The Conservative Path to Oblivion

For decades now Conservatism globally has been slowly walking this path back to a dark age by it’s inability to adapt to a modern world. Instead they have trended to be more extreme with nationalism and isolationist views. This lack of any long term vision and being entirely comfortable taking on absurdities to prop up a belief system only amplifies how lost they have become ,  some don’t even believe in the value of government. The election of Trump tested this viewpoint like no other. On the line was a politician’s integrity, easily identified defending blatant falsehoods or just by staying silent when they should have spoken out.  In Australia it’s the same, while we don’t have the extremes of Trumpism it’s clear that certain conservative politicians and media still want to ignore facts in order to protect these precious beliefs. No different in Britain with Brexit, conservatism propped up with falsehoods walking the same path. Meanwhile China, a communist regime turned it’s ideology in knots to adapt to a modern world. A totally focused plan weaponizing Capitalism with it’s thirst for profit and lower costs becoming manufacturer to the world.  Including the many infringements of western innovations but was given a pass because of companies chasing a quick profit. Meanwhile in the USA, it operates like 50 small countries instead of thinking as one.  The obsession with individualism, on one hand that’s a good thing but in a nation that has now grown to over 325+ million, one would think it might be time to take a second look. Especially when 700,000+ covid deaths puts up a litmus test on what is most important, Individual or Country. Instead conservatism now wants to double down, unlike in previous times they could see the value in universal rules for seat belts, gun control, finance or even scientific facts. Now its Climate change is a leftest fantasy, any form of Socialism is evil except if it benefits Wall St, wearing a mask in public during a pandemic is an infringement of “My” rights or election results are fake when it doesn’t go your way.  The fractured logic of the anti-vaxers and protesting school children wearing masks as an individual freedom infringement vs the community benefit. Is the same as protesting why they can’t travel through a school zone at a 100 mph. All those other rules that we live by day to day are also government mandates  that have been with us for centuries. Now they are best known as being the Party of “NO” without any policies for the past 13 yrs. Totally tribal, blocking any attempt at governance for the country while just being content to be angry. They want to believe a government with no oversight is the best government , but the reality of that is exactly the same as communism or a dictatorship. A small group of the powerful elite rule the world and Democracy plays no part. Once it gets to this then you know that is an ideology gone rogue and more of a threat to humanity than its saviour. I replaced the video link with a more up to date commentary by the same Fareed Zakaria as it is more relevant to the post.  As one commentator on YouTube said, the Conservative movement is like a ship adrift at sea without a rudder searching for the 1950’s