re: #10 steve_davis

Yes, but American conservatism isn’t supposed to be about preserving privileges of an in group. It’s supposed to be about preserving institutions while implementing gradual change for the better. The institution in this case is the constitution and the branches of government described therein. Republicans don’t practice conservatism. At best they’re populists. Their power structure is built around enabling poor white trash and their revival tent religion to literally take over the people’s house and to shit on its floor. This strain goes all the way back to Andrew Jackson, though he certainly didn’t invent it.

They’re more reactionary than conservative. The latter can be quite “go slow”, but the current American version is trying very very hard to role back a century or more of progressive laws and protections.