beat up Honda. ^((edit: this is not how i think, this is an analog or illustration, example of the way some people do think.))

Litmus test is: "do you think income based fines are fair?". Those people abhor the idea that a fine should have the same impact on poor and rich. This is the reason they want to become rich: avoid all consequences from being a selfish asshole and thus there is the need to defend the rich now even if you aren't one yet.

Some, like you FIL and most of right wingers think like that. That better position in the social hierarchy must mean that this inequality will be expanded to about everything in life: poorest have the strictest rules and harshest punishments, how else are they going to learn. Where as richest can literally go and kill someone in broad daylight. Some people grow up thinking that this is the natural way and it sort of is: if we don't artificially, by laws and monopoly of state violence stop this from happening then it will happen: that is the way inequality works!

If i talked with your FIL for half an hour we would probably find out he also has some interesting ideas about the benefits of eugenics....They always do.

Clover
Kozlik's regular account 🍀🐐

1,594

1 hour ago

#13

https://reddit.com/comments/1x5yj1o/comment/pgqmy4m

Shido_Ohtori "Perceived victimhood, authoritarianism, populism, and white identity are the most powerful predictors of support for violence, though military service, conspiratorial thinking, anxiety, and feelings of powerlessness are also related."

Studies also show that "radical acts perpetrated by individuals associated with left-wing causes are less likely to be violent. In the United States, we find no difference between the level of violence perpetrated by right-wing and Islamist extremists.", and numerous investigations show that "right-wing populists are generally more likely to justify political violence compared to mainstream voters and non-voters".

Conservatism -- by definition -- is "a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing the importance of established hierarchies and institutions (such as religion, the family, and class structure), and preferring gradual development to abrupt change".

The sole value of conservatism is respect for and obedience to [one's perception of] traditionally established hierarchy, and hierarchy dictates that those on top (in-groups) are rightfully idolized and receive privileges, credibility, and resources, while those on the bottom (out-groups) are demonized/dehumanized and/or bound by restrictions, scrutiny, and lack of resources.

To them, the second-greatest injustice imaginable is for those [they perceive to be] on top [of social hierarchy] to be bound by the restrictions, scrutiny, and lack of resources reserved for those on the bottom. The first greatest injustice is for those on the bottom to have access to the rights, credibility, and resources reserved for those on top.

Conservatives absolutely need an underclass [for society] to demonize and dehumanize in order to maintain [their] hierarchy, and every single one of their policies and rhetoric work to do exactly that. Unless the accusation is one of disrespecting hierarchy, every right-wing accusation is a confession -- every. single. one; always! -- as it is never the act itself that upsets them, but rather, the social standing of the person doing the act, as said act is a privilege meant for those on top of [their perceived] hierarchy (See also: pedophilia - Trump and the Catholic church versus LGBTQ+ and drag queens; protests - January 6th vs. BLM and No Kings; parental rights - anti-LGBTQ+ vs pro-LGBTQ+; indoctrination - religion vs. education).

Those who believe all people are people see hypocrisy, while those who believe some people are "more/less" people than others see hierarchy. Hypocrisy implies a sense of equality/parity, as the accusation of such is that someone is violating a universal or common standard. Hierarchy directly states that there is no equality/parity, that different social strata have different standards, that the only universal standard concerning hierarchy is that those on top are allowed privileges which are denied to those on the bottom, and that the bottom are held to standards which the top are exempt from.

"Know your place" is their mantra.