• jordanlund@lemmy.world
    451·
    5 months ago

    I think the problem is “normal” right-wing politics and conservatism aren’t necessarily the same thing.

    The rational definition of conservatism is the maintaining of the status quo. No radical change. Don’t rock the boat.

    As a political philosophy, it’s boring. It’s safe. Just keep things the way they are.

    Fascism is a radical right ideology, demanding swift authoritarian change. Throw the immigrants in jail. Mass arrests of the opposition. Invade your neighbors.

    That’s not very “conservative.”

    My favorite politician was a conservative and he would not be recognized by a modern day Republican. Tom McCall, governor of Oregon from 1967 to 1974.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_McCall

    He put the “Conserve” in conservative. Preserving public ownership of Oregon beaches:

    https://www.opb.org/news/article/history-oregon-tom-mccall-public-beaches/

    Which also had the hilarious unintended consequence of putting the state highway division in charge of whale removal:

    https://youtu.be/V6CLumsir34

    Fed up with litter carpeting the state, McCall pushed for a bottle deposit to encourage cans and bottles be returned for recycling.

    https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/beverage_container_act_bottle_bill/

    “I want to make it very clear that there will be no quid pro quo in the form of relaxation of my commitment to put a price on the head of every beer can and pop bottle in the United States."

    He was the driving force in cleaning up the Willamette River, one of the major rivers running through the state:

    https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/narratives/this-land-oregon/people-politics-and-environment-since-1945/pollution-in-paradise/

    But the #1 thing he is remembered for is his attempt at controlling growth:

    https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/mccall_thomas_l/

    “We want you to visit our State of Excitement often. Come again and again. But for heaven’s sake, don’t move here to live. Or if you do have to move in to live, don’t tell any of your neighbors where you are going.”

    All of this in service of preserving… conserving… the things that make our state great.

    • Nougat@fedia.io
      281·
      5 months ago

      When I was growing up, the difference between the American left and right was understood like this (at least by me):

      • Left: We’re all in this together, and we should work together to make sure everyone is okay
      • Right: Rugged individualism and healthy competition
      • And the push-pull between those two made for a good balance

      In my adult life, I am aware that that was never really true. The American Right has always wanted to restrict individual liberties, and implement a caste system, going all the way back to 1776.

    • jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
      5·
      5 months ago

      The rational definition of conservatism is the maintaining of the status quo. No radical change. Don’t rock the boat.

      As a political philosophy, it’s boring. It’s safe. Just keep things the way they are.

      If the way things are is cruel and unjust, then what is it to fight to maintain that state of things?

      Outside of a utopia, “keep things as they are” is unlikely to be the highest of moral grounds.