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Perhaps ideological purity is less important than I thought…
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Snooty pseudo-intellectuals like myself sometimes claim to be above mere politics, and more interested in philosophy and ideas. I care less for the issues of the day than I do for the great ideas that govern our personal and political lives. While this is a fairly common refrain from conservatives, it is unusual among Democrats. Because their issues of the day move from baby seals to racism to illegal immigration to global warming to men playing women’s sports to banning gas stoves to Lord knows what, suddenly and unpredictably. And, of course, it’s difficult to find a cohesive ideology that would explain all their issues, or the transitions between them. So Democrats tend to be purely political creatures. Some Republicans are, too, of course. But some of us prefer to see things through a philosophical lens.
Never-Trumpers mostly start from this more philosophical perspective, but in their case they move quickly from a pursuit of ideological purity to, well, to some rather nonsensical things:
1) They claim to be disgusted by policies they support. Because Trump is unacceptable.
2) They suggest that if you like his immigration policies, then you must also approve of his personal life.
3) They think Trump’s ideological imperfections make him unworthy of the votes of exalted philosopher-kings like themselves.
4) They ignore what might’ve happened if Harris had won over Trump, forgetting that we had two choices in the last election.
5) If Trump does something they don’t understand, they presume that they must know more about his reasoning than he does.
These Never-Trumpers then rationalize these and other sometimes incoherent criticisms by claiming to be incapable of abandoning their principles for mere political gains. Even if I don’t understand some of the arguments of Never-Trumpers, I am largely sympathetic to their basic point: To an ideologue like me, Trump is hard to support. I’m not sure what Trump’s ideology is. Or if he even has one.
Of course, many snooty pseudo-intellectual Republicans (like me) dream of a world in which we could simply present a coherent and inspiring explanation of the benefits of conservative thought, and Democrats would magically start losing elections. We’re more interested in winning minds than ballots, figuring that the second will always follow the first. But I’m starting to think that the primary goal of the Republican party should be to defeat Democrats, rather than promote conservatism. Blasphemy! I can’t believe I’m even allowing such a thought to cross my mind! But follow me for a moment…
First, we need to accept that we will always have a Democrat Party. It’s not going away.
Wikimedia Commons
Consider the Civil War. You might have thought that that event would have been the end of the Democrat party. Or, at least, that it would force the Democrats to fundamentally change their policies and goals. But no. Democrats merely went from The Slavery Party to The Jim Crow Party. They didn’t have to give up racism or oppression of minority groups as their policy goals. They just had to be a bit more subtle about it. But they kept pressing on.
And consider what Abraham Lincoln had to do during the Civil War. He ignored the very Constitution he worshipped, when he needed to. He was despised by Democrats for ending slavery, and widely criticized by Republicans for his philosophical inconsistencies under pressure. He may have been the most unpopular American president in history, even up to today’s time. But despite his occasional ideological sins, he succeeded in saving America as a country, and was later considered one of our greatest presidents. Much later. Long after he died.
Today, most Americans consider themselves fortunate that Lincoln came along when he did.
Wikimedia Commons
Snooty pseudo-intellectuals like myself really struggle with Donald Trump. I don’t think he’s a true conservative. In fact, I’m not sure he thinks about the world in that way at all – I don’t think he’s read Machiavelli or Burke or any of the great political thinkers. Perhaps I’m wrong, but he strikes me as a political animal – a problem fixer – concerned with the issues of the day. Concerned with WINNING, whatever the issues of the day are.
This is not a criticism. He’s obviously brilliant. And sincere, and tough. And a patriot. I don’t pretend to have any insight into his personal thoughts. But even when he has an obvious opportunity to make a simple philosophical point, he prefers to stick with his both-barrels type of rhetoric, blasting his adversaries with insults and ridicule.
Again, I find this off-putting.
Jonah Elkowitz, Shutterstock. ID 2529055697
But I’m starting to think that it’s just exactly what we need right now.
By thinking only of politically defeating Democrats at every opportunity, no matter how minor, conservative ideologues like me end up getting everything we want. Think of how much better the world is for conservatism, and thus for people around the world, just in the past two weeks.
So rather than hoping for political wins to follow ideological wins, we’re getting ideological wins as a result of political wins. Huge ideological wins. Which I didn’t expect. But the results are so obvious, even an intellectual can see them now. Electing a simple political genius has given us the complex ideological victories we’ve sought in vain for decades.
Which, in a representative republic, makes more sense anyway, I suppose.
I’m not comparing Trump to Lincoln. Obviously. I’m simply pointing out that sometimes it takes an unpopular leader, willing to accept the criticism for doing the best he can under difficult circumstances, to get anything significant accomplished.
Shutterstock. EB Adventure Photography. ID: 1971108200
The Democrat party has gained enormous political power in America. Until we fix that political problem, conservatism as a philosophy has no chance whatsoever.
And Donald Trump appears to be just the man to fix it.
It’s just hard for us snooty pseudo-intellectuals to accept.
But I’ll try.
Because for the first time in a VERY long time, things are looking much better. Perhaps I should shut up, enjoy the show, and see how this turns out. Perhaps I just didn’t understand. Perhaps I was mistaken about Mr. Trump.
Which is hard for us snooty pseudo-intellectuals to accept.
Flickr. Michael Vadon.
But that’s OK. Really, it is. Please carry on, Mr. Trump. Don’t listen to me. If you can save this country I love, even through an approach I had not considered, then I’m your biggest fan. Maybe history will view you as this country’s savior. Maybe, just maybe, you know more about politics than I do. Or maybe you’re just the right man at the right time.
Whatever. Please carry on.
Published in General
I’ve noticed that quite a bit recently. From someone…
Remember, “Seriously, Not Literally”
SNL for short.
Not to be confused with “Literally, Not Seriously”.
LNS for short.
Each are tools, to be used at the proper time.
Maybe not the NRA, but whatever group promises to repeal the Firearms Owners Protection Act.
I would like to be able to own a machine gun manufactured after 1986 for a reasonable fee.
How glad of you to think that way. I disagree.
This is an example of when SNL should be applied and yet you are thinking LNS.
Without the sock puppet as President, obviously.
Since the Chevron deference has been overturned, it would be awesome if he began directing the executive branch to bring their policies more. In line with the limited powers expressed in the Constitution, perhaps he has a team of people looking at the cases that relied on Chevron and is basically going back to concede that the plaintiffs were right all along.
Love it, but this is the only place I have seen the potholes story. Are there pictures?
It’s a fiction-skirts-reality type piece. The Substack account in question, “Eko Loves You”, describes the content as “Truth Shines Thru Story”. Here’s the latest, published earlier today, titled “The 1776 Prophecy: A Warning Written for Tomorrow“.
PS: h/t to @chriso, without whom I’d have never heard of the author in question.
Now they just need to get some dirt on the judges trying to stop it.
A post at X suggested that “major issue for trump faction is that they’re pre-ideological this is fine in the sense that the immediate task is tearing down another ideology but it also means that there’s no deeper justification for their policies and no durable legitimation or rationalization of their rule”
My response:
It’s not an ideology, exactly, but there is an ethos common to many Trump/MAGA supporter. Some components: –A belief in meritocracy, but a meritocracy based on accomplishment rather than credentials –A respect for work done in the physical world, rather than only for symbolic work –A belief that America is overall a beneficent country –No need for political activism as a primary source of meaning in life –Willingness to challenge the-way-it’s-always-been-done…but without a big desire to have change-for-the-sake of change Obviously not attributes of *all* Trump/MAGA, but a reasonable description of a common set of characteristics, I think.
Thread including thoughts from Eric S Raymond, Intra-Stellar, and others.
It is meritocracy, and no, an Ivy League sheepskin is not an automatic buy-in. I’ve worked with too many exquisitely educated fools.
That was my impression when I read it. Note that Springfield isn’t specified in terms of state. A quick search tells you every Springfield has pothole problems, maybe even the one of “The Simpsons” fame. Data analysts at the job site was another suggestion it was a fictional narrative of actual events.
The quotes from Vance are accurate, I’ve seen those elsewhere.
I wouldn’t expect flowcharts to form in real time as data was mapped either, but from a coder’s perspective, they’re seeing a visual like that in their heads based on screens full of characters. It’s no different from the researcher who is able to draw out the real story from raw economic statistics.
It’s an engaging narrative. It depicts the urgency with which they’re working, well documented elsewhere. The demoralization of the bureaucracy is also documented. It’s lots of true stuff in a storyteller package.
The government produces non-public goods. It doesn’t work, it usually ends up as stealing, and I doubt that the big ones are even constitutional. The End.
When Musk’s DOGE says POLITICO received $8 million from USAID, is that to be taken seriously or literally?
Actually, I’ll bite.
Lincoln was a brilliant man and orator. He changed all of history, and he was, on balance, on the right side of it. Though his anti-slavery, it should be noted, was following Britain, not leading it.
All in all, I think Trump may end up being even more important to this country (and, by extension, the world). Saving the US from inexorably sliding into the globalist unistate that seeks to limit all freedoms for the pursuit of maximizing Deep State power.
The US has broken the global minimum tax (did anyone even notice?). And the Green insanity. Globally, the rush to earth-worship has halted and is starting ti run backward. The US going to once again become the beacon of freedom.
Trump and Lincoln are in different eras, and different Americas. But so far, Trump is proving to be even more consequential.
If Trump succeeds, you will probably be right. That’s a big if – it’s him against the entire US government, and the UN / WHO / World governments. Good luck.
But if he actually succeeds in rescuing America from it’s leftist collapse, then Trump immediately becomes one of the most consequential leaders in history.
That sounds weird, but Alexander and Ceasar had enormous character flaws as well. But they accomplished amazing things.
If Trump fails, I strongly suspect that Obama’s “fundamental transformation of America” from a beacon of freedom into something else entirely becomes not just a possibility, but a near eventuality. And then history will forget Trump as just another bump in the road on the way to global leftist collapse.
Hard to say, of course. But again, if he succeeds, you may end up being right. History may view him as one of the great leaders of all time.
But not yet. He has a job to do first. An EXTREMELY DIFFICULT job.
We’ll see.
SNL
The current understanding is $8M from government sources in 1 year alone.
https://www.axios.com/2025/02/05/politico-trump-musk-government-subscriptions
Its takes more than just Trump, let’s not forget.
What comes after global leftist collapse.
The virtual republic, where government is monitored in real time by advocacy groups and interested individuals. Perceived abuses transmitted before they’re enacted. Agency officials and hearings more easily accessed and accountable.
Exposure of the heretofore hidden financing of one side’s agenda and elimination of the same in the future means the budget process re-emerges in importance because the back channels are closed. If Congress wants a say, they’re going to have to put it in legislation rather than run from responsibility.
That’s a very optimistic prediction.
I suspect that what comes after global leftist collapse is darkness, misery, and violence. For a long time.
As usual, I hope I’m wrong about that…
No use aiming low. We’re talking about policy expressions of longtime principles. ‘Low’ doesn’t fit here.
VDH defines Trump as being a “Shane” like character who is needed to clear the town of the henchmen. Could you imagine mayonnaise on wonder bread Mitt Romney doing what Trump is doing to the federal gov. Would Romney (or W for that matter) stood behind Brett Kavanaugh? I do not like Trump’s personality, but he is the right man to cut through the morass that the Federal Government has become.
At the level where Trump is working and with the problems he must face, it makes little sense to me to think what we see is his personality. All those close to him seem to have a completely different impression. They all love him. Maybe someone close has some negative views but I haven’t seen them say so.
I think sex robots, genetic engineering, America’s adoption of Canadian deathcare and the return of Christianity will usher in a new era of human progress and prosperity.
The adoption of Charle’s Murrays insights into IQ and genetics in about ten years once we have OK polygenic screening will be huge. Also, when we let people die because we run out of money for healthcare the poor people will stop breeding once they are given sex robots.
🎵 One of these things is not like the others 🎵
Of course it does. Great leaders have never achieved in a vaccuum. But you still need the Great Man.
A quote from the article:
“But numbers aren’t the whole story.
Imagine, changes, coming to a community near you:
Springfield, Ohio, potholes that plagued residents for twelve years actually disappeared overnight. Rural Tennessee, where children can finally connect to high-speed internet their parents were promised decades ago. In Michigan, people truly drink clean water while bureaucrats’ memos about “studying the problem” gather dust.
This isn’t just reform. This isn’t just change. This is American governance reimagined.”
Methinks this is a bit exaggerated. How about you? Don’t misunderstand, I love this. But the article is written in the present and past tense, as if these things have already happened in the last week or so. Pot holes filled and water made clean to drink for the people of Michigan. Really?
Just wrapping my mind around high-speed internet being something that was offered decades ago.
I am old.
Get off my lawn!
And grumpy!