227 upvotes, 6 direct replies (showing 6)
Maybe you do not care much about the future of the Republican Party. You should. Conservatives will always be with us. If conservatives become convinced that they can not win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. The will reject democracy.
- David Frum, Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic
Comment by zoinkability at 03/02/2025 at 15:31 UTC
64 upvotes, 4 direct replies
While I do agree with a basic truth in that quote, I have never been able to understand quite what the left is supposed to do with that information.
Comment by shoshinatl at 03/02/2025 at 16:20 UTC*
7 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Wait. I’m not sure what he’s arguing for here? It seems like he’s saying that when conservatives realize there aren’t enough of them, they will attempt a coup?
Sounds like some people need to get fucking serious about the tolerance paradox. If the inevitable end game of conservatism is authoritarianism, then the answer isn’t to nurture their party. The answer is to keep them as far from power as fucking possible.
Fuck.
Comment by irrision at 03/02/2025 at 15:34 UTC
13 upvotes, 1 direct replies
They rejected conservatism too. They don't believe in small government, low taxes for the middle class and personal freedoms anymore.
Comment by EmmerdoesNOTrepme at 03/02/2025 at 19:00 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The problem is, you *also* have an Oligarchic class with *direct* access to the Executive Branch at the federal level, who have *literally* gone on record, saying,
"Most importantly, I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible."
That was Peter Thiel, back in 2009, at Cato.
And if you *read* what he said there, it looks almost like a playback, for *exactly* the types of "Move Fast and Break Things!" (and sort out the details later) mentality that's going on right now;
https://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/education-libertarian
Comment by hewhoisneverobeyed at 03/02/2025 at 17:07 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
God, I hate Frum. But he is correct. It is exactly what they have been doing the past few decades while Democrats talk of rules and laws and customs. At some point, they will turn to violence.
Comment by jg38 at 03/02/2025 at 23:23 UTC
0 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Then what is happened to SD?