Blog & Mablog A Long Train of Abuses
Nov 11, 2025
Doug Wilson dives into the failures of conservatism, arguing it often acquiesces to progressive changes. He critiques the denial of past losses among some conservatives, who label restoration efforts as anti-constitutional. Modern complacency in conservatism is likened to a misinterpretation of stability. The discussion highlights how administrative power has eroded constitutional rights, and the 14th Amendment shifted guardianship to the federal level. Wilson also revisits Jefferson’s views on states' roles in religion, emphasizing the historical context of state establishments.
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Power Tends To Encroach
- Power naturally expands and encroaches if unchecked by strong restraints.
- R.L. Dabney argued that timid conservatism merely follows radicalism and never effectively resists it.
Dabney's Critique Of Timid Conservatism
- Doug Wilson quotes R.L. Dabney describing Northern conservatism as a party which never conserves anything.
- Dabney portrays such conservatives as growling at innovations but always acquiescing in the end.
Pretending Loss Never Happened
- Some conservatives fail to acknowledge losses and then pretend nothing was lost.
- Recognizing past losses gets labeled as radicalism by those who prefer to ignore the change.
