undefined | Better HN

0 pointsatlas_hugged2y ago0 comments

There’s nothing counterculture to conservatism my good man. Hell, it’s in the name.

The left moves society forward, the right holds society back. I don’t like everything the young kids are doing but I know I will eventually be wrong, so I try to understand them and learn to embrace the change they bring. The young left will always, eventually, move society forward. Whether we like it or not. What you’re witnessing is people beginning to understand the paradox of tolerance. Complete tolerance towards all views will always fail because the intolerant will exploit the tolerant. Now that people understand that things are always, or even often, that simple. In order to maintain tolerance, you must also practice intolerance of intolerance. I see the whole “calling people a Nazi bigot” for saying things like “go woke or go broke” or things in that vein, is a part of that realization.

I’ve always of the mind of “free speech absolutism” as Elon calls it. Then I read about how Germany handled things post ww2 and concluded that they could no longer allow fully free speech if they were going to stop another Hitler from rising to power. They had to be intolerant to intolerance. It’s a dangerous precedent that requires great care to avoid a more dangerous outcome.

In general, being an angry hateful bigot of any kind has progressively been moved to the fringe of the right, instead of being smack dab in the middle of the mainstream.

Interracial marriage.

Slavery.

Voting rights for minorities and women.

Jim Crow.

Civil Rights.

Protection of Voting rights

Self ownership / Reproductive rights

Acceptance of LGBT+/GSRM communities.

Acceptance of minorities.

Same sex marriage.

Healthcare for all.

The right has met all of these with protest and violence. They eventually always lose, but not before killing a bunch of people on the left in the process.

You’re on the wrong side of history. I’ve been there. Figure out why you’re so resistant to change/progress. Figure out why you’re so angry all the time. Figure out why you’re so filled with hate.

If you’re surrounded by hateful people, figure out how to leave those people behind. Don’t announce your intentions. Don’t evangelize your views. Just start your path to change. The people in your orbit will either move towards you or move away from you. Expect this. Most will move away, but some will see your example and follow it.

That’s the approach a friend of mine took when he decided he didn’t want to be a violent alcoholic anymore. He just decided to change. He didn’t ask me to change with him. He just did it. He never left my side so I never left his. Eventually, I followed in his example. Eventually, so did a couple of his other friends.

His approach helped me become a much happier person.

I hope it helps you.

0 comments

3 comments · 2 top-level

PaulDavisThe1st2y ago· 1 in thread

> The left moves society forward, the right holds society back.

There's good conservatism and bad conservatism, just like there's good progressivism and bad progressivism. The latter consists mostly of change for change's sake, while bad conservatism consists of resisting change for no reason. But the good kind of conservatism is an important force in a society that has any sort of progressive energy (read: almost all of them) - it serves as a reminder of Chesterton's fence (that there is a reason (or reasons) why things are as they are, and you should understand those reasons before you change things).

I would not consider myself a conservative (though my kids perhaps would), but I consider that kind of conservatism important even if ultimately the change I want to see overrides it.

thomastjeffery2y ago

I've spent my entire life surrounded by people who genuinely believe they are good conservatives.

I have never, even once, encountered good conservatism.

There is good progressivism, and there is fake progressivism. It isn't too hard to tell them apart.

mantas2y ago

When constant progress becomes the dominant culture, counter-culture is, well, counter to that.

And conservative counter culture is not exactly going back to X era. You can't step into the same river twice. It's a different path of progress instead with some reflect on history.

We could also say gay rights were conservative, because they were bringing back something somewhat similar to ancient Greece. A lot of progress is reinventing the wheel, with some changes.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse