Why Conservatism Failed

And why they will not admit it

My review of a new book about the failures of conservatism has just been published in Chronicles magazine. The book openly admits that conservatives have been defeated (which is now pretty glaring). But it does nothing to explain why the extreme Left took power, after having defeated the professional Right so decisively Despite a few important points in several essays, many of the authors exhibit the very problems that led to their defeat.

This confirms my belief that the professional right-wing establishment really does not want to come to grips with why they lost and learn from their mistakes. After all, if you start asking why the Left won, sooner or later someone will start asking why the Right lost – and after that, why we should continue listening to them, following their lead, publishing their work, contributing money to their coffers…

Among other criticisms, I suggest that conservatives always lose because they ignore serious injustices and abuses of government power against ordinary Americans — especially those inflicted by the judiciary in general and the family courts in particular.

Some comments, “likes”, reposts, etc., on this matter would greatly assist me and others to get more such pieces published.

Below are the opening paragraphs, as I wrote them, and then a link to the published article. I was told that it would available by free access for several days and not behind the pay wall. I am looking into that.

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Arthur Milikh, ed., Up from Conservatism: Revitalizing the Right after a Generation of Decay (Encounter, 2023)

Reviewed by Stephen Baskerville

Published in Chronicles magazine, January 2024

At last, the “establishment Right” acknowledges that perhaps things might be done better.  After decades of almost unbroken defeat, culminating in what amounts to a coup d’etat allowing the far Left to triumph in the United States, we finally get an admission of failure.

The quoted phrase suggests that these authors see themselves as dissident conservatives, outside that “establishment” and willing to criticize it.  To a point.

Acknowledging defeat is this book’s chief merit – sometimes diplomatically, though often forthrightly:  “The establishment Right’s failures over the last generations have been manifold,” the editor writes in the Introduction.

Since the end of the Cold War, what trajectory-altering successes or victories can the Right cite to demonstrate its worth? …  Despite spending billions of dollars supporting its infrastructure…the establishment Right has registered no clear gains and many clear losses.  Much of the nation was conquered on its watch.

Michael Anton goes further.  “You could even argue that it abetted most of it[s defeats],” he suggests.  “Where official conservatism’s opposition hasn’t been ineffectual, it’s been collaborationist.”  Importantly, he refers to not only “RINO” Republicans but the larger conservative class itself. (…)

Read the rest in Chronicles, January 2024…