Republican Trumpism and Nationalism: Blurring the lines of conservatism
The Republican Party’s adoption of Trumpism and Donald Trump’s Nationalism are not only contrary to the principles of conservatism, but they are also downright catastrophic. By falsely claiming that Trump is a conservative, Republicans are affirming the left’s longstanding opinion of the right, and they are giving them valid reason not to lend credence to conservative ideals.
The future of conservatism will ultimately depend on how fiercely conservatives reject Trumpism and how hard we fight for the principles we believe in. We must decry every attempt by party line Republicans who seek to redefine conservatism to justify their support of Trumpism, Nationalism and Donald Trump.
What does Conservatism mean to you? Ask a room full of conservatives to define it and undoubtedly you will get a room full of different answers.
Conservatism is neither a cause nor a measurable standard but rather, a way of life. It is a morally, fiscally, socially, politically sound set of values that are ingrained in us by our deeply held convictions. It is a conscious commitment to the founding American principles that conservatives believe made America the greatest nation on Earth for more than 246 years.
Essential Principles of Conservatism
- Individual Liberty – The concept that all Americans are endowed by their Creator with the inalienable rights of LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
- Individual Responsibility – The idea that human beings choose, instigate, or otherwise cause their own actions. As a result of our actions, we can be held morally accountable or legally liable.
- Limited Government – The U.S. Constitution was created to limit the power and scope of government to ensure our inherent liberties and maintain a civil society.
- States’ Rights – Federal government control is the antithesis of individual liberty. The Framers of the Declaration of Independence knew that solutions would have to be attained voluntarily and locally.
- Fiscal Responsibility – Government must pursue appropriate levels of government spending to maintain sustainable public finances without raising taxes or continued borrowing.
- Defense of the Constitution and Bill of Rights – The two greatest documents in the history of the world were designed by our Founding Fathers. They guarantee our God-given freedoms and provide an intricate system of government checks and balances that ensure those freedoms.
- Defense of Life – Every single human life, from conception until natural death is designed by God for a purpose and is entitled to the same inherent freedoms as every American, above all, freedom to live.
Principled conservatives oppose big government spending and unbalanced budgets because we understand the idea of setting financial priorities and living within our means. It does not matter how much or how little you earn; if you prioritize your earnings and live within your means, the outcome is always good.
You can’t spend what you don’t have. Throwing borrowed money at a problem only makes it harder to overcome.
Naturally, the same idea applies to our government, only we continue to elect leaders who don’t share the same fiscally sound, conservative values. Too many have a mindset that suggests money is no object. So, they continue to spend money that doesn’t exist and leaving future generations to sort out the mess. At some point, however, our national debt will reach an insurmountable level and America will become just another failed nation in the world’s history books.
The Republican Party’s Trumpism comes with a list of “isms” devastating to liberty:
Nationalism is often confused with patriotism; however, the two concepts are distinctly opposite. Patriotism is a feeling of pride and devotion to the American way of life, which patriots believe to be the greatest in the world. Patriots are naturally defensive, both militarily and culturally. However, they do not seek power or prestige through force.
Nationalism is warmed-over Democratic Socialism with an “R” attached to it used to advance a plethora of pro-socialist/anti-Constitution ideals; it is inseparable from Republicans’ desire for power. It’s also the root of racism and socialism.
The abiding purpose of the nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige; it’s the mindset historically held by authoritarians, and it often leads to war.
Socialism is diametrically opposed to the principles of conservatism. Webster defines it as “a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole and controlled by the government.” Conservatives define it as full government-controlled redistribution of wealth, or communism. History has put the socialist theory to the test and proven it to be disastrous, time and time again.
Populism is a political doctrine that proposes that the common people are exploited by a privileged elite, and which seeks to resolve this. The underlying ideology of populism can be left, right or center. Its goal is uniting the uncorrupt and the unsophisticated “little man” against the corrupt dominant “elites.” Populism produces demagogues who merely appear to empathize with the public through rhetoric or unrealistic proposals in order to increase appeal across the political spectrum.
The populist doctrine doesn’t conform to any single ideology. Therefore, it should be wildly opposed by anyone who rejects liberalism, especially the religious right. Because what is “popular” is not generally moral, particularly in today’s rapidly declining, morally degraded culture.
Steve Bannon boldly announced at the 2017 CPAC that Donald Trump’s “new political order” for America included “an economic nationalist agenda.”
Economic Nationalism is a protectionist idea wherein the government assumes complete control of the economy — which allows it to impose tariffs and other restrictions on trade, labor, goods and capital, both foreign and domestic. This theory is antithetical to conservatism’s free market and limited government principles.
Authoritarianism is a type of fascism, and it beats in the heart of the Republican Party. This is evidenced by their desire to build a strong central power capable of destroying individual liberty. When Donald Trump declared himself to be the “law and order” candidate at the 2016 Republican National Convention, he added that there would be “consequences” for those who choose to move their businesses out of America.
Contrary to what Republicans believe about Donald Trump, nationalism, and the host of “isms” that come with him, America is not a land where government is the grantor of liberty, and we must reject their attempts to remake conservatism into Trumpism.
As our Founding Fathers clearly understood, our rights are natural and come from God. But if we allow Republicans to delegate freedom according to Nationalism and the ideas of Donald Trump or any other dictator wannabe, where will it end?
You can open any World History Book to find the answer.
Lita is the National Director of United For Freedom, a freelance writer, contributor at The Strident Conservative and Managing Editor at The Rebel Report. She is a rock-ribbed conservative, pro-life, constitutional rights activist from rural Georgia.
She is the mother of three, a Christian, a gun enthusiast and enjoys playing guitar.
“Unless the people, through unified action, arise and take charge of their government, they will find that their government has taken charge of them. Independence and liberty will be gone, and the general public will find itself in a condition of servitude to an aggregation of organized and selfish interest.” – Calvin Coolidge
