by Blue Stockings | First, Hilzoy said that she's done taking the wingtards at The Corner seriously, now that they're washed up as a force of any sort. And added, "I wish
them well, but I will not comment on them unless I see some particular
reason to do so. I now have the luxury of debating only thoughtful,
sane conservatives who argue in good faith, and I intend to enjoy it."
To which---and here comes the snarky bit---Thers at Whiskey Fire responded [emphasis added]:
I do not believe that there is any such thing as a "conservative intellectual," never mind one who is "thoughtful" or "sane." I contend that "conservatism" in its 21st century incarnation is nothing more or less than a particularly ill-conceived social formation based upon pernicious doxa. Or to be blunt, it is stupid identity politics. Sound unfair? Well then. To be a conservative nowadays and not be Cast Forth from the Tribe, you need to believe:
1. Anthropogenic climate change is a Lie.
2. The "Main Stream Media" has a partisan bias in favor of Democrats.
3. The invasion of Iraq was based on an honest appraisal of the evidence.
4. Torture is acceptable, and also, we do not torture.I could go on, but these will do to make the point. To be a conservative in the 21st century American sense, you need to believe things that are not true, and you need to tie yourself into knots to pretend otherwise.....
It seems to me that there is a powerful, but foolish, desire on the part of certain liberals, especially academic liberals, to want to engage in a nice, friendly, open debate with "conservatives." This is an error. You will always lose a game you do not realize you are playing.
True, and also the answer to those---such as Andrew Sullivan---argue that there is a truer and more intelligent brand of conservatism that isn't represented by the yobbos and yahoos who have claimed the banner. Thers continues:
The usual, Andy Sullivanian, dodge here is that there is a Deep Conservatism whose adepts are capable of drinking from the True Font of Conservatism and thus escaping the taint. Perhaps, but my response would be, NO, and those are, indeed, tough bananas.
There is no such thing as an "intellectual movement" that attains a higher or truer reality than its actual manifestation among real human beings. If, say, Andrew Sullivan wants to argue that Conservatism in 21st century America is not all about denying gays equal rights, more power to him -- but when that fight is won, "liberals" are going to get the prize for it, not "conservatives."
There it is. If you're intellectual The Tribe will always cast you forth once you dare to differ on any matter relating to the Sacred Unwritten Wingnut Code. Smart people who identify as conservatives will always have their conservative credentials brutally yanked away by the Tribe and either cast forth or eaten for breakfast, just as Sullivan---whether he admits it or doesn't---has been.
Cf. this important post from The Toot, dated 9-26-2008.
For their part, the Democrats never really got the hang of the whole “opposition party” thing. It was always sad seeing them try to work constructively with people whose only core political value was “fuck you, you fucking Democrats”. It was sad, and it didn’t do anybody any good, except for making David Broder moist with bipartisan joy. Leaving motivations and fancy-shmancy policy analysis aside, how much better off we would be as a country - and how much better off the Democrats would be as a party - if every policy proposal of the Bush administration was met with a hearty “fuck you, just because”....Childish, cynical, petty, yes; but imagine the result! No Iraq War. No shitty appointments. Hearings every time Dick Cheney farted without explicit Congressional authorization. Every state would have 14 Democratic Senators. Barack Obama would be ahead by 78% in every poll.....
But now, with the Republican Congress on the wane, and the President having lost interest in playing Emperor, we see the natural order return. Democrats do what they enjoy: have serious chin-rubbing discussions about what must be done. Republicans do what they enjoy: throw wrenches at Democrats and remind everyone that they are insane, unserious, amoral, and unfit to govern.
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