Revanchist Revolutionaries

There is a paleoconservative impulse to reject the conservatism of Buckley or Kirk in favor of class warfare, racial grievance, and power politics.

Since the upheaval of 2016, the American Right has been casting about for a new basis for conservative politics. While some look to national conservatism or integralism, others have attempted to revive the legacy of failed presidential candidate Patrick Buchanan. Many detect the origins of the new wave of populism in his vehement opposition to free trade, higher immigration levels, and an interventionist foreign policy.

Paul Gottfried—who coined the term “paleoconservatism” to describe Buchanan’s ideology—has edited a new volume of essays, titled A Paleoconservative Anthology, addressing this new populist energy on the Right. The authors attempt to chart a new course for American conservatism, turning the movement away from constitutionalism and towards a less-restrained politics.

Unfortunately, though, there is nothing conservative about today’s paleoconservatism. With its emphasis on class warfare, racial grievance, and power politics, it is an ideology better understood as a right-wing form of Marxism. As Gottfried’s Anthology shows, this toxic mix is a recipe for electoral disaster and moral bankruptcy.

Read more at Law and Liberty.