Street Corner Conservatives

December 24, 2016 Hunter Wallace Politics 52

While I am handing out plaudits in the Christmas spirit this evening, young Matthew Continetti has also written his best article:

“I have been thinking about Gavin lately because his life and thought so perfectly capture the conservatism of Donald Trump. When you read Gavin, you begin to understand that the idea of Trump as a conservative is not oxymoronic. Trump is a conservative—of a particular type that is rare in intellectual circles. His conservatism is ignored or dismissed or opposed because, while it often reaches the same conclusions as more prevalent versions of conservatism, its impulses, emphases, and forms are different from those of traditionalism, anti-Communism, classical liberalism, Leo Strauss conservatism in its East and West Coast varieties, the neoconservatism of Irving Kristol as well as the neoconservatism of William Kristol, religious conservatism, paleo-conservatism, compassionate conservatism, constitutional conservatism, and all the other shaggy inhabitants of the conservative zoo. …

Trump’s politics are grounded not in metaphysics but in what he understands to be the linguistic root of the term conservative. “I view the word conservative as a derivative of the word conserve,” he has said. “We want to conserve our money. We want to conserve our wealth. We want to conserve. We want to be smart. We want to be smart where we go, where we spend, how we spend. We want to conserve our country. We want to save our country.”

The conservatism of Donald Trump is not the conservatism of ideas but of things. His politics do not derive from the works of Burke or Disraeli or Newman, nor is he a follower of Mill or Berlin or Moynihan. There is no theory of natural rights or small government or international relations that claims his loyalty. When he says he wants to “conserve our country,” he does not mean conserve the idea of countries, or a league of countries, or the slogans of democracy or equality or freedom, but this country, right now, as it exists in the real world of space and time. …”

As it happens, this is the reason why Donald Trump electrified the Alt-Right. Good for Matthew Continetti for trying to understand Trump’s appeal.

American conservatives are classical liberals. It is a really confusing term. It suggests they want to conserve something real like a people or their culture, but the movement is really about fidelity to liberal abstractions like Freedom and Equality and Democracy. Conservatives are really into the Free Market and the Constitution.

I’m a “conservative” in the European sense of the term. I want to “conserve” concrete things like my nation, its people, its culture. I’m skeptical of abstract universal ideologies. I identify with previous generations and feel a sense of duty to pass on their legacy to my descendants. Instead of “principles,” I believe in permanent interests. I liked Trump because his pitch wasn’t about the usual conservative buzzwords like Freedom or American Exceptionalism. He talked about our interests and what he could do for us.

Trump came to the South and promised to build a Great Wall on the Mexican border. He went to Appalachia and promised to end the War on Coal. He went to the Rust Belt and vowed he would be tough on China and renegotiate free-trade agreements. He went to the Midwest and heard what the farmers had to say about the EPA. He also promised that he would change course and avoid disastrous wars like the Iraq War.

Remember the huge crowd that Trump attracted in Mobile, AL last summer when the little ¡Jeb! plane flew over the stadium with the banner “Trump 4 higher taxes. Jeb 4 Prez”? That moment was symbolic of everything that followed in the campaign:

They honestly believed the people of the Deep South were National Review conservatives. This region used to be known as the “Old Southwest” (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida Panhandle) and produced America’s leading populists – in Alabama, Big Jim Folson and George Wallace, in Mississippi, the Great White Chief James K. Vardaman and Theodore “The Man” Bilbo, in Louisiana, Huey “The Kingfish” Long.

Again, the conservatives didn’t get what was happening because they think in terms of grandiose liberal abstractions. They don’t think of concrete peoples with their own peculiar cultures, history, worldview and interests.

About Hunter Wallace 12390 Articles
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Occidental Dissent

52 Comments

  1. The “conservatives” reject Trump because he ran on the premise of the well-being of the American people, regular white folks whose ancestors settled the country. That is too much of an abstraction (“empty nostalgia”) for the the wolves in sheep’s clothing whose prattle about liberal economics and “freedom” and “democracy” abroad are mere fig leafs for the NWO Judas goats. It’s giving these people too much credit to say they are motivated by a theoretical system. It’s a pose on their part, they would never countenance discussion of principles that it would be socially unacceptable to advance in their circles. (whenever social issues come up, they cue the 10th Amendment) The Jews, homosexuals and hanger-ons at National Review and in other GOP circles aren’t interested in building an organic society. They never seriously tried to engage Trump, because to do so would expose their truly alien mindset and principles. They came off as Dickens’ villains seething contempt for the Trump voters, but veiled in the “pull yourself up by your boot-straps” “Protestant work ethic” mythology they pretend they represent. Trump’s provocations on concrete issues has gotten their bile flowing (and it still continues – consider Gingrich) but getting the National Review types to talk about what they REALLY, SERIOUSLY believe, which is what a real discussion of principles would entail, would be like getting the Washington Generals or Professional wrestlers to confess to being fake during their performances. Their cynicism, compared to Trump’s, is boundless.

    • It is racial justice in play, JPS.

      Water always levels itself. As does nature. The disruption over the past few years created a nationalist presidency in the form of Trump.

      It will be interesting to see how far the pendulum swings.
      Good stuff in your comment. Positive vibes are evident. A White man is in charge now, and that is a good thing.

      I had dinner with a few people in the know. Real estate is up. That creates spending, in turn lifts confidence in the markets. People spend ect.

      My main concern is immigration. I understand the ideology of top down wider base economic strategy, cheap labor.

      Trump takes office next month. Wild ride, but the rocket-ship has landed, in economic terms. Gold is dropping and the dollar is worth more.

        • LOL

          Berk, things have changed. Big time, bitch!

          I have a wife that is breathtakingly beautiful. And she is a doctor. 🙂

          By the way, “nothing” is spelled as such.

          Have a great Christmas!

  2. ” They don’t think of concrete peoples with their own peculiar cultures, history, worldview and interests.”

    Just like another great White Man:

    “The established Methodist church paper, the Friedensglocke, vouched for the authenticity of a story about Hitler where he invited a group of deaconesses from the Bethel Institutions into his home at Obersalzberg: “The deaconesses entered the chamber and were astonished to see the pictures of Frederick the Great, Luther, and Bismarck on the wall.

    Then Hitler said: ‘Those are the three greatest men that God has given the German people. From Fredrick the Great I have learned bravery, and from Bismarck statecraft. The greatest of the three is Dr. Martin Luther, for he made it possible to bring unity among the German tribes by giving them a common language through his translation of the Bible into German….’

    [Note that Hitler’s own words about his admiration for Martin Luther are expressed in Mein Kampf.]

    One sister could not refrain from saying: Herr Reichkanzler, from where do you get the courage to undertake the great changes in the whole Reich?

    Thereupon Hitler took out of his pocket the New Testament of Dr. Martin Luther, which one could see had been used very much, and said earnestly: “From God’s word.” [Helmreich, p. 139]

    http://www.nobeliefs.com/HitlerSources.htm

    Merry Christmas.

    • Hey church faggot fr. John, ur stupid religion and that stupid cult jebus fag are only further emasculating white man

      • You were saying, punk?

        “The established Methodist church paper, the Friedensglocke, vouched for the authenticity of a story about Hitler where he invited a group of deaconesses from the Bethel Institutions into his home at Obersalzberg: “The deaconesses entered the chamber and were astonished to see the pictures of Frederick the Great, Luther, and Bismarck on the wall.

        Then Hitler said: “Those are the three greatest men that God has given the German people. From Fredrick the Great I have learned bravery, and from Bismarck statecraft. The greatest of the three is Dr. Martin Luther, for he made it possible to bring unity among the German tribes by giving them a common language through his translation of the Bible into German….”

        [Note that Hitler’s own words about his admiration for Martin Luther are expressed in Mein Kampf.]

        One sister could not refrain from saying: Herr Reichkanzler, from where do you get the courage to undertake the great changes in the whole Reich?

        Thereupon Hitler took out of his pocket the New Testament of Dr. Martin Luther, which one could see had been used very much, and said earnestly: “From God’s word.” [Helmreich, p. 139]
        – http://www.nobeliefs.com/HitlerSources.htm

        • Bla bla bla.. cmon Johnny boy, you know these are all lies. Hitler may be a believer but not a Christ insaner . I’m starting to think Christianity might have softened Hitler at some point. If he had kept away from church fag cocksuckers he might have gone farr and achieved what he desired to. Carpenter fag religion is just emasculating men and turning them to pussies. Im happy more and more people are realising this cult and are throwing it away. Let gays nigs trannies keep this with them. Real.Men can embrace odinism or even atheism aint bad .Face the fact Johnny cuck

    • Btw fr john, Christmas is for pussies and fags not for real white men. Our pagan roots give us more proud than some stupid sand nigger quack u worship in the name of jebus.

      • Yeah?

        Read it and weep, or bend the Knee before your Lord and God.

        “Nor can the Table-Talk be used to argue for a pagan Hitler:
        It seems to me that nothing would be more foolish than to re-establish the worship of Wotan. Our old mythology had ceased to be viable when Christianity implanted itself.” -A.H., in Table-Talk [p. 61]

        • So what pastor cuck white race hasnt died off with Hitler. Stop preaching with the useless Bible and start Reading William pierce. Reading Pierce is more knowledgeable than memorising verses said by minddnumbing and Hypnotic cult christinsanity. Unless you want to be become a pussy like Bruce Jenner kick out your Bible and start reading pierce.

      • Anathema sit, anathema sit, anathema sit!

        You are going to hell young man, and nothing you can do to stop it.

        I leave you to Satan- your lord & master.

  3. All the abstractions are is jibber jabber that sounds intellectual and does little but legitimize the Left which is the tru cons real purpose in life.

  4. Classical liberals are not american conservatives , that’s why Ron Paul was persona non grata at the RNC & Fox news crowd.

  5. “Leo Strauss conservatism in its East and West Coast varieties,
    the neoconservatism of Irving Kristol as well as the neoconservatism of
    William Kristol”

    In other words, “conservatism” was a Jewish ploy. That isn’t news. The question rarely wrestled with is why did the white aristocracy falter? Loss of faith? Complacency? Inbreeding? Nepotism? Too much war?

    Look at folks like GWB, Dole, Romney, McCain – these are the whites at the top of the food chain that are supposed to wrestle with the Jews. Do you expect them to win? With Trump, we have a break from the tradition of Jews selecting our leaders – we chose him. He is winning so far. Who is the next Trump?

    • Afterthought I expect better from you. The Bushes, McCains, et al.

      Masons, buddy.

      Don’t forget who let the jews in. After the Romans were chased out of Europe, it was the european aristocracy. They wanted a racially distinct and nepotistic closed group of moneylenders and tax collectors who could read. During the Middle Ages, 98% of jewish men were literate while only 3% of european men were. This was deliberate race/class warfare on the part of the european royals, who alternately relied on the jews as scapegoats for the feudal oligarchical system when necessary. Christian men were tortured and killed for owning books.

      The jews, BTW, were originally part of the ruling class of Egypt, which is why their entitlement is so ingrained. Their notion of ‘slavery’ was and always has been being forced to carry themselves. Oy vey.

    • “The question rarely wrestled with is why did the white aristocracy
      falter? Loss of faith? Complacency? Inbreeding? Nepotism? Too much war?”

      Too many were Wordists, which means no loyalty to your own kind, only loyal to universalist ideas. No loyalty to your own means you will be pushed out by those with stronger group cohesion. Simple physics.

  6. Politics is really a very practical affair. Trucons turned it into a wordist one and can’t understand why they keep losing.

  7. Basically the problem is all those political strategists, media pundits and other so-called experts live in the Northeastern AMTRAK corridor, the Boston-New York-DC axis, so they have no idea how the rest of the country (aka “real” America) thinks or lives.

    • About twenty minutes ago, Jerry, I saw a youngish man walking with a lightweight metal cane, I believe, into a Catholic church, here in northeast Philadelphia, for Christmas Eve Mass. His body was twisted with something like cerebral palsy, and a gray-haired woman—maybe an aunt or grandmother—walked beside him.

      I would say the metallurgists and engineers from places like Boston’s MIT, plus the New York City financiers who realize the ideas of those talented persons, know more about how that young man and that gray-haired woman live than do the denizens of so-called real America.

      Merry Christmas, real America—you useless nothings.

      • “metallurgists and engineers from places like Boston’s MIT”

        How many of these people in these colleges are White? Should we get on our knees and thank them for purging Whites out of Institutions that we built?

        “New York City financiers”

        Oh boy, should we thank your New York City financiers for shipping the manufacturing jobs out of the country, importing millions of third worlders to drive down wages, throwing those people they care about so much into poverty?

        “Merry Christmas, real America—you useless nothings.”

        Let them eat cake!

      • Hahahahahahahahahahaha. This is the most ridiculous non-sequitur I’ve ever seen! “Metallurgists and financiers” know more about how some crippled guy and his grandmother live than do the working class? What in the hell are you talking about? It really, really, REALLY does not follow my friend. Nice try at a slight-of-hand to legitimize out-of-touch elitists though. Merry Christmas anyway.

        • That’s “sleight” of hand, with an “e,” douchebag. Spelling—another working-class non-specialty.

          • Oh no, denying it was a typo! Well that definitely proves the omnipotent metallurgists and financiers doesn’t it? Hahaha

          • And by the way, you think it takes an MIT “metallurgist” or engineer to make the “lightweight metal cane” that you saw Tiny Tim using? That really was a VERY stupid post. Merry Christmas

          • No, silly. Of course, I don’t think it takes an MIT metallurgist or engineer to make a lightweight metal cane. Everyone knows that such canes are made by country boys, who gather up the metal from their backyards, after it falls out of the sky.

            PS “Tiny Tim.” Thanks for taking the bait. I was wondering which one of you pieces of trash, here at Occidental Dissent, would be first to make a cruel reference to the unfortunate I described. That’s the nice thing about white trash: no surprises.

          • Hahaha. Posting Hank Jr. again I see. Oh, don’t the three motorcyclists look positively Scythian? Talk about no surprises. Haha. Pathetic, pedantic nobody. Let me ask you this: by what right do you claim the “metallurgists, engineers, and financiers,” other than relative proximity? Are you yourself an engineer? A financier? Didn’t think so. So it IS just proximity right? Good luck living in that negro-infested and negro-run shit hole of Philadelphia. Enjoy your next flash mob. Merry Christmas. Hahahaha

          • That’s another interesting thing about white trash: It’s incapable of denying that that’s what it is.

    • Worse yet, they don’t care. I wonder if it has dawned on Kevin Williamson yet what a disaster his “white working class” article was?

  8. As Mr. Wallace pointed out, what today is called “conservatism” in America is really nothing of the kind. “Conservatism” of the kind espoused by the Republican party is a skein of classical liberalism drawn over a political machine dedicated to serving certain wealthy and powerful interests. Similarly, “liberalism” of the kind espoused by the Democratic party is a skein of progressive liberalism drawn over a political machine dedicated to serving the interests of certain other (and sometimes the same) wealthy and powerful interests.

    The liberals are perhaps more honest in this: that they actually try to realize their progressive agenda, because it is desired by their backers. The wealthy want a populace that is dissolute, deracinated, de-moralized, and degenerate – the better to rule over them and to feel superior to them.

    Real conservatism, as it has traditionally been understood, is a set of instinctual attachments based on blood and soil; it is loyalty to my tribe, my people, my homeland.

    • With institutions the meaning usually changes to the opposite of what it says on the label. So Conservatives don’t conserve anything and Liberals aren’t liberal at all, they have become totalitarian Marxists.

      However over in Australia, the Conservative party doesn’t hide behind
      a fake name but still no one notices that they aren’t conservative. They call themselves The Liberal Party and they are exactly as Hunter describes Classical Liberals to be. They are the friend of big business and they let them do whatever they like to the country. That means flood the place with millions of legal third worlders to drive down wages, ship all the manufacturing out and sell what is left to the Chinese. Whatever helps their masters loot the country they allow it. And morals what morals? Their Prime Minister virtue signals by attending gay pride parades. That is how Conservatism behaves everywhere in the West.

      Conservatism: The shadow that follows radicalism.

      “Real conservatism, as it has traditionally been understood, is a set of
      instinctual attachments based on blood and soil; it is loyalty to my
      tribe, my people, my homeland.”

      What you are describing is Nationalism.

  10. ‘Again, the conservatives didn’t get what was happening because they
    think in terms of grandiose liberal abstractions. They don’t think of
    concrete peoples with their own peculiar cultures, history, worldview
    and interests.’

    Brilliant and brilliantly pithy. Thank you and Merry Chrystmas!

    • Wrong Miller (I had previously gotten them confused too). Stephen Miller was with Trump from the beginning and is still with Trump. Jason Miller worked for Cruz’s campaign and then for Trump.

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