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Thread: The Failure of Fusionism

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    The Failure of Fusionism

    Paul Gottfried's address at the Miami National Conservatism Conference on September 13, 2022 on The Failure of Fusionism.

    It is an interesting speech even if only for the fact that while Gottfried greatly admires Meyers, and says so, he rejects fusionism as a passing moment in conservatism, a moment, or movement, to fight the rise of communism, now a fading ideology, by uniting libertarianism with Russel Kirk's then (1950s) new conservatism.




    Or you can read the speech here: Frank Meyer’s Fusionism and the Search for Consensus Among Conservatives. Two paragraphs on the nature of conservatism:

    Allow me then to make a further point: Sharing slogans or stating similar views at an annual conference—however exhilarating that experience may be—is not the same as struggling to save an inherited way of life. Hungarian-German sociologist Karl Mannheim defined “conservative thought” as precisely that, the fashioning of a worldview related to an existing social situation. Conservative thinkers, like Burke and his continental counterparts, were neither designing slogans for political campaigns nor drawing up unity statements for their colleagues. They were rallying to a way of life that was under attack, an agrarian hierarchical one they intended to preserve.

    This articulation of a worldview which results from a defense of a threatened way of life seems to me an essential aspect of conservatism, historically understood. Meyer’s manifesto was designed to unite his fellow intellectuals in a polemical campaign against the Soviet Union. Whatever its merits, this statement of fusionism does not rise to the historic importance of Burke’s Reflections or Maistre’s Considerations on France. Meyer’s book is a document among other documents telling us about the internal disputes besetting the American conservative movement at a particular time. Thus, I would contextualize Meyer’s endeavor as one trying to find common ground for his fellow conservatives even as their movement was attempting to define itself.
    Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. ― Gustav Mahler

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    Not familiar with Meyers or Russel Kirk but I do remember Buckley and Goldwater warring against the far right nutjobs and cleansing the GOP of their influence, largely successfully if not entirely. His battles with the 'Libertarians' and isolationism were entirely correct imo. Isolationism was never feasible, not in Jefferson's day nor our times.

    Thanks for the link, it's a good read. Giant global corporations are as big a threat as Stalinists and Red China, and in many cases they're allies. Jefferson warned against them as well as other threats.
    Last edited by Chuck; 10-06-2022 at 05:29 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck View Post
    Not familiar with Meyers or Russel Kirk but I do remember Buckley and Goldwater warring against the far right nutjobs and cleansing the GOP of their influence, largely successfully if not entirely. His battles with the 'Libertarians' and isolationism were entirely correct imo. Isolationism was never feasible, not in Jefferson's day nor our times.

    Thanks for the link, it's a good read.
    Buckley was largely responsible for the bringing Meyers (libertarian) and Kirk (paleoconservative) together as the New Conservatism of the 1950s. They fought ideological battles with communism and in the 60s early neoconservatism which was for an aggressive foreign policy but liberal domestic one (liberals mugged by reality).
    Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. ― Gustav Mahler

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    carolina73's Avatar Senior Member
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    If we can create enough labels then everyone gets their own.
    Let's go Brandon !!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by carolina73 View Post
    If we can create enough labels then everyone gets their own.
    If they're just labels to be tossed around carelessly they won't mean much. My aim is to give meaning to labels we can use to communicate with.
    Last edited by Chris; 10-06-2022 at 06:44 PM.
    Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. ― Gustav Mahler

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    Buckley was largely responsible for the bringing Meyers (libertarian) and Kirk (paleoconservative) together as the New Conservatism of the 1950s. They fought ideological battles with communism and in the 60s early neoconservatism which was for an aggressive foreign policy but liberal domestic one (liberals mugged by reality).
    Yes, the liberals of that day were more anti-Communist and recognized the peril more openly. Today the roles are switched, with 'libertarians' more sympatico with the communist fans. I find the term 'neo-con' misleading, as it only applied to five former left wingers who switched over; Truman and knew the Reds had to be stopped or we would be isolated in short order, while Republicans like Eisenhower were too timid and hesitant to aggressively oppose Soviet and Maoist imperialism. Nixon and the Rockefeller wing of the GOP were exceptions and whatever their other faults imo they were absolutely right to join the liberals in supporting the Cold War and propping up allies all over the world. The nature of the U.S. economy made the added military spending and excellent partner with the private sector in developing new technology spinoffs and entire new industries as well. But, they've all died and we're left with apparatchiks who can't come up with anything but a stream of real estate bubbles and that has played out. Well, that and labor racketeering with narco states and Red China.
    Last edited by Chuck; 10-06-2022 at 07:55 PM.

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