Letters from an American August 23, 2025
50 snips
Aug 24, 2025 Dive into the U.S. government's surprising purchase of a stake in Intel, revealing the clash between traditional Republican values and modern state intervention. Explore the rise of Movement Conservatives in the 1980s and how their ideologies fueled political success through divisive rhetoric. Delve into the aggressive electoral tactics of the 1990s and the ramifications of tax cuts. Finally, witness the GOP's evolution from traditional conservatism to a more authoritarian stance in the wake of recent electoral unrest and changing political norms.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Bipartisan Governing Norms Once Held
- Postwar parties once shared loyalty to the country and common governing principles that enabled compromise.
- Bipartisan norms allowed accountability, exemplified by Republican senators pushing Nixon to resign in 1974.
Origins Of Movement Conservatism
- Movement Conservatism began as a coalition in 1937 aimed at dismantling the New Deal and recreating 1920s-style governance.
- It united businessmen, Southern racists, and religious traditionalists around deregulation, tax cuts, and states' rights.
Rhetoric That Reshaped Politics
- Movement conservatives framed regulations and welfare as creeping socialism and civil rights as threats to democracy.
- Their rhetoric set the stage for political realignment by appealing to racial and gender resentments.