I think the concept of “conservative” has been hollowed out and the label drained of nearly all significant meaning by decades of exposure to, and unwittingly falling into a pattern of, societal and personal effeminacy. The practice of it in 2020s America is downright militant, and its scope is at the level of a highly influential industry. Masculinity, crucial to the living out of conservative ideals, has seemingly been outlawed in polite society, with the average wife of a supposedly conservative man in certain areas of the country, if not yet all, typically being the final executioner of those tendencies in his makeup.
Interesting ideas and hard to disagree with. Xi is now focusing on keeping men manly, what? ...more warlike? Of course as Americans we can’t forget Steve Martin’s skits on Girly-men, possibly America’s last meaningful contribution on the subject which today would be thought canceled
My wife and I have happened onto many discussions as of late on gender in politics and the tendencies of each to influence outcomes be it on an emotional or intellectual base.
I still believe there are more masculine tendencies on the conservative side but also agree that is being diluted.
I believe Religion had historically contributed the underpinnings of conservative thought and probably strong masculinity but religion today seems to be destroying itself with a little help from more access to sinning. Nothing like temptations and profit taking to make one shift away from things meaningful.
The conservative vs liberal mind set I look at outside of gender and more to the adherence to traditional bits of wisdom gathered throughout western civilization that is added to slowly. Where the liberal and especially progressive views seem to go yeah, yeah yeah to Western thought and then make extreme leaps towards modernizing how we are to govern ourselves. A select few who are, cough cough, really smart people have somehow outthought all previous wisdom. Those who go along are rewarded and those that don’t are punished. While progressives seem to have momentum I’m hopeful common sense will prevail.
Many years ago our dinner table was focused on urban vs rural life and the values that flow from each. Traditionally the rural man did the hard work and the woman did the hard work of caring for the manly hard worker and the children she carried while she performed her duties seemingly without much gratitude. (My wife’s version)
As we’ve grown older as a people the level of hardship has diminished. And like you point out, hallowed out, has contributed to how the result has unfolded.
In the meantime we have been ruled by one set of laws for all regardless of where or how we must live.
With the urban areas having most control of the vote we have their mindset telling us rural folk how we should do everything. Further irritates me how the same has happened to US capitalism. One set of rules for all from zoning and land use to tax structures. Groups vs individuals.
None the less, in the name of equality the loss of individual freedom is being assaulted from most directions.
The good news is in the wisdom I hope the country is accumulating on the utter failure of our leftist leaders. Could the American public actually revert to using common sense?
The leftist cheerleading for the corpse of dumb ideas is being laid open for the farce it is. Every category of leadership and process
We need more Steve Martins to poke humor holes in this ridiculous path we’ve been descending. Yeah what’s been happening isn’t funny but people do need to laugh and most often you have to think to get the joke.