(NOTE: I first published a version of this essay a year ago on 12/1/2021. The recent takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk, and his apparent intent to turn it into a right-wing propaganda channel, makes this piece newly relevant.)
“Never’s just the echo of forever.” — Kris Kristofferson
One of the more insightful conservative writers, David Brooks, has seen the future of the Republican Party’s base and it is not a pretty picture. In his article “The Terrifying Future of the American Right” (Atlantic), he describes the scene at the recent National Conservatism Conference in Orlando.
Young conservatives — by definition the future of the party — blame the Left for basically everything they consider wrong with our society. In particular, they see left-wing control of the academy, the media including social media, and the “surveillance capitalism” tech sector, coalescing into what they view as an all-powerful cultural elite.
Without questioning their assumptions, but having been at least a marginal part of all of those sectors for decades now, it is a little bit difficult for this objective observer to perceive their apocalyptic vision of an all-powerful Left, though I realize objectivity is neither a characteristic nor a goal of the sharp edge of this country’s right flank.
It is ironic and sad that a key aim of the youthful conservative movement is to establish the dominance of Christianity as our national religion.
As Brooks notes, that simply isn’t going to be happening. In his words, “America is becoming more religiously diverse every day. Christians are in no position to impose their values—regarding same-sex marriage or anything else —on the public square.”
By contrast, social, racial, cultural, and gender diversity are all seen by the hard right as left-wing plots instead of the genuinely democratic achievements they clearly are. But again, the rising right wing in America is not concerned with truth but with power. And those are two distinct matters.
I cannot in good faith recommend Brooks’s piece to anyone who wishes to remain optimistic about the closing of the political divide in the U.S., because there is no appetite for that among the people he witnessed outside the giant theme park in Orlando.
Like Christianity as the state religion, an authentic political consensus isn’t going to be happening anytime soon in today’s America.
LINKS:
China Covid Protesters Become Targets of Beijing’s Surveillance State (WSJ)
China's lockdown protests reverberate abroad (Reuters)
Chinese Unrest Over Lockdown Upends Global Economic Outlook (NYT)
China clamps down on ‘zero covid’ protests, loosens some pandemic measures (WP)
China sends students home, police patrol to curb protests (AP)
Chinese authorities have begun inquiries into some of the people who gathered at weekend protests against COVID curbs, people who were at the Beijing demonstrations told Reuters, as police remained out in numbers on the city's streets. Here's how China's protesters are defying authorities using dating apps and Telegram. (Reuters)
Almost everyone expects a recession. Could the economy avoid one? (WP)
AMC Networks to Lay Off 20% of U.S. Workers as CEO Exits (WSJ)
‘No path’ forward: Biden calls on Congress to avert rail strike (Politico)
Former White House deputy chief of staff meeting with January 6 committee Tuesday (CNN)
Kellyanne Conway meets with Jan. 6 committee for nearly 5 hours (NBC)
Turning Point for Garland as Justice Dept. Grapples With Trump Inquiries (NYT)
Trump Org. rests case on sour note in NY tax fraud trial after judge scolds defense over 11th-hour evidence dump (Insider)
Some Republican senators, including certain Donald Trump loyalists, condemned the former president's decision to dine with white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and Ye, the antisemite rapper formerly known as Kanye West. “There’s no room in the Republican Party for white supremacists and antisemitism, so it’s wrong,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said. Former Vice President Mike Pence also weighed in, saying Trump should apologize for hosting the pair. [HuffPost]
Biden seizes on gun control despite hurdles in Congress )WP)
Is Brooke Jenkins doing anything differently than Chesa Boudin? Here’s what the numbers say (SFC)
Twitter Under Elon Musk Abandons Covid-19 Misinformation Policy (WSJ)
Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, is seeding a turf war for the internet’s “town square.” In the month since he took over, the platform has reinstated several accounts belonging to those on the far right, while he has suspended several prominent left-wing profiles, including that of Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club, an anti-fascist group recently noted in The New York Times for demonstrating in support of drag events in Texas. [HuffPost]
If Biden Doesn’t Run In 2024, Who Will? (538)
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider whether President Joe Biden's administration can implement guidelines - challenged by two conservative-leaning states - shifting immigration enforcement toward public safety threats in a case testing executive branch power to set enforcement priorities. (Reuters)
Nato restates pledge to make Ukraine a member (Financial Times)
VIDEO: World’s Largest Active Volcano Erupts for First Time in Decades (NYT)
'Frightful' never-before-seen tyrannosaur might be the 'missing link' in T. rex evolution (LiveScience)
Climate change is affecting how animals mate. The flashy traits some species use to attract a mate — like the dark, heat-absorbing wings on a male dragonfly — are becoming more energy draining than they’re worth as the world warms. (WP)
Here is what scientists are doing to save Florida's coral reef before it's too late (NPR)
Federal water managers on Monday warned California cities that receive water from the Central Valley Project to prepare for a fourth year of drought and a water supply that may be extremely limited. (CNBC)
Thick smog engulfed India's capital New Delhi as air pollution worsened with the setting in of winter, shooting up concentrations of fine particles in the air three times above the acceptable limits. (Reuters)
England and Wales are no longer majority Christian, census data show (CNN)
Two minerals never before been seen on Earth found inside 17-ton meteorite (LiveScience)
United States beats Iran to secure a spot in the World Cup’s round of 16 (WP)
Our list of 100 notable books of 2022. (NYT)
Nation’s Old Men Announce Plans To Wake Up At 5 A.M. And Argue With Other Old Men Around Table At McDonald’s (The Onion)
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