Conservative parties have a certain natural advantage over
the Left that I don’t think I’ve ever heard discussed. If your goal is the preservation of the
status quo, then much of the way forward may seem relatively clear – just do
more of the same. Among other things,
this may make it easier to build consensus in your own party. If your goal is change, on the other hand,
particularly if it is revolutionary change, then the same degree of clarity may
be missing. You may have a theory, but
practical experience of the world you are seeking is, by definition, absent. Is this one reason the Left tends to dissolve
in schism?
Of course, objective conditions may make a mockery of
expectations based on the conservatives’ experience. Then, they will fail, and times will
change. Then, the Left may be swift and
flexible enough to grasp the whirlwind.
If not us, then the fascists. They
are arguably even better at this than we are.
[Side note: Don’t try
to read too much analysis of current events into the above. This was mostly generated by some historical
musings.]
