An interesting article. I am going to have to think about it some.
Interesting. I was pure Republican from the age of 8 in a Democratic household. Was comfortable in the first wave, flowed into the rivers of the 2nd until I found it was heading out to sea and made my way, unhappily, to shore. When the 3rd wave arrived, it lifted all boats and I’ve decided I’ve found my permanent houseboat and I’ll moor right here.
National Review’s Frank Meyer famously developed a theory called fusionism, which argued that freedom was a prerequisite for a virtuous society.
I think we’d have to ask Frank to define what he means by ‘freedom’.
Not perfect, but a virtuous people came to America to have freedom of worship. They were virtuous before they came. It’s the human heart that needs a transformation that only the Son of God can bring about. Human governments don’t create freedom or virtuous people. Changed individuals can create human governments, or influence the ones that exist, that uphold godly principles that benefit the majority of citizens. Loving your neighbor as yourself, correct weights and measurements, not taking a bribe against the innocent, equal justice without partiality, etc. It starts with changed hearts and lives submitted to the King of kings. If you could pass just and moral laws but all your citizens were immoral then they would just change the laws back to benefit the corrupt. Hence, America at present.
“So if the Son has set you free, you are free indeed.”
John 8:36
I think a fourth Conservative wave will be a fusion between the first wave and the present “populist” wave.
Not true at all. There was a fierce debate in the 90's when various groups of the right pushed and supported those ideas. It was the gop and Limbaugh wing that attacked the nationalist on the right like Buchanan and Perot on globalization, national debt, free trade and immigration.
The entire point of 90's talk radio was to run interference against nationalism and attack those who didn't toe the line.