A second Trump term, the pure and utter horror! That’s the sentiment echoed by Left-wing publication The Economist, which warns of dire consequences for the United States if conservatism continues to gain ground.
According to The Economist, there’s a “growing peril” of a national conservative movement sweeping across the U.S. The outlet implores liberals to thwart the MAGA movement, the article begins with the words “It’s dangerous and it’s spreading. Liberals need to find a way to stop it.”
Comparing today’s conservatism to the Reagan-Thatcher era of the 1980s, The Economist highlights a shift towards a statist, “anti-woke” conservatism, led by figures like Donald Trump and Viktor Orban. These national conservatives, the publication notes, form part of a global movement with shared ideologies and networks.
The magazine’s cover features a red MAGA hat emblazoned with nations, signaling a push to “Make America, Hungary, Italy, France, Israel, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland great again.”
Expressing concern, the article warns that conservatives aim to seize power by infiltrating state institutions, including courts, universities, and the independent press.
In response, Breitbart News critiques the article for overlooking the real issues faced by Americans and instead stoking animosity towards the conservative movement seeking to revert the nation to its pre-progressive era.
Describing today’s national populists as envisioning the West as Rome before its fall, the article portrays national conservatism as the “politics of grievance,” a label it dismisses as an oversight given the prevalence of grievance in woke politics.
Despite admitting that conservatism resonates on issues like illegal immigration and intergenerational wealth disparity, the piece suggests that liberalism must adapt to national conservatism to stay relevant, acknowledging that, for now, it’s falling behind.