The Next Conservatism

Mr. Joshua Snyder alerted me to the new issue of American Conservative. The main article is "The Next Conservatism" by Paul M. Weyrich and William Lind. I remembered seeing Mr. Weyrich's name before, and "Next Conservatism rang a bell." I then recalled having read his series of "Next Conservatism" articles, perhaps at Townhall, or maybe it was at another site... G-Nitro had posted some of these at Soompi forums as well. Anyways, this series (which added William Lind and others as contributors) can be found Free Congress--however, it is a bit odd that some of the essays are missing at their own website. These, however, can be found at Concerned Women for America and at the other archives of his writings at AmericanDaily, and Newsmax. The essay at American Conservatism can be considered a summary of this series.

Further, the next conservatism should revive the dormant conservative agrarian tradition. As the Amish demonstrate, the small family farm can be economically viable. Organic farming, conservation and restoration of the soil, farmers’ markets and “crunchy cons” should find an honored place in the next conservative agenda. Family farms are good places for children to grow up. While environmentalism is becoming an ideology, conservation and care in the use of God’s creation have long-standing conservative credentials. In turn, agriculture has always been a conservative culture.

Similarly, the next conservatism should include the issue of scale of enterprise. Conservatives have long recognized the danger big government poses to free markets. Is there not a similar threat from big business enterprises, especially when those enterprises are international corporations with no concern for the homeland? Is the market truly free when vast corporations can manipulate prices and politicians to destroy local businesses, both manufacturers and retailers, that are anchored in the local community and contribute to it in ways big companies do not? When everything for sale is labeled “Made in China,” Heaven decrees fair trade instead of free trade.

Another old conservative issue the next conservatism should revive is aesthetics. America may be the richest nation in history, but that has not made it the most beautiful. Strip malls, suburban sprawl, and hollowed-out cities have created an environment few people can love. The New Urbanism offers an alternative that looks to the past to recover traditional designs for towns and cities. The next conservatism should incorporate New Urbanism but not on the Portland, Oregon model of urban growth boundaries and the like (inside of which you find, surprise, more sprawl!). Rather, the next conservatism should promote dual building codes. Developers could choose to build to existing sprawl codes or Traditional Neighborhood Design codes, depending on what they think the market wants.

Related1y, the next conservatism should promote the return of trains and streetcars as alternatives to dependence on automobiles. The private automobile is a great way to travel as long as not many people have one. At present, the proliferation of cars creates such congestion that everyone, liberals and conservatives alike, wastes vast amounts of time sitting in traffic. Not even a Mercedes sports car is much fun when it can’t move. Bringing back trains and trolleys can save us time and help revitalize our cities. The future energy situation also makes it likely that coming generations will thank us for re-creating the network of trains and streetcar lines America once enjoyed. Here as elsewhere, the next conservatism should take the long view.

I know James Howard Kunstler would agree with the last two proposals just mentioned. What does he think of moral questions?

This issue of American Conservative features three responses to "The Next Conservatism":

Future Cons by James P. Pinkerton, Not Your Father’s Conservatism by John Derbyshire, and Won By One by David Franke

Knowing me, I can't say that I will get a chance to write anything about the responses, but if something strikes me I will try.