The psychology is not hard to figure out. People in the depths of groupthink and crowd behaviour require an evil out-group to justify their own prejudices and unfounded beliefs, leading to a conspiracist mindset where all opposition is framed as being part of some big conspiracy against the noble in-group cause.
In what way? People who are not progressives rarely have uniform views which they all agree on.
Progressivism on the other hand is intensely creedal and relies on social pressure towards group conformity around certain ideological beliefs.
Small-c conservatives have a wide range of political viewpoints from all over the political spectrum -right, left, or centre.
Social conservatives are progressives, just not Leftist ones. SoCons have a plan for society, and mean to enforce it by government no more limited than is required to effect that plan.
I am small c conservative, social conservatives are not.
I am American, not European, I know liberty is what is conservative. SoCons are no more conservative than were the Montagnards.
Inordinately fetishizing ‘liberty’ is mainly considered ‘conservative’ in right-libertarian sections of the anglosphere, particularly America. Anomic cultures where freedom of choice seems to be the only value they think it’s important to uphold.
In the greater scheme of things maximizing liberty at the expense of all other values is not particularly conservative
But you’re right that there are also forms of tribalism and crowd behaviour on the Right (altho I think eclipsed by progressive tribalism)
This is not about politics. This is about whether it is morally right or not to give hormonal drugs to and/or perform sexual reassignment surgeries on children who have no idea of how such procedures will profoundly impact their lives. Or do you believe children are mature enough to just know this?
JF
Julian Farrows
1 month ago
From what I’ve heard from lawyer friends in the US, the ACLU is highly elitist. It is run by Ivy League graduates who refuse to hire lawyers who’ve graduated from non-Ivy League schools. For all their talk about equity and equality, they leverage their positions of power to hurt those less ‘privileged’ than themselves. I’m starting to get the distinct impression that our elite institutions are producing nothing more than spiteful entitled brats.
Classism is indeed entrenched within progressivism. Notice how class inclusion in DEI is neglected.
LL
Lancashire Lad
1 month ago
I’m encouraged to read there are 18 (eighteen!) gender-critical organisations in the United States.
JV
Jim Veenbaas
1 month ago
So the ACLU is going after journalists and whistleblowers now. Utterly pathetic. I’m telling ya, we have a desperate problem with NGOs in the west. They are hijacking the political process for their own benefit.
The psychology is not hard to figure out. People in the depths of groupthink and crowd behaviour require an evil out-group to justify their own prejudices and unfounded beliefs, leading to a conspiracist mindset where all opposition is framed as being part of some big conspiracy against the noble in-group cause.
“People in the depths of groupthink and crowd behaviour” <– That describes the social conservative herd here at UnHerd to a T.
In what way? People who are not progressives rarely have uniform views which they all agree on.
Progressivism on the other hand is intensely creedal and relies on social pressure towards group conformity around certain ideological beliefs.
Small-c conservatives have a wide range of political viewpoints from all over the political spectrum -right, left, or centre.
Social conservatives are progressives, just not Leftist ones. SoCons have a plan for society, and mean to enforce it by government no more limited than is required to effect that plan.
I am small c conservative, social conservatives are not.
I am American, not European, I know liberty is what is conservative. SoCons are no more conservative than were the Montagnards.
Inordinately fetishizing ‘liberty’ is mainly considered ‘conservative’ in right-libertarian sections of the anglosphere, particularly America. Anomic cultures where freedom of choice seems to be the only value they think it’s important to uphold.
In the greater scheme of things maximizing liberty at the expense of all other values is not particularly conservative
But you’re right that there are also forms of tribalism and crowd behaviour on the Right (altho I think eclipsed by progressive tribalism)
This is not about politics. This is about whether it is morally right or not to give hormonal drugs to and/or perform sexual reassignment surgeries on children who have no idea of how such procedures will profoundly impact their lives. Or do you believe children are mature enough to just know this?
From what I’ve heard from lawyer friends in the US, the ACLU is highly elitist. It is run by Ivy League graduates who refuse to hire lawyers who’ve graduated from non-Ivy League schools. For all their talk about equity and equality, they leverage their positions of power to hurt those less ‘privileged’ than themselves. I’m starting to get the distinct impression that our elite institutions are producing nothing more than spiteful entitled brats.
Edited to include this link from the Atlantic. It’s an article from 2001: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2001/04/the-organization-kid/302164/
Without meaning to, it provides invaluable insight into how we became so polarized in the West. Warning: it is a very very long read.
Classism is indeed entrenched within progressivism. Notice how class inclusion in DEI is neglected.
I’m encouraged to read there are 18 (eighteen!) gender-critical organisations in the United States.
So the ACLU is going after journalists and whistleblowers now. Utterly pathetic. I’m telling ya, we have a desperate problem with NGOs in the west. They are hijacking the political process for their own benefit.
“So the ACLU is going after journalists and whistleblowers now” <– No, against proven liars. Like Reed and Singal.
It is far past time for these bigoted liars like Reed and Singal to be held accountable.
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/family-of-missouri-trans-kid-jamie
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/missouri-anti-trans-whistleblower
I know you Social Conservative are progressives who are fine with getting by on lies if you can, but why should anyone else take you seriously? . . .
. . . Other than as a threat to your chosen victims.
Your pogrom will fail.
Valerian drops
As relevant as anything the usual self–annointed here usually have to say.
As the self-disappointed in reality spokesperson, i’ve yet to read anything you’ve written that isn’t the usual unthinking-progressive tripe.