Every word of this. Thirty-seven years in federal service, watching the institutional rot spread in real time, and the 'principles' were always bullshit. What I've seen up close, and what I've watched play out in my own family, is that the moment power was on the table, every stated value evaporated without a second thought. Patriotism, rule of law, fiscal discipline, basic decency toward children: gone, instantly, for a man who embodies none of it. This isn't a recent corruption of conservatism. It's the thing itself, finally undisguised.
And this didn't start with Trump. The Lewis Powell Memo in 1971 was the blueprint: capture the courts, flood the media, launder ideology through think tanks, and redefine democracy itself as a threat to freedom. They spent fifty years building the machine. Trump didn't invent it. He's just the most shameless, most useful delivery system they've found so far.
At least the ones with power. I recommend Stuart Stevens's It was All a Lie. Stevens was a top Goop election strategist, very successful, who early on became a leading force in the anti-Trump, pro-democracy movement here.
Those calling themselves "conservatives" are mostly exactly what you say. But branding isn't necessarily reality. A lot of the real conservatives have no party to turn to. They ally themselves with Dems because they do care about the Constitution, democracy, personal ethics, and expertise. Most are now registered independents and thus the decisive voting bloc. If the country's voting laws weren't so restrictive, I suspect you'd see a strong push for a major third party.
Every word of this. Thirty-seven years in federal service, watching the institutional rot spread in real time, and the 'principles' were always bullshit. What I've seen up close, and what I've watched play out in my own family, is that the moment power was on the table, every stated value evaporated without a second thought. Patriotism, rule of law, fiscal discipline, basic decency toward children: gone, instantly, for a man who embodies none of it. This isn't a recent corruption of conservatism. It's the thing itself, finally undisguised.
And this didn't start with Trump. The Lewis Powell Memo in 1971 was the blueprint: capture the courts, flood the media, launder ideology through think tanks, and redefine democracy itself as a threat to freedom. They spent fifty years building the machine. Trump didn't invent it. He's just the most shameless, most useful delivery system they've found so far.
I recently tried to provide examples of my conservative values and mentioned environmental conservation. It didn't land well.
At least the ones with power. I recommend Stuart Stevens's It was All a Lie. Stevens was a top Goop election strategist, very successful, who early on became a leading force in the anti-Trump, pro-democracy movement here.
Those calling themselves "conservatives" are mostly exactly what you say. But branding isn't necessarily reality. A lot of the real conservatives have no party to turn to. They ally themselves with Dems because they do care about the Constitution, democracy, personal ethics, and expertise. Most are now registered independents and thus the decisive voting bloc. If the country's voting laws weren't so restrictive, I suspect you'd see a strong push for a major third party.
What, in your view, is a “real conservative,” Mr. Schwartz? And are they entitled to protection under the Endangered Species Act?
I’d bet you substantial sums of Internet Shekels that a jury of “conservatives” from CPAC wouldn’t convict Stuart Stevens of being a conservative.