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The Right is really about maintaining existing power structures, meaning property, businesses, and religion. The police oppose all of the things that would chal

The Right is really about maintaining existing power structures, meaning property, businesses, and religion. The police oppose all of the things that would challenge those, including both petty crime, and non violent protests alike. Therefore, the police and the Right agree on most issues and on the response. Naturally if the police overreach in their authority, it is very likely to be ignored or given the benefit of all doubt.

TheTester 5y ago
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NikolaNovak 5y ago
That's such a simple notion yet I was in my 30's when I read an article (wish I could find it but it wasn't necessarily unique) that basically said "the most fundamental definition of conservative is desire to keep status quo; the most fundamental definition of progressive is to change status quo". This goes a long way to explain both the motivations and the behaviour, but also why/how many seemingly disparate groups come together under these large Right/Conservative/Republican vs Left/Liberal/Democrat banners. It also explained to me why in most countries I've been to, the "Right" comes together and unites whereas "Left/Liberals/Progressives" have multitude of semi-in-fighting parties: "Stay the same" is more universal than "Change!" (change to what ? )
- mindslight 5y ago
  This made sense up until Trumpism. Now, it can no longer be said that the red team is "conservative" in the actual sense of the word, despite ongoing usage of the label. While the indignant rabble rousing has been there for decades (eg Rush Limbaugh), moving it onto the main stage and trying to do things like discredit and disrupt the election process (regardless of its validity!) is about as anti-conservative as you can get. The best explanation I've come up with is that they were conservative, then they got angry because things changed anyway, and now they want to disrupt society so that their prescriptions can make sense again. (spoken as a libertarian who has no love for the system and would love to disrupt it, but not like that. sheesh)
- Viliam1234 5y ago
  This becomes interesting in post-communist countries. Trying to keep the communist status quo... is that right or left? From your perspective right (and I believe you make a good point), but they will identify as left, and their opponents will identify as right.
  - alexvoda 5y ago
    Indeed, in postcommunist nations you are more likely to see a division between left-leaning traditionalist conservatives and right-leaning progressives. This was much more obvious decades ago. As time went on, left and right sort of lost meaning. Right now in Poland, Hungary and Romania, there is a resurgence of right-leaning to right-extremist conservatives. I wonder if this is because right-leaning is a more natural fit for conservativism?

TheTester 5y ago

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NikolaNovak 5y ago

That's such a simple notion yet I was in my 30's when I read an article (wish I could find it but it wasn't necessarily unique) that basically said "the most fundamental definition of conservative is desire to keep status quo; the most fundamental definition of progressive is to change status quo". This goes a long way to explain both the motivations and the behaviour, but also why/how many seemingly disparate groups come together under these large Right/Conservative/Republican vs Left/Liberal/Democrat banners. It also explained to me why in most countries I've been to, the "Right" comes together and unites whereas "Left/Liberals/Progressives" have multitude of semi-in-fighting parties: "Stay the same" is more universal than "Change!" (change to what ? )

mindslight 5y ago
This made sense up until Trumpism. Now, it can no longer be said that the red team is "conservative" in the actual sense of the word, despite ongoing usage of the label. While the indignant rabble rousing has been there for decades (eg Rush Limbaugh), moving it onto the main stage and trying to do things like discredit and disrupt the election process (regardless of its validity!) is about as anti-conservative as you can get. The best explanation I've come up with is that they were conservative, then they got angry because things changed anyway, and now they want to disrupt society so that their prescriptions can make sense again. (spoken as a libertarian who has no love for the system and would love to disrupt it, but not like that. sheesh)
Viliam1234 5y ago
This becomes interesting in post-communist countries. Trying to keep the communist status quo... is that right or left? From your perspective right (and I believe you make a good point), but they will identify as left, and their opponents will identify as right.
- alexvoda 5y ago
  Indeed, in postcommunist nations you are more likely to see a division between left-leaning traditionalist conservatives and right-leaning progressives. This was much more obvious decades ago. As time went on, left and right sort of lost meaning. Right now in Poland, Hungary and Romania, there is a resurgence of right-leaning to right-extremist conservatives. I wonder if this is because right-leaning is a more natural fit for conservativism?