I still think of Anton's article after all these years, for the same reasons you do, Joel. The attitude it embodied seemed so far from what I'd often read was the core of conservatism, or at least the brand as espoused by Burke and company. I could not believe that anyone who presumably would claim to be in Burke's tradition would think that Donald Trump was a requisite choice over Clinton. I was both genuinely curious about and frightened at the mental world masses of Americans had to inhabit to convince themselves that America needed Donald Trump to save itself from certain destruction at Hillary's hands. I also remember reading articles way back by Caldwell that in my memory, at least, seemed sane. Over the years since it seems like something bad happened to him. Your excerpt suggests maybe there's faint hope for a bit of a course correction on his part. I have to laugh at his assertion of what Trump's deepest conviction is. I'm pretty sure that would be a lot closer to something like "I am the world" than everyone is open to a "deal", a noun I have my doubts that Trump understands like most of us.
When Caldwell wrote his piece in the NYT about how Ukraine needed to face its fate and roll over for Russia, I knew this guy was a crank. Thanks, Joel, for reading his garbage so we don't have to.
I will admit to being from a past generation, one raised where the political poles were much closer together: Center-left and center-right was the main spectrum. You didn't like when the other side won an election and weren't thrilled with the policies that side brought to government, but it didn't signal the End Times. Caldwell and his ilk at Claremont have made elections zero-sum games with life or death stakes, fueling a destructive political polarization.
Most regular people don't want to live in that kind of angst -- they just want to live their lives is relative comfort, raise their kids in safe and stable places, and look forward to retirement in Countryside Estates (if not Millionaire Acres). Claremont fans those extreme flames and is not advancing the country -- or the world -- most of its inhabitants seek.
Or as they say, if you sign up for the Face-Eating Leopard Party, don’t be surprised when the leopard tries to eat your face.
I still think of Anton's article after all these years, for the same reasons you do, Joel. The attitude it embodied seemed so far from what I'd often read was the core of conservatism, or at least the brand as espoused by Burke and company. I could not believe that anyone who presumably would claim to be in Burke's tradition would think that Donald Trump was a requisite choice over Clinton. I was both genuinely curious about and frightened at the mental world masses of Americans had to inhabit to convince themselves that America needed Donald Trump to save itself from certain destruction at Hillary's hands. I also remember reading articles way back by Caldwell that in my memory, at least, seemed sane. Over the years since it seems like something bad happened to him. Your excerpt suggests maybe there's faint hope for a bit of a course correction on his part. I have to laugh at his assertion of what Trump's deepest conviction is. I'm pretty sure that would be a lot closer to something like "I am the world" than everyone is open to a "deal", a noun I have my doubts that Trump understands like most of us.
When Caldwell wrote his piece in the NYT about how Ukraine needed to face its fate and roll over for Russia, I knew this guy was a crank. Thanks, Joel, for reading his garbage so we don't have to.
I will admit to being from a past generation, one raised where the political poles were much closer together: Center-left and center-right was the main spectrum. You didn't like when the other side won an election and weren't thrilled with the policies that side brought to government, but it didn't signal the End Times. Caldwell and his ilk at Claremont have made elections zero-sum games with life or death stakes, fueling a destructive political polarization.
Most regular people don't want to live in that kind of angst -- they just want to live their lives is relative comfort, raise their kids in safe and stable places, and look forward to retirement in Countryside Estates (if not Millionaire Acres). Claremont fans those extreme flames and is not advancing the country -- or the world -- most of its inhabitants seek.