Trump: Not a "Conservative" but an "Anti-Progressive"

[JA]

It has been pretty obvious to anyone with a basic understanding of political philosophy and history that Trump and his base aren't Conservative. They aren't trying to conserve anything; they're past that point because they no longer believe the institutions are in their hands. Since the institutions and positions of power they once held no longer belong to them, they're determined to undermine, overthrow, or "restore" them to their previous state - under the dominance of White Christian heterosexual men.

Trump is more or less using this real reactionary element in American society for his personal benefit. For example, he's exploiting the suspicion aimed at federal departments and once respected conservative institutions because they're not aligned with him. He has fanned the flames of an existing reactionary element and rode it not only to the White House but continues to ride it for his personal benefit - even if the consequence is the total fracturing of American society and destabilization of our institutions.

True Conservatives would despise Trump for the damage he's causing to American society. Reactionaries love him because he panders to them and feeds them the red meat they crave; they don't aspire to "uplift" America or anything like that. Their politics is not inspirational or constructive; it's a politics of resentment, hatred, and destruction. They seek to rise to power from the ashes of the destroyed liberal, tolerant, multicultural America.

[JA]

It has been pretty obvious to anyone with a basic understanding of political philosophy and history that Trump and his base aren't Conservative. They aren't trying to conserve anything; they're past that point because they no longer believe the institutions are in their hands. Since the institutions and positions of power they once held no longer belong to them, they're determined to undermine, overthrow, or "restore" them to their previous state - under the dominance of White Christian heterosexual men.

Trump is more or less using this real reactionary element in American society for his personal benefit.

Um, this is all what "conservative" means in America today. The "True Conservatives" you talk about don't exist in the United States today, no more than "True Communists" exist in 21st Century China. If conservatives didn't wants to be marinated in Trumpstink, then they ought not have spent decades encouraging exactly what he supports. Trump is discrediting the name of conservatism for a generation (if not more), and that is absolutely something conservatives have earned, fair and square.

Yeah, the claim that Trump isnt' a conservative has always struck me as strange. These people's idea of a True Conservative is a tiny Washington elite... the Hillgoose and RINO Tom types. Trump is a conservative, albeit a dangerously erratic one.

I’m not talking about the narrow political definitions that exist within a single country. I’m referring to political philosophy itself, which I clearly stated in my prior post. We can discuss whether or not American “conservatism” before Trump fits the definition of Conservatism or Reactionary, but that’s a slightly different issue. Trump and the current GOP are reactionaries - not conservatives (in the philosophical meaning).