@_Robert_ Sunday school today is awash with stories of how Amerika is bucking traditional conservative values.
At the editorial meeting this morning I decided to tone down “the politics”. No-one disagreed with me 🙂
But you comment got me thinking. I started to answer it and somehow ended up with the following so I will publish it and be damned!
One of the main problems I see with the current state of politics in America is that both parties have drifted away from their traditional roots.
Many traditional conservatives feel that MAGA has hijacked their party. Traditional Conservatism (Edmund Burke) values gradual change, tradition, institutions, hierarchy, and civic responsibility. Burke saw the rule of law, respect for institutions, and moral order as fundamental to the stability of society. Burkean conservatives uphold free markets but see social stability and civic virtue as more important than short-term economic gains.
The MAGA movement is populist and nationalist. It distrusts elites and experts, favoring an anti-establishment ethos and economic protectionism. The attack on institutions, courts, and norms would be seen as reckless, akin to the French Revolution, which Burke abhorred.
If we look back to the 1980’s (OK Boomer), political commentators like Willam F. Buckley would likely reject MAGA as anti-conservative populism. George Will has explicitly denounced Trumpism, arguing that it abandons conservative principles in favor of authoritarian impulses.
MAGA is reactionary, not conservative—it seeks to “burn it all down” rather than preserve and improve institutions. It is a break, not a continuation, of conservatism. I don’t think this distinction has been made clear to the average citizen. When I hear MAGA politicians talk about respecting conservative values, I flinch. It seems to me that most voters have not noticed this shift and still contend that both MAGA and traditional conservatives are the same color of red. Whether the traditional GOP can reclaim its identity or whether MAGA reshapes it permanently remains to be seen.
Just as MAGA is not the “traditional” Republican Party, the modern Democratic Party has also shifted significantly from its historical roots. The distinction between being “liberal” and “woke” is important because it highlights the ideological changes within the party over time.
Traditional liberalism (rooted in John Stuart Mill, FDR, and JFK) emphasized individual rights, free speech, economic fairness, and civil liberties. Today, parts of the Democratic Party have embraced “woke” politics, which prioritize group identity, intersectionality, and equity over classical liberal principles like universalism and meritocracy. The Democratic Party once championed the working class, particularly through union support, New Deal policies, and economic populism. Today, much of the party’s elite leadership comes from coastal, urban, highly educated backgrounds, often alienating blue-collar workers who were once the party’s base. Traditional liberalism fought for open debate and free expression (e.g., the ACLU defending unpopular speech). Modern progressive activism often pushes for speech restrictions, cancel culture, and de-platforming people for ‘controversial’ views. Bill Clinton’s “Third Way” Democrats embraced market-friendly policies, tax cuts, and globalization, blending capitalism with social safety nets. The modern progressive wing (influenced by figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) rejects neoliberalism, advocating for higher taxes, wealth redistribution, and government expansion.
Like the GOP, it has been reshaped by new ideological movements. Many moderate liberals feel politically homeless, just as traditional conservatives feel abandoned by MAGA.
The GOP has moved from conservatism to populist nationalism (MAGA). The Democratic Party has shifted from classical liberalism to progressive identity politics. This shift might explain why many voters now feel politically adrift as neither party represents the historical principles they once stood for.
I guess I could argue that there are now 4 political parties in America. Maga and the GOP on one side with Center-left liberals and progressive\woke left on the other. Maybe having 4 distinct parties might be the way forward as the Democratic Party and the Republican Party no longer exist.
Unseen 1 month, 1 week ago.
TheEncogitationer. Reason: Correcting Spell-Check
