Exploring the Emergence of Conservative America

In the political landscape of the United States, the emergence of the New Right has been a significant development, particularly in shaping the policies of the Trump administration. This article aims to explain the New Right to those who are not part of it, in a way that they can understand productively.

The New Right's ideology is rooted in the concept of "Western civilization" and emerged as a response to the identity crisis caused by immigration, globalization, and the internet in the late 1990s. The story told by the New Right is one that seeks to answer the question of America's national identity, as posed by Samuel Huntington in 2005.

Key influencers within the New Right include political theorist Curtis Yarvin, author Patrick Deneen, Rod Dreher, and online persona Bronze Age Pervert. JD Vance, a notable figure associated with the New Right, considers Yarvin one of his greatest influences and is associated with the neoreactionary movement through these connections.

One of the most visible aspects of the New Right's influence can be seen in the policies of the Trump administration. For instance, the author has used ideology to explain much of what the Trump administration has done in the past two months, including the imposition of tariffs. The author argues that Trump's tariffs are an ideologically driven attempt to isolate America from foreign dependency and harken back to the "glory days" of pre-WW2 America.

The New Right's ideology also extends to foreign policy. In a recent incident, JD Vance appeared to prioritize not helping Europe over the military objectives of a planned operation. Vance argued that the Houthis were more Europe's problem than America's, suggesting that not helping Europe was important to him.

The New Right offers a coherent story about who Americans are, where they come from, and what commonalities tie them together. However, it's important to note that Vance, Trump, and other figures who hold worldviews that can be categorized as subsets of the New Right ideology, differ in important and consequential ways.

The author does not suggest that everything the Trump administration does is proceeding according to a grand plan. Instead, understanding the New Right can help clarify some of the goals of the Trump administration, such as tariffs, abandoning Europe, embracing Russia, purging the government, amassing executive power, kicking out immigrants, etc.

The author also does not judge the New Right, neither criticizing nor defending it in this post. The aim is to provide a clear and concise explanation of the ideology for those who may not be familiar with it.

Lastly, it's worth noting that social media accelerated this process in the early 2010s, causing Americans to sort into like-minded online communities. This has contributed to the growth and influence of the New Right in American politics.

As the New Right continues to shape American politics, it's essential to understand its ideology and the figures who drive it. This article is a step towards that understanding.