Should Trump’s momentum continue through November, we will be seeing more MSM and Conservatism, Inc pieces looking into this new-fangled ‘Alt-Right’ phenomenon. In a piece titled “What, Exactly, is the ‘Alternative Right?’“, Ben Welton writes:
Indeed, the true conflict facing Republicans is not with the social democrats who’ve taken over the American left, but within the soul of American conservatives. Namely, a new, highly heterogeneous force in right-wing politics is taking hold, and they have their sights set firmly on the Republican “establishment.” Known collectively as the “alternative right,” this amalgam includes neo-reactionaries, monarchists, nativists, populists, and even a few self-declared fascists. They mostly congregate online, with a large swath of blogs and websites dedicated to their concerns. As an example of how truly diverse the alt right is, major and proverbial watering holes for them include everything from Breitbart and the libertarian-leaning Taki Mag to Alternative Right—a blog that openly supports white nationalism.
Welton, at least as expressed through his brief column, is not as dismissive as the NR crowd.
The only eye-raiser (not quite a howler) in the piece is this:
What makes the alt right so radical is that it categorically disagrees with even the supposedly “extreme” positions of conservatives. Being against illegal immigration and for deportation isn’t enough; the alt right wants to drastically cut back on legal immigration, as well.
A reduction in levels of legal immigration?! Gasp!
In 1996, Pat Buchanan, in addition to calling for cessation of illegal immigration, called for a 5-year moratorium (I believe it was 5-years) on legal immigration. That’s how far the Establishment has regressed on the issue.
Welton writes:
Basically, with the alt right, don’t expect any loyalty when it comes to the tried-and-tested Republican platform. They, not the left, are the real threat to the Republican party as it is currently constituted.
This is of course the very reason why the alt right has been in the ascendant. Rather than concede the moral high ground to the left, the alt right turns the left’s moralism on its head and makes it a badge of honor to be called “racist,” “homophobic,” and “sexist.” Instead of the GOP establishment’s soup of globalism, free markets, and foreign interventions, the alt right has resurrected some ghosts from the conservative past in pushing for protectionism, national capitalism, and an emphasis on protecting American lives at home, not abroad. Sound familiar? Get out your pitchforks.
