I’d put it the other way round: BOTH the decline of Conservatism and the retreat of marriage can be ascribed to the culture of permanent adolescence ushered in by the generation of 68. The medical and social underpinnings of this development are obvious – increased life expectancy, greater levels of amorous opportunity, the separation of coition from reproduction and a critical mass of people dedicated to a contemplative, “academic” take on life – spread far beyond its natural limit by the brutish expansion and degradation of the tertiary sector. The old sense of limits, of boundaries – in terms of life itself – has been suspended; a person might reach their fifties in such a time before bumping into the really ruthless facts of life – mortality, debility, disappointment. And it is that tragic sense of life which creates Conservatism. Deep personal affection also brings Conservatism in its train, for as Yeats observed, the world in its cruelty “threatens the head that I love”. With the retreat of the family, such profound and tragic emotions are likewise dimmed and dulled. Conversely, a world of detachment readily leads to a culture of illusion and all who represent a threat to such enchantments are vindictively condemned. We live in such a world today. The only consolation a Conservative can take from such conditions is the bitter reflection that such a world must fall, taking the last vestiges of civility and grace with it.
Alex Lekas
3 years ago
I suppose if one believes “reason for hope” means more places like Seattle, Portland, and LA, then sure, hope.
San Francisco, New York, All democrat controlled cities had bigger Riots &defunding the Police, Hypocritical democrats,When asked why they are leaving these cities, drug problems,Mugging,Looting move to more Republican States,and carry their ”Woke” ideology with them
Aaron Kevali
3 years ago
Sensible article – conservatives are a doomed breed and deservedly so. They fail to recognise that politics is downstream of culture and not the other way around. If you make it impossible to lead a conservative lifestyle, let’s say for simplicity’s sake: savings not debt, ownership over renting, settled vs nomadic, community over self-advancement, children over barrenness/pets, marriage over pleasure/fulfillment, vows over whims, self-reliance over dependance, stable employment over temping; then the conditions for these things must be reasonably attainable and incentivised for a substantial majority of the population. At present, it increasingly is not. Laissez-faire capitalism and globalism, totally accepted and pushed by our ‘right-wingers’, actually wipes out their own voting base. Sad but these trends were obvious decades ago, and they did nothing.
Population growth within a relatively stabilised economic capacity turns people right as they seek to conserve their standards of living.
They might turn left and be pro migration led population growth but they are in effect voting to make themselves poorer.
Ecology is our core instinct and it is the state of our ecology that informs our politics and our cultural arrangements.
Young people veer left because they want greater equality but if greater equality means more competition and increased consumption within a reducing ecological capacity then they will veer right whatever their socio-economic status.
Absolutely doomed though they did manage to win an 80 seat majority at the last election.
Simon Baker
3 years ago
Most people are still married or on the housing ladder by 40, just the age of voting for conservatives is older as a result (though even so the age of voting for conservatives both here and in the US is still younger now than under Blair and Obama for example when only voters over 50 voted Tory or GOP). However in the US liberal means leftwing, it does not mean economically classical liberal as in Europe
Chris C
3 years ago
People don’t vote for their landlord. Every landlord created by the buy-to-let boom in the UK over the last three decades is accompanied by one – or in many cases, many more than one – voter who is a tenant not a home owner. Obvious but true.
Absolutely. When this subject comes up in conversations I tell my friends that we must find a way of abolishing private residential landlordism. It is a prime destructor of value ( money) and values ( morals)
I did. I ‘grew up’ playing on the bomb dumps of North Southwark in the ’40s . Got strong immunity system from physical diseases .Alas can’t shake off seeing the effect of social diseases on many people.
Totally wrong . Personally know three ‘landlords’ who’s contented tenants simply look forward and plan to be a similar landlord themselves . Of course , you load the word but most ignore it just like the word boss is loaded with assumptions
I’d put it the other way round: BOTH the decline of Conservatism and the retreat of marriage can be ascribed to the culture of permanent adolescence ushered in by the generation of 68. The medical and social underpinnings of this development are obvious – increased life expectancy, greater levels of amorous opportunity, the separation of coition from reproduction and a critical mass of people dedicated to a contemplative, “academic” take on life – spread far beyond its natural limit by the brutish expansion and degradation of the tertiary sector. The old sense of limits, of boundaries – in terms of life itself – has been suspended; a person might reach their fifties in such a time before bumping into the really ruthless facts of life – mortality, debility, disappointment. And it is that tragic sense of life which creates Conservatism. Deep personal affection also brings Conservatism in its train, for as Yeats observed, the world in its cruelty “threatens the head that I love”. With the retreat of the family, such profound and tragic emotions are likewise dimmed and dulled. Conversely, a world of detachment readily leads to a culture of illusion and all who represent a threat to such enchantments are vindictively condemned. We live in such a world today. The only consolation a Conservative can take from such conditions is the bitter reflection that such a world must fall, taking the last vestiges of civility and grace with it.
I suppose if one believes “reason for hope” means more places like Seattle, Portland, and LA, then sure, hope.
San Francisco, New York, All democrat controlled cities had bigger Riots &defunding the Police, Hypocritical democrats,When asked why they are leaving these cities, drug problems,Mugging,Looting move to more Republican States,and carry their ”Woke” ideology with them
Sensible article – conservatives are a doomed breed and deservedly so. They fail to recognise that politics is downstream of culture and not the other way around. If you make it impossible to lead a conservative lifestyle, let’s say for simplicity’s sake: savings not debt, ownership over renting, settled vs nomadic, community over self-advancement, children over barrenness/pets, marriage over pleasure/fulfillment, vows over whims, self-reliance over dependance, stable employment over temping; then the conditions for these things must be reasonably attainable and incentivised for a substantial majority of the population. At present, it increasingly is not. Laissez-faire capitalism and globalism, totally accepted and pushed by our ‘right-wingers’, actually wipes out their own voting base. Sad but these trends were obvious decades ago, and they did nothing.
Politics and culture are down stream of ecology.
Population growth within a relatively stabilised economic capacity turns people right as they seek to conserve their standards of living.
They might turn left and be pro migration led population growth but they are in effect voting to make themselves poorer.
Ecology is our core instinct and it is the state of our ecology that informs our politics and our cultural arrangements.
Young people veer left because they want greater equality but if greater equality means more competition and increased consumption within a reducing ecological capacity then they will veer right whatever their socio-economic status.
Absolutely doomed though they did manage to win an 80 seat majority at the last election.
Most people are still married or on the housing ladder by 40, just the age of voting for conservatives is older as a result (though even so the age of voting for conservatives both here and in the US is still younger now than under Blair and Obama for example when only voters over 50 voted Tory or GOP). However in the US liberal means leftwing, it does not mean economically classical liberal as in Europe
People don’t vote for their landlord. Every landlord created by the buy-to-let boom in the UK over the last three decades is accompanied by one – or in many cases, many more than one – voter who is a tenant not a home owner. Obvious but true.
Absolutely. When this subject comes up in conversations I tell my friends that we must find a way of abolishing private residential landlordism. It is a prime destructor of value ( money) and values ( morals)
and then one day you ‘grow up’ …..
I did. I ‘grew up’ playing on the bomb dumps of North Southwark in the ’40s . Got strong immunity system from physical diseases .Alas can’t shake off seeing the effect of social diseases on many people.
I assume that was an ironic comment, meant to be humorous. Hard to know in the disconnected world of internet comments!
Meaning one day , hopefully not too late , you mature and understand that sweat today = smile’s tomorrow.
Work earn save. Shouldn’t need explaining
My comments are exactly the way I see things. I don’t do irony
Totally wrong . Personally know three ‘landlords’ who’s contented tenants simply look forward and plan to be a similar landlord themselves . Of course , you load the word but most ignore it just like the word boss is loaded with assumptions
“Later-life marriage means fewer conservatives”
there is hope for the future still.
Silly boy
ad hominem noted