Summing up the BS of "conservative principles"
And what decent America needs to do to solve the problem of "conservatism"
Over the past ten posts, I have dissected Russell Kirk’s ten “principles” of “conservatism.”
(See the list of posts HERE.)
Kirk thought he was laying down “ideas” that “conservatives” could use to battle the actual ideas that liberals have developed for some two hundred years now. Instead, he produced a hodge-podge of illogical and emotionally laden descriptions of the “irritable mental gestures,” as Lionel Trilling called them, that lie at the base of the “conservative” attitude.
In this post, I will sum up each of Kirk’s principles. The bottom line is that all of them are false.
These summaries I am about to present are not mere assertions. The proof in each case is shown by the post dealing with that particular principle. You can refresh your memory about my critiques by referring to the post on the article in question for a complete explanation. I have made each heading a link to the corresponding article for ease of reference.
Here we go.
The claim: There is an enduring moral order aligned to human nature.
The truth: This is an assumption without evidence and contrary to many facts, which really serves to give “conservatives” a wholly underserved sense of superiority.
The claim: Adherence to tradition makes “conservatives” wiser and more certain than others.
The truth: Adherence to tradition masks the pathological fear of change and loss that contaminate all “conservative” attitudes.
The claim: “Conservatives” follow the principle of “prescription,” or adhering to ancient models, because we moderns are greatly inferior to our forbears.
The truth: Moderns, who have improved human life in countless ways over the past 500 years, are not inherently inferior to ancient—but this false belief serves as an excuse to cover the fear of change and the moral inferiority of “conservatives.”
The claim: “Conservatives” are more prudent than others.
The truth: “Conservatives” claim the virtue of prudence to hide their inordinate and debilitating fear of change both from themselves and from others.
The claim: The “principle of variety” dictates that society needs to hear and heed “conservative” opinions on everything—especially government.
The truth: There is nothing that “conservatives” want less than variety, but they make this claim to make people feel guilty enough to give a hearing to their terrible "ideas," immoral attitudes, and aggressive ignorance.
The claim: Human nature is irremediably “imperfectible” and we are incapable of reforming ourselves or society.
The truth: Human nature and human society are resistant to change but capable of reform and “conservatives” pretend otherwise to excuse their unwillingness to change either their immoral attitudes or their antisocial behavior.
The claim: Extreme individual freedom is the enduring basis for financial prosperity.
The truth: Regulated liberty under good government is the only rational foundation for any sort of prosperity.
The claim: Voluntary community is preferable to involuntary collectivism
The truth: All good government contains some involuntary aspects, and the wish for purely voluntary government is a chimera that is sadly suited to the “conservative” predilection for immoderate power, since such government is highly susceptible to control by a minority faction.
The claim: “Conservatives” advocate political restraint.
The truth: “Conservatives” want to restrain only those who challenge their unrestrained desire for power, which emanates from their inordinate fear of change.
The claim: Progress must be strictly limited by stability.
The truth: Progress at the limits of our capacity is the key both to personal and to societal vitality.
As I said, all of Kirk’s “principles” are false. Some of them are also immoral. But “conservatives” prefer untruth and immorality to confronting the fact that “irritable mental gestures” and not ideas drive them. All the effort that Kirk put into developing his profoundly incoherent “principles” served the purpose of shielding “conservatives” for almost three generations. It gave them something to say that sounded idea-like in response to the actual ideas that propel liberalism—ideas that challenge every deeply rooted fear in the “conservative” soul.
But after three generations, all their phony “ideas” failed to produce good governance. Now “conservatives” have shucked off the trappings of decency and revealed their baseness under the enticing—to a moral illiterate—allure of Trumpism. They no longer feel the need to seem decent. They no longer feel the need to hide their lust for power. They no longer feel the need to conceal their hatred of reason, of democratic republicanism, of the will of the majority.
Having stepped out from behind the curtains stitched together by Kirk to shroud their true character, “conservatives” now exhibit their vices openly. On any given day, you can see on television “conservatives” displaying the character flaws they used to camouflage.
Kirk’s claims of “conservative” superiority in regard to prudence, to humility, to restraint, to stability, to community, to freedom, to variety, and even to traditionalism have vanished. Imprudence, arrogance, unrestraint, chaos, partiality, authoritarianism, homogeneity, and fanaticism dominate the coverage of “conservative” legislators from across the country.
Yet they still sometimes mouth Kirk’s “principles,” or versions of them, still addicted to trying to justify themselves even though their actions show that they no longer care about justification.
And the press continues to cover their antics as if there could still be some rational justifications for their egregious conduct, as if their pathetic attempts to play down a Republican insurrection, to exclude Democratic representatives from participating in Republican-contolled legislatures, to push abortion bans on wide majorities who do not want them, to force increasingly deadly guns on wide majorities who do not want them, to persecute LGBTQ+ people, to ban books—as if any of this were something other than power acting without conscience.
So let me sum up everything we’ve learned on this unappealing journey through the undergrowth of the “conservative soul.” Here is one rule of thumb for decent Americans to guide their political deliberations:
Do not waste any time listening to what “conservatives” say.
That’s it.
And the reason is simple. Everything “conservatives” say to support their “irritable mental gestures” derives from Kirk’s principles. All of those principles are false. Therefore, everything “conservatives” say defending their “positions” is false. Whether they say it out of habit or out of calculation or out of timidity or out of arrogance, it’s false. And no decent person can have truck with falsehood.
Do not pay attention to their anger, their hatred, their vitriol, their self-satisfaction, their self-justification, and especially not to their belabored attempts to appear reasonable. It is all part of one and the same long con—a seven-decade long deception to pass off pathological fear, the vices it causes, and the antisocial politics it inspires as innocuous. It is far from innocuous. It will destroy America if it is not stopped.
Decent Americans do not need to spend one more moment wondering whether “conservatives” have a point, wondering how to cooperate with them, wondering how to reach consensus with them. They have no point, will not cooperate, and they disdain consensus. All they want is power—and they have come very close to seizing it.
Decent America needs to do only one thing to stop this—and it’s not “having a conversation” or “making a deal” or “finding common ground.” It’s simply this. Vote against every “conservative” who runs for any office anywhere in the country. Because we are the majority, if we keep this up long enough, we will shrink their representation, reduce them to the permanent minority where they belong, and once again be able to make the kind of progress that America needs to stay vibrant and healthy.
This is all that decent people need to do. It will have its effect over time. But if you want to speed up the process, you can do more. If you have training in the law, fight the legal distortions spewing out of the Federalist Society, other right-wing legal organizations, and “conservative” think tanks. If you have organizing skills, protest every “conservative” policy you can. If you have political skills, run for office and use the opportunity to educate people about the false, self-serving, and deceptive “principles of conservatism.” If you are an artist, make art that helps people feel the intense pessimism and darkness that lies at the heart of “conservatism.” I’m sure you are ingenious enough to figure out how to put your talents good use.
But the key is to vote. Always. And never ever for any “conservative.”
(I am well aware that Republicans are trying hard in many different ways to prevent decent Americans from voting, from objecting to their anti-social legislation, and from passing initiatives and referendums to undo their evil handiwork. That is why we must get out in huge numbers now and from now on—to stop them before they complete the work. This far and no further.)
If all decent Americans vote this way consistently, the day will come when America can be proud of itself for having shown the world how to heal the festering wound of authoritarianism and fascism that is “conservatism.”
In the next post, I’m going to take a look at the least deluded “conservatives”—those who have either abandoned the Republican party or remain as never-Trumpers who think they can reclaim the party after the madness passes. We will see that they are certainly more decent than anyone who is willing to go along with the party’s current demented direction, but they are still “conservatives” who never saw through the deceptiveness of Kirk's “principles.” Sad to say for these people, a dream of being decent that is rooted in falsehoods is not the same as actually being decent.
See you then.
Thanks, Tommy. I do intend to shape all this into a book. I'll announce it on the blog when it's ready. It'll take a few months, I think.
Thank you so much for following my work!
Kudos, sir! If you ever make this a book, please let me know. I will buy it right away!
Thank you for this effort!