Highbrow conservative commentators are giving themselves and their readers permission to support Trump by portraying “liberal hysteria” as the real threat: A case study of National Review
Every time someone at NRO pens another authoritarian anti-abortion screed, 80% of the comments are from long time conservatives begging them to quit trying to torpedo the party's chances of winning. What is there left to say about a "deeply held position" that even your own voters loathe? Tata for now to Big Baby!
National Review is nothing but a stiffer version of toilet tissue. Queen Lowry - for reasons known only to him - is more interested in trans folks than the dangers of Trump and GOP authoritarianism. Dougherty is one of those fat bearded white trad rads who promotes the Latin Mass to sow division among Catholics. Neither are serious people.
When you want heart surgery you go to a cardiologist. Want to land on the moon? Consult an astrophysicist.
So, when I want to understand where we are politically and what it means and the possible outcomes I will listen to the professors who study authoritarianism, fascism. Notable historians like Timothy Snyder and Ruth Ben Ghiat are calling this at five alarm fire emergency of authoritarian creep. Professor Ben Ghiat has a recent book called, Strongmen :Mussolini to the present. These are professionals at the highest level and if they say we are in deep shit regarding democracy and that we could lose it to authoritarianism you better believe it. Or you could use basic common sense that the man implored his minions and successfully organized an attack on the capital of the United States of America. Pretty bold stuff! Can you imagine watching the Brits storm Parliament literally calling for their death! Desecrating the building.
I don't care what this conservative has to say! He has not studied his homework apparently! Might be time to bring back the dunce cap!
This is just fantastic — fully documented, perfectly lucid, and calmly persuasive. It's one of the few left-wing essays I would actually consider showing to Conservatives.
Lowry and Dougherty are so full of shit and they’re projecting it all out on everyone else. William F Buckley and his National Review is the seed that started the problem we’re facing now.
Thomas, you deserve a prize for reading, let alone commenting astutely on, that National Review garbage. What surprised me is how openly disingenuous and lame Lowry's "arguments" are. It reminds me of Elise Stefanik's grotesque lies. Trump is a moral black hole, and every Republican who gets anywhere near his gravitational field finds themself staying up late and wondering, "How can I become and promulgate the worst possible version of myself?"
Bravo Professor Zimmer…thank you another excellent piece! In a perfect world, Lowry and Dougherty would read this & recognize their own bias & elitism.
These guys completely paper over their relationship to the authors of the 2025 project, as though this some kind of democratic fever dream, to imagine right wing treachery. It isn’t treachery to them, it’s their preferred outcome. So many empty words.
Fantastic read! It’s impossible to ignore the cynical motives of The National Review crowd when you clearly describe their own arguments. I appreciate your clear analysis without the euphemism abundant in other media.
The contradictions in their arguments are very telling. While it comes to (credible and well reported) plans of Trump and his allies to use political violence and establish authoritarian government, it is not plausible, because the political and constitutional system will not allow it to happen and, in the end, these are all conspiracies by Liberals, but when it comes to imagined conspiracies that Democrats plan to overthrow democracy, then it seems that political and constitutional system could possibly allow it to happen.
You accurately discuss the mindset that could destroy our polity. I’ve never agreed with Lowry or Dougherty, but here they are ignoring the very real dangers of a Trump presidency. He is incapable of governing and our House and Senate have members who give loyalty to Trump rather than the Constitution they claim to respect. Trump is out for revenge, people who think they can rein him in will find out they can’t.
Every time someone at NRO pens another authoritarian anti-abortion screed, 80% of the comments are from long time conservatives begging them to quit trying to torpedo the party's chances of winning. What is there left to say about a "deeply held position" that even your own voters loathe? Tata for now to Big Baby!
National Review is nothing but a stiffer version of toilet tissue. Queen Lowry - for reasons known only to him - is more interested in trans folks than the dangers of Trump and GOP authoritarianism. Dougherty is one of those fat bearded white trad rads who promotes the Latin Mass to sow division among Catholics. Neither are serious people.
When you want heart surgery you go to a cardiologist. Want to land on the moon? Consult an astrophysicist.
So, when I want to understand where we are politically and what it means and the possible outcomes I will listen to the professors who study authoritarianism, fascism. Notable historians like Timothy Snyder and Ruth Ben Ghiat are calling this at five alarm fire emergency of authoritarian creep. Professor Ben Ghiat has a recent book called, Strongmen :Mussolini to the present. These are professionals at the highest level and if they say we are in deep shit regarding democracy and that we could lose it to authoritarianism you better believe it. Or you could use basic common sense that the man implored his minions and successfully organized an attack on the capital of the United States of America. Pretty bold stuff! Can you imagine watching the Brits storm Parliament literally calling for their death! Desecrating the building.
I don't care what this conservative has to say! He has not studied his homework apparently! Might be time to bring back the dunce cap!
This is just fantastic — fully documented, perfectly lucid, and calmly persuasive. It's one of the few left-wing essays I would actually consider showing to Conservatives.
Lowry and Dougherty are so full of shit and they’re projecting it all out on everyone else. William F Buckley and his National Review is the seed that started the problem we’re facing now.
Excellent article!
Thomas, you deserve a prize for reading, let alone commenting astutely on, that National Review garbage. What surprised me is how openly disingenuous and lame Lowry's "arguments" are. It reminds me of Elise Stefanik's grotesque lies. Trump is a moral black hole, and every Republican who gets anywhere near his gravitational field finds themself staying up late and wondering, "How can I become and promulgate the worst possible version of myself?"
Bravo Professor Zimmer…thank you another excellent piece! In a perfect world, Lowry and Dougherty would read this & recognize their own bias & elitism.
To be fair to House Republicans, they did have some evidence to impeach President Biden with. It was just a bad fake put together by a Russian agent.
Also noticed a typo, 'make piece with' should be 'peace'?
These guys completely paper over their relationship to the authors of the 2025 project, as though this some kind of democratic fever dream, to imagine right wing treachery. It isn’t treachery to them, it’s their preferred outcome. So many empty words.
Thank you for sending chills down my spine.
Fantastic read! It’s impossible to ignore the cynical motives of The National Review crowd when you clearly describe their own arguments. I appreciate your clear analysis without the euphemism abundant in other media.
Well written.
The contradictions in their arguments are very telling. While it comes to (credible and well reported) plans of Trump and his allies to use political violence and establish authoritarian government, it is not plausible, because the political and constitutional system will not allow it to happen and, in the end, these are all conspiracies by Liberals, but when it comes to imagined conspiracies that Democrats plan to overthrow democracy, then it seems that political and constitutional system could possibly allow it to happen.
You accurately discuss the mindset that could destroy our polity. I’ve never agreed with Lowry or Dougherty, but here they are ignoring the very real dangers of a Trump presidency. He is incapable of governing and our House and Senate have members who give loyalty to Trump rather than the Constitution they claim to respect. Trump is out for revenge, people who think they can rein him in will find out they can’t.
Terrific work, sir.
Thank you for your precise and thorough demolishing of Lowry and Dougherty’s nonsensical arguments. Well done.
Fantastic. Well done.
"it is beyond his, or anyone else’s, power to end democracy and establish a dictatorship" Does the writer of that sentence not know about history?