Donald Trump is being described as the leader of the Republican party and many people are hoping he runs again in 2024. Trumpism now defines the terms of conservatism, which is concerning in several ways. Many of Trump’s policies are not what they seem. They stealthily advanced a leftist agenda while being sold off as a brilliant strategy. For example, Betsy DeVos signing our schools on to the U.N. sustainable development agenda is partially responsible for the rapidly advancing use of Critical Race Theory. Another example is the USMCA. This essentially put the governance of North American trade in the hands of international bureaucrats, pushing the U.S. closer to the much sought-after North American Union. These are facts, not opinions.
Allowing Trump to define the terms of republicanism shows the political elite that conservatives will slightly shift to the left if properly persuaded. Cass Sunstein writes in his book Nudge, that social change can be influence by the context in which they frame the issue. For the presidential election of 2016, they presented us with two choices. One on the far left and the other left of center. This resulted in the conservative base accepting infringements against the second amendment that they would never have if Hillary had proposed them. Conservatism, with Trump at the helm, now means the acceptance of a president suggesting he has the power to do away with due process if he perceives someone is posing a danger to themselves or others. Conservatism now means accepting that agencies like the ATF can rewrite laws to ban firearm accessories they don’t like.
This is an unpopular position to take. There is little room in conservative circles for these opinions when so many believe that Trump brought us back from the brink and that he is our only hope for 2024. This is part of the problem. They have defined the narrative from the Trump vs. the left perspective so well, it dominates our thinking. Grooming another candidate that has a proven conservative track record is a non-existent conversation. We are being forced, in a roundabout way, to accept Trump as the representative of conservative values.
Questioning Trump often results in hostile and accusatory responses. Over the years I have been called a liberal troll and a milksop patriot over articles like this one. It would be just as easy to do what everybody else does and praise him as if he is the savior of all things. That would not be consistent with my values if I did that. There are too many things that make little sense for me to accept Trump as a conservative hero. It is not like I don’t regret Biden winning. I voted for Trump if for no other reason than to prevent that from happening. It makes little difference now.
The two political parties work hand in hand in keeping us divided while they advance their agenda. For example, Trump encouraged the expanded background check bill Congress just introduced, if people want to accept that. He told Congress to come up with a bill on the same day he said take guns first and go for due process second. Maybe he knew the Republican-controlled senate would have never passed it, who knows?
There is a reason I am so skeptical of anything anyone in government says, no matter how well their views may appear to align with mine. It is one quote from a book that is highly influential to the left, Rules for Radicals. This quote sends chills down my spine every time I read it because it seems so relevant to what we are experiencing, and it aligns with what psychologists know about the human reaction to fear so well, it carries with a hint of devious intent.
“There’s another reason for working inside the system. Dostoevski said that taking a new step is what people fear most. Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people. They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go of the past and chance the future. This acceptance is the reformation essential to any revolution.” (Alinsky, Rules for Radicals)
In my opinion, this explains everything.
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