This week’s piece is long - but it comes with an added audio version (read by me, not some AI garbage) to make it more accessible, hopefully.
Why the Extremists Took Over on the Right:
https://thomaszimmer.substack.com/p/why-the-extremists-took-over-on-the
This is Part II of a broader reflection on how to situate our Trumpist moment in U.S. history – sparked by a question I have been getting constantly in recent months: “Why is America suddenly so divided?”
Here’s a link to Part I; the third and final part will be out soon.
https://thomaszimmer.substack.com/p/what-is-america-and-for-whom
This week’s piece is long - but it comes with an added audio version (read by me, not some AI garbage) to make it more accessible, hopefully.
Why the Extremists Took Over on the Right:
https://thomaszimmer.substack.com/p/why-the-extremists-took-over-on-the
What unites all factions on the Trumpist Right is the belief that a “leftist” revolution has already taken place, the radical “Left” has taken over the major institutions of American life. As there is nothing left to conserve, nothing short of a radical “counter-revolution” can save the nation.
The Right’s political and intellectual leaders believe they are engaged in a noble war for the “soul,” the identity, the very existence of the nation. If the stakes are so high, moderation, restraint, and patience are not an option. There is no line they don’t feel justified to cross.
The general sentiment that traditional conservatism needs to be replaced by a much more radical form of politics to answer the “leftist” challenge is now being echoed across the Right. People at the center of rightwing politics are now rejecting the label “conservatism” outright.
What unites all factions on the Trumpist Right is the belief that a “leftist” revolution has already taken place, the radical “Left” has taken over the major institutions of American life. As there is nothing left to conserve, nothing short of a radical “counter-revolution” can save the nation.
The radicals have emerged victorious from this internal conflict: The people in charge on today’s Right are at war with pluralistic society, unwilling to accept the confines of democratic self-government. They are openly embracing state authoritarianism and militant extremism.
The general sentiment that traditional conservatism needs to be replaced by a much more radical form of politics to answer the “leftist” challenge is now being echoed across the Right. People at the center of rightwing politics are now rejecting the label “conservatism” outright.
For decades, different factions on the modern Right disagreed on whether the advancement of “un-American” leftism, liberalism, and egalitarianism could be halted from within the political system – or had to be stopped by much more radical means, including the use of violence.
The radicals have emerged victorious from this internal conflict: The people in charge on today’s Right are at war with pluralistic society, unwilling to accept the confines of democratic self-government. They are openly embracing state authoritarianism and militant extremism.
It is not just political power the Right seeks. They desire cultural domination and affirmation. In the cultural sphere, the public square, and across many societal dimensions like the family, the shift in power away from white male conservatives has been more pronounced.
For decades, different factions on the modern Right disagreed on whether the advancement of “un-American” leftism, liberalism, and egalitarianism could be halted from within the political system – or had to be stopped by much more radical means, including the use of violence.
Socially, culturally, and – most importantly, perhaps – demographically, the country has moved away from the rightwing ideal since the middle of the twentieth century. As a result, the conservative hold on power has become tenuous.
It is not just political power the Right seeks. They desire cultural domination and affirmation. In the cultural sphere, the public square, and across many societal dimensions like the family, the shift in power away from white male conservatives has been more pronounced.
We have been talking a lot - and with good reason - about the “crisis of liberal democracy.” But in crucial ways, it is the conception of “real America” as a white Christian patriarchal homeland that has come under enormous pressure. That’s why the Right is freaking out.
Socially, culturally, and – most importantly, perhaps – demographically, the country has moved away from the rightwing ideal since the middle of the twentieth century. As a result, the conservative hold on power has become tenuous.
Sunday reading: Why the Extremists Took Over on the Right
I wrote about the escalating sense of besiegement that has fueled the rise of dangerous people and truly radical ideas that fully define the Right today.
This week’s piece:
https://thomaszimmer.substack.com/p/why-the-extremists-took-over-on-the
We have been talking a lot - and with good reason - about the “crisis of liberal democracy.” But in crucial ways, it is the conception of “real America” as a white Christian patriarchal homeland that has come under enormous pressure. That’s why the Right is freaking out.
Thomas Zimmer