Could someone please tell me what the hell is going on with conservatives these days?
Over the last 48 hours, we've seen two examples in mainstream conservative publications advocating for some form of an explicit authoritarian regime.
First, over at the National Review, commentator Thomas Sowell offered up this gem:
When I see the worsening degeneracy in our politicians, our media, our educators, and our intelligentsia, I can’t help wondering if the day may yet come when the only thing that can save this country is a military coup.
As Kevin Drum pointed out, this observation came amidst a column filled with random observations about society, and was offered with no context or explanation whatsoever. So far, there has been plenty of criticism from us on the left, but almost nothing from the right. NRO's Corner has simply ignored the comment.
Second, as Glenn Greenwald notes today, The Wall St. Journal has published a lengthy piece from Harvard professor Harvey Mansfield which includes the following headline:
The Case for the Strong Executive -- Under some circumstances, the Rule of Law must yield to the need for Energy
This really should go without saying, but... the entire premise of our system of government is that there are no circumstances under which the rule of law must yield to the will of the executive. None. In fact, it was the miserable experience of living under such a system that prompted our ancestors to begin the long, bloody revolution that established this country. The very existence of our nation is an explicit rejection of these arguments.
Which begs the question: aren't conservatives supposed to be interested in conserving tradition?
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