No, the Right is Not Responsible for Our Impending Collapse

Many consistently espouse the view that problems in the United States (and the world for that matter) are largely due to Republicans and conservatives.   Frankly, this is almost laughable in light of reality.

As our culture becomes more debased, it is clear that society is not retreating to social mores of the established past.  Instead, it is running rapidly toward newly defined and ever-evolving standards of morality.  This pursuit of being ‘woke’ is straining the limits of being able to live peaceably with others. It is a new breed of self-righteousness that rejects any Biblical authority and promotes the individual as the definer of their own reality.  Not only is this theologically erroneous, it is also dangerous to liberty itself.

A society in which every person demands universal acceptance of their views cannot function and a society in which every person labels opposition as evil cannot survive.  Once power is obtained, this narcissistic mindset will naturally rule with an iron fist.  It will silence disagreement with all tools at its disposal including technology, entertainment and education.  It will seek economic sanctions against those who it vilifies by tax policy and encouraging people to not patronize certain businesses.  Churches will no longer be havens of religious liberty and parental freedom to teach our children anything different from the ongoing cultural perspective will be met with antagonism, all under the banner of tolerance.

This may sound like the ranting of a fatalist, but all of these things are occurring or being advocated for in real time before our eyes.  While I have always maintained that most left-leaning Americans subscribe to a Fabian-like socialism, 2020 sped their progress up exponentially.  From public shaming over COVID mandates to violent and destructive protests and a vitriolic election cycle, the progressive agenda in its many forms is visibly tearing apart the country.

To say there has been any sustained trend of fiscal or social conservatism occurring in the past 25 years goes against the facts.  Most conservatives have voted Republican simply as a stop gap for radical leftist legislation and thus believing that gridlock is a much better alternative.

The size, scope and spending of Government has not decreased in any tangible way.  In fact, government continues its voracious appetite for more power and Americans seemingly continue to succumb like dogs waiting for scraps to fall from the dinner table.  Sure, advocates of ideological socialism will continue the dance with capitalism as long as it gets them what they want, but ultimately the damage may be unrecoverable.

In their purest forms, governmental socialism and free market capitalism are antithetical to one another.  That is, one erodes the other and neither can realize its stated potential.  While socialism is attractive for its noble intentions, its fatal flaw is the intrinsic fallen nature of mankind to self-serve and accumulate power. It always relies on the goodness of those in power and that people will pursue productivity without advantageous gain.  Many will claim these are the same weaknesses for capitalism but a truly free market will more likely be held in check by the reaction between buyers and sellers of goods and services.  That is, unless an outside party (government) influences this relationship through regulatory burden or a false sense of security.

In the wake of another shift in political power, we see that unity has been redefined to mean “you must agree with us or suffer the consequences”.  Those consequences often manifest as public ridicule, economic isolation, and sadly the go-to approach of labeling opposition as racist and bigoted.  

A look at the last 100 years clearly demonstrates a slow but consistent move to the political and social left.  The hybrid capitalist/socialist approach may be nearing the end of its course leaving only room to swing full-tilt into controlled socialism.

The incredible wealth in our country is attributable to capitalist endeavors which have resulted in dramatic increases in human flourishing throughout the twentieth century.  Conservatism has not failed but rather has been rejected because it is too hard of a choice for a populace given over to emotionalism.  Socialism entices by ‘feel good’ mantras that only require sacrifice by those who have more than us.  It falsely precludes that it is morally superior simply by nature of self-ascribed virtue.