The Reactionary Mind: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Donald Trump

by Corey Robin

If conservatism is a specific reaction to a specific movement of emancipation, it stands to reason that each reaction will bear the traces of the movement it opposes.

This is a fair assessment of what constitutes conservatism. If we find a historical rhythm to this reactionary rhetoric based on the revolutionary attitudes of its time, we could expect to find the reaction of its time. I'll add that this reaction could take many forms.

To the conservative, power in repose is power in decline.

This explains the Persian Gulf War, George H. W. Bush's thirst to re-establish U.S. supremacy since its failure in Vietnam, but currently remains partisan in regards to the War in Ukraine. You'd expect today's Republicans to revive their war-hawkery with this war, but we see their deficit hawkery more in this context since this war has more Democrat support. It's an interesting time.

Radical professors have created a ‘hostile learning environment’ for conservative students. There is a lack of ‘intellectual diversity’ on college faculties and in academic classrooms. The conservative viewpoint is ‘underrepresented’ in the curriculum and on its reading lists. The university should be an ‘inclusive’ and intellectually ‘diverse’ community.”

David Horowitz, an American conservative writer for over 50 years

the neocon imperial vision could not accommodate failure.

The appearance of failure projects weakness.