The Conservatism of New Rights - Essay Example

?Explain the conservatism of the New Right - what did it strive to conserve and what did it fail to conserve? Conservatism of New Rights: Introduction: After the end of the First World War, the two superpowers emerged, one was America and the other was Russia. Russia was totally a communist country whereas America adopted the capitalism and individualism. These two economic forces led to the commencement of Cold War between the two superpowers of the world. The entire world was parted between these two forces. Almost all European countries adopted capitalism and the Asian countries like China Russia became the communist nations. The concept of conservatism emerged out of the strong protest to socialism and communism. Capitalism and conservatism have always gone hand in hand. The concept conservatism is basically associated with history of the nation which includes a different political attitude in different eras. In American contest the conservatism is marked by tensions and absolute contradictions between anti-communists and anti-statists, but between traditionalist and individualists who declared publicly the primacy of religion, politics, or economics. The central idea, upon which the foundation of American conservatism is based on, is ordered liberty. It comprises of both individual freedom as well as individual responsibility. It also deals with limited government and unlimited market. It means the non interference of government in economy. The conservative attitude was associated with carrying on the past and an established thoughts, rules and conducts. According to the conservative thoughts the changes will affect the society rather than any positive sequel. The conservatives were involved in preventing the growing influence of socialism and communism. From mid 1930 to the 1960s the traditionalists in America gathered with the objective to fight the liberals’ “New Deal. The modern conservatism in America was influenced by the ideas of Russell Kirk. He affirmed his ideas through “Conservative minds.” Thus modern conservatism became the main political force in 1964. Russell Kirk was known as the father of modern conservative thought. In the United States the term New Rights refers to historical different conservative political movements. The New Rights were trying to conserve the old things but for their efforts they had to accept the changes. It was not affordable for them to be rigid with their opinion. The first New Right (1955 to 1964) adopted the “fusionism,” i.e. classical liberal economics, traditional social values, and an ardent anti-communism. The second New Right in America was formed during Goldwater Campaign. The Second New Right became more popular than the first one. The Second New Right helped Ronald Reagan to win the White House in 1980. On the background of conservatism the attempt has been done to take review of two books, one is “Suburban Warriors,” and second is “Republican Ascendency.” The two books are basically written on the same background. “Suburban Warriors,” is one of the books during the rise of the New Rights. In the book the author Lisa McGirr focuses on the conservative monopoly of Orange Country to know the economic as well as social causes for its fanatical embrace of Goldwater- Reagan republicanism. Lisa McGirr here depicts that their movement was not one of unimportant people suffering from status anxiety. On the other hand this movement was established by successful people living a modern life and yearning for bright future. Lisa McGirr explains the importance of Orange Country that it was a “real centre and symbol of American Conservatism.”(P.4) In the end Lisa McGirr opines that they have become successful they have engaged in preserving things with its new form. They want the original values but at the same time they are aware of the fact that changes are inevitable and so they accept everything with adaptation. While telling that the conservatives have not just adopted the old rules, she says “While embracing ideas often thought of as incompatible with modernity -- in particular a rejection of secularism, egalitarianism, liberal relativism, and the tendency toward a centralized state -- conservatives have conceived of themselves as a modern force.” When she tells that they have adopted the new ideas abandoned some of the old and nasty ideologies she further says, “Just as importantly, they have accommodated aspects of American pluralism and jettisoned older unpalatable ideas (of anti-Semitism, biological racism, and anti-Catholicism, for example) in the face of new circumstances. At the same time, however, they have carried forward a core set of older assumptions about the nation, God's place within it, law and order, and limited government precepts that resonated with the new circumstances of life of many post-World War II middle- and lower-middle-class (especially white) Americans -- Catholics and Protestants alike -- particularly in the South and West. They have addressed real dilemmas that faced Americans in the post-World War II period: concerns about the erosion of local autonomy, of community, of individualism, and a disparagement of tradition in a familiar language. They have done so, moreover in a way that seemed to safeguard a way of life and set of power relations its adherents wished to preserve. Conservatism has been both a reactive and a proactive force, a mixture that helps to explain its strength and endurance." (18-19)” In the book “Republican Ascendency American Politics,” the authors have taken the impartial and unbiased review of past thirty years of American politics. They have also taken the review of the time when the dramatic change in American politics took place. The Review being taken by the two author consists of the age between 1968 and 2001.In the book Michael Schaller and George Rising argue that “the failure of 'big government' liberalism at home and abroad and a conservative reaction, especially among white southerners, to legislation promoting racial equality and other liberal policies fractured the Democratic party and escalated Republican influence after 1968" (p.XIII) It is a thesis more than a book in which the authors examine all forces that shredded the Roosevelt Coalition and separated the powerful South from Democratic party. In this book they have also discussed how the Republican Party very intelligently crafted its message to influence the disaffected Democrats, especially white Southern Democrats. They write in the book that the Republic party has achieved success in American politics by wooing key voters who are disappointed with liberal ideas and policies. They have examined the four stages of American political scenario. These four stages are 1. Nixon Strategy of winning Southern Democrats with conservative position on race. Basically Nixon strategy is known as Southern Strategy and it was designed to win the Republican Party in Presidential election in United States. Especially this strategy was made to obtain the votes from US Southern States. 2. Late 1970s efforts to bring economic conservatism and Anticommunist nationalism to the fore 3. Newt Gingrich’s attempt to transform the country into right wing bastion 4. George W. Bush’s electoral attempts to keep himself away from conservative ideologies There are two political parties in America, One Republican Party and another is Democrat Party. Republican Party is also known as “Conservative,” or “right wing,” whereas the Democrat Party is associated with the liberal views. It is also called “Left Wing.” Conservatives believed that communism is not good for the nation and so it should be strongly protested and defeated. The conservatives play a crucial role in ending the cold war. Hence, they achieved many political rewards such as Ronald Reagan’s victory for presidency in 1980 and 1984, a capture of Congress in 1994 and last one is George Bush’s victory in 2000, but however the conservatives did not succeed in holding the minds of many American people and the politicians from conservative ideology remained far away from the centre of the public square and this what the conservationists achieved and at the same time they failed to preserve. Sources: “Suburban Warriors” a book by Lisa McGirr “The Republican Ascendency,” American Politics, 1968-2001 is by Michael Schaller and Geore Rising.   Read More