Movement Conservatism is not Conservatism
by
Trebuchet
07/01/2009, 9:11 AM #
Like Neo-Classic Architecture is not Classic Architecture.
Movement Conservatism was an attempt to draw together a very disparate bunch of individuals who had distinctly different goals but could agree on certain principles if their specific goals could be at the minimum tolerated by the other groups.
So you had cultural conservatives who wanted to see the Constitution changed to allow religious groups to share political power and even be funded by the government. This might have seemed anathema to Constitutional Conservatives, but it did mean that they could - if they played their cards right - get to rewrite the Constitution, which didn't sound like a good idea to the Brahman Conservatives, but as long as the Socialists were in pitched battle with the Religious and Constitutional Conservatives, none of those undesirables were joining the Brahamn Country Clubs or private schools which was a barrier to the Fiscal Opportunist Conservatives who were trying to climb the Ivy Walls, but needed all of the above to participate in their investment banking marketing scheme if the FOC were going to become fantastically wealthy.
Coalitions like that (not limited to the Movement Conservatives) are always tenuous at best. Remember in the 70s when that coalition of new age spiritualism, racial diverstity, drug culture and radical politics suddenly caught on fire and exploded.
I think that what we are seeing now in Obama is more of a European style movement. Politics that are flexible, secular and practical. There is no liberal in the Obama Movement, no Conservative, no Radical, no Reactionary. I think if you are a person with a need, you will be considered, if you are a person with resources, you will help.
Not sure how long Obama's coalition will last, but let's hope at least as long as FDRs.