1. A brief riff: the American intellectual right was very anti-democratic before mid-1970s (see National Review on Franco) & very anti-democratic since (Thiel being prime example). What was exception was brief window (1970s-2008) when right was relatively pro-democratic https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/1159495342204887040 …
-
-
5. The rightwing embrace of democracy promotion (and new argument that free markets & democracy went hand in hand) was very useful during Cold War & also post-1991 as tool for legitimizing American global hegemony. It was ideological underpinning of Iraq War.
Show this thread -
6. Right-wing democracy promotion was ultimately undermined by Iraq debacle (which discredited neo-conservatism on right) but also of Arab Spring (which showed that actual Middle Eastern democracy would threaten many longtime USA allies).
Show this thread -
7. And Obama's two electoral victories (the first time a Democratic presidential candidate won 50%+ of the popular vote twice in a row since FDR) scared conservatives, as did popular support of marriage equality. This was background for right's renewed anti-democratic push.
Show this thread -
8. Ultimately, the synthesis Yglesias calls for ("the virtues of free markets were fused with the virtues of political democracy to create humane, sustainable mixed economies") is incompatible with conservatism: any really robust democracy will trend towards social democracy.
Show this thread -
9. Really believing in democracy means being willing to give up what you love if it goes against the popular will. Part of the greatness of Tocqueville & JS Mill is that they accepted democracy meant giving up aristocratic high culture & laissez-faire economics.
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
Out of curiosity: how did these intellectuals react to Reagan's interventions in central America? Contras and such?
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
I assume you mean in rhetoric only. Because the actions of supporting client state dictator regimes throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Central America would testify otherwise.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
It's helpful to note that the liberal wing of the Republican Party was healthy and quite influential back then as well. Today, there is no home for them in the GOP. Sad.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
Backing by right wing intellectuals of contras/regimes in El Salvador/Guatemala in the 1980s don't seem like "democracy promotion." Until fall of Soviet Union anti-communism was paramount. No? Starting in 90s more complicated--isolationism vying with neocons imperial ambitions.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.