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Is There a ‘Generation Gap’ on the Right? The ‘Based’ Think So

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Almost completely ignored by conservative media, there is a growing generation gap emerging within young conservatives that in some ways resembles the "generation gap" of the 1960s which saw the new left "hippie" generation emerge from liberal homes, as Midge Decter explained in her early book Liberal Parents, Radical Children.

Now it is happening on the right. I started picking up on this story with Michael Anton's long essay almost three years ago on the phenomenon of the underground but highly popular book Bronze Age Mindset, which, it must be said, is a very different book from The Conservative Mind or The Road to Serfdom. Then I started following a group of mostly younger conservatives who participate actively on Twitter, and sometimes live in the "Spaces" chat communities that Twitter has launched. Most of this younger cohort participate under a pseudonym, because in the age of cancel culture their politically incorrect views, and moreover their transgressive humor (they actually make George Floyd jokes, which is worse than Helen Keller or Anne Frank jokes), would get them instantly censored if not worse.

I reached out to one of the ring leaders of this circle, "Athenian Stranger" on Twitter (@athens_stranger) and rounded five of these mostly younger figures to agree to come on this podcast to explain their disgust with our "woke republic." Since I'm a stodgy baby boomer, I recruited Glenn Ellmers, author of The Soul of Politics, to join me as the special guest-host for the episode. He and Joshua Lippincott have just this week published an important article about this topic, "Boomers, Meet the Based."

The other four participants are "Astral" (who goes by @Astrikos10 on twitter), Aionian, "Lucky" (Resurrected Luck), and Doug Kuular.

Settle in for a long conversation. We had some technical difficulties with recording this large a group, and thus there are some abrupt edits throughout on account of sudden crashes and disconnections. But it couldn't be helped. Glenn and I do a short "postgame show" at the end to try to tie some loose ends together.

Host:
Steve Hayward
Guests:
AAionianAAstrokosASAthenian StrangerDKDoug KuularGlenn EllmersLLucky

Discussion (7)

  • LibertyDefender@LibertyDefender

    This was a fun listen, I might go back over it again and pause to ask pointed questions in another comment. My general impressions:

    1. Define your terms. I could have sworn I heard George Will mentioned at one point as an establishment conservative. George Will lost all credibility as a conservative of any kind when he endorsed Hillary. Actually, he lost credibility long before that, when he suggested that Bud Selig was the best Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
    2. National Review is not credible as a conservative publication. Heck, they booted Victor Davis Hanson, who admits they were happy to see him go. They were more loyal to David French, who's so conservative he considers drag queen story hour at public libraries to be a blessing of liberty. National Review's most prominent commentator these days is Andrew "Bob Mueller and Jim Comey are rock-ribbed straight-shooting patriots, Merrick Garland will be a fine Attorney General" McCarthy.
    3. The point that Republicans don't fight is well taken. McCain, anyone? Mitt Romney? Linda Grahamnesty? Trump fights. These guys get that.
  • Saint Augustine@SaintAugustine

    Oh dear. A good soul, by its own virtue, makes the body as good as possible, says Socrates in Republic. (The might even be a direct quote, from the Grube translation.)

    Not that getting your own body in order has no good effect on the mind. But I think the causality is much more soul-to-body than the other way around.

  • Dr. Bastiat@drbastiat
    ReplyingtoSaint Augustine

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    Yes. Nietzsche is not a nihilist. He’s trying to overcome nihilism.

    I've waver back and forth on this. But I'm not sure I agree with you (although obviously you know a lot more about philosophy and Nietzsche than I do). It's a fascinating question.

    But at the very least, I can certainly understand why many view Nietzsche as a nihilist. I need to do some more reading...

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