This site is filled with Reactionaries

I think we all knew this site has Conservative tendencies, but recently I realized this site houses a specific type of conservative, Reactionaries.

Merriam Webster defines them as:

relating to, marked by, or favoring reaction; especially : ultraconservative in politics

Another source I found describes them in more detail, and I think you will agree, it describes the majority of people on this site rather well:

“Reactionary (or reactionist) is a political epithet typically applied to extreme ideological conservatism, especially that which wishes to return to a real or imagined old order of things, and which is willing to use coercive means to do so. The term is primarily used as a term of opprobrium (groups rarely identify themselves as reactionary), meant to assert the idea that the opposition is based in merely reflexive politics rather than responsive and informed views. More specifically, the term "reactionary" is frequently used to refer to those who want to reverse (or prevent) some form of claimed "progressive" change.

Then they rephrase it as(site was seemingly written by a reactionary): A Reactionary is a rational moralist combating cultural and political insanity.

I think they would favor the second description, even if both are rather accurate.

source


That source has a chart that compares Reactionaries, Neocons, Progressives, and Fascists.
For government, they choose state's rights and individualism.
For Foreign policy, they are very American centered and oppose immigration.
For taxes, very anti-tax in all forms.
For education, they generally support homeschooling, and oppose the public school system.

I won't go into all the details, but I find the chart to be very descriptive and accurate of the people on this site.


You can see how people who hold these political views, received the name reactionary. Look at this site. People respond very reactively, particularly those who hold these ultraconservative views.
They sit around waiting for something to respond to. When something happens they don't like, they respond vigorously.

None of this is necessarily good or bad, it just is.
Know thyself.

I just found it interesting that the more research I did on reactionaries, the more accurate I found the term to apply to the people on this site.

reply to post by Ghost375


We have called each other names in the past, but this is a great thread and I agree 100%

Star and Flag!

I know exactly the type you speak of (I hope you don't consider me to be one )

These reactionaries are too stubborn to even consider looking at things from a different point of view for even one second. Debate with this kind of person is almost impossible.

reply to post by Ghost375


Disagree,

that which wishes to return to a real or imagined old order of things,

even if most will agree that the situation in general all over the world is worsening, I have no one on this site declaring to wish to return to a old order of things. Just because something is becoming worst does not signify that we aspire to the point that things were not all that bad...

There are also singular items that people seem to defend from the past and mostly it is moral and ideological values that for the most part never have been realized or if so never lasted that long into implementation, so a "return" to a past situation wouldn't even in those cases be something that it is aspired...

Interesting, now may I ask you a question?

What could possibly be more reactionary than a government that sets up a spying apparatus so extensive that the recent revelations of its existence have shocked the world? A pre-crime system.

All under the control of a "liberal" leader.

I'm not ignoring that it had its origins prior to this president, however clearly the current president has put this system on steroids.

I don't think there is an ideology within the current two party system that can claim the other side is more reactionary.

reply to post by MsAphrodite


I think that would fall under the Fascist label.

I'd recommend taking a look at that graph I mention.

reply to post by Ghost375


Ghost, why start labeling people and adding the words like "EXTREME" to them?

Please don't do that. Do you know how long it actually took to get people to voice their opinions and be active in political discussion? I mean real average every day people? Yes, there are some people all over the net with the wrong ideas, and ideas that some may not agree with. But words like these are being thrown around waaaay to carelessly and recklessly in my opinion.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Thank you!

I was doing some more thinking, and I remembered that a lot of these reactionaries use the term progressive in a very negative way. Which really makes sense when you re-read that description. They are basically two polar ideologies.

It also explains why so many people here are obviously conservative, yet hate to associate with the republican party.
The modern day republican party is Neo-con, which is quite different from the reactionary political viewpoint,
That chart on the site clarifies it well.

reply to post by Ghost375


Labels fail.

Originally posted by Nephalim
reply to post by Ghost375

 

Ghost, why start labeling people and adding the words like "EXTREME" to them?

I think you should read the source fully.
The part that uses extreme, was describing how reactionary used to be defined.
the site actually paints them in a good light.

I already stated I don't think these things are good or bad. For pretty much everything, there are going to be good parts and bad part. I agree with many of their beliefs, really.

This is more of a psychological evaluation. lol one of my degrees is in psychology.

and that source says reactionaries rarely use the term to describe themselves.

And here I thought I was just plain old nuts.

reply to post by Ghost375


Im just sayin dude. Some of these words are not words we should be using to describe everyone in our citizenry.

Originally posted by Ghost375
reply to post by Corruption Exposed

 

Thank you!

I was doing some more thinking, and I remembered that a lot of these reactionaries use the term progressive in a very negative way. Which really makes sense when you re-read that description. They are basically two polar ideologies.

It also explains why so many people here are obviously conservative, yet hate to associate with the republican party.
The modern day republican party is Neo-con, which is quite different from the reactionary political viewpoint,
That chart on the site clarifies it well.

Personally, I consider myself to be a unique specimen. I don't really fit into any category in those charts but do inherit some of their content. I never thought people should be labelled and stereotyped, but it happens naturally as there is a logical reason behind it most times.

If people stopped "fitting into chart categories" and started being themselves, and not reacting in the various ways your charts show (which most of them have been brainwashed to react), then there would be less labeling, and people would pay less attention to this type of classification. Regrettably, in the meanwhile this holds some truth so it cannot be ignored.

Any site that has an article calling Herman Cain an "Uncle Tom" has my immediate disdain.

But if you want to use a site that promotes racism as a source, then by all means, continue.

Well I'm more left than the NDP, in Canada, even the good old timers, the real NDP. For they were union males, and I am for women, children, the handicapped and disabled, and grandparents! I don't beleive in forced labor, but great educations and volunteering, and happiness. I believe in land and farms for all, without taxes. I don't like slavery. You become evil if you endorse evil. You never compromise with evil. You don't elect it and pay it salaries but if its a threat to your children and you, it needs to go to jail.

I am equally a strong supporter of Freedom AND Equality, in their true meanings, not the opportunity to be equal, or freedom to be a slave and ignore the plight of others.

No, freedom means sovereign rights, and that means you indeed can have your farm be for the family and who the hell can say, no you can't put up 10 houses on your 50 acre lot, for all your children. THEY NEED TO WORK LIKE SLAVES TO BUY OUR 400 000 dollar houses. We own you you fool!

Freedom means, you can't dictate laws to prevent people from accessing earth, resources or all its seeds.

Freedom means, you can't control others, or enslave them!

Obama isn't left, he's a NAZI fascist.

If he were left you would not be paying for medicare.

I get such a big kick out of people that want to put a half black guy like me into a category where I am for legalization, pro gay marriage, pro smaller government, a flat tax, pro the second amendment. . .

yet don't obey the progressive dictates and marching orders.

Just what we need more labels to throw around. The application of the word extreme is awesome too, repeated over and over again people will start believing this type of crap. Once we are all labeled extremists TPTB has carte blanche to do what it will with us all. bravo.

A lot of people might hit on a point here and there in several of those categories. What does that make them? Oh yeah, individuals just like we all our and what laws were based on in the first place. Not sweeping generalizations to pack us in our nice neat little boxes. To then be ridiculed by others in their different colored boxes. Thus the dance that's been going on in politics for many many years.

This is the mentality that keeps us too busy struggling with each other, meanwhile, crap that none of us agree with gets shoved down our throats.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


UNMITIGATED HOGWASH.

I remember the day on ATS when Christian conservatives would get routinely trashed in 85-99% or more of every response--often enough--including lop-sided assaultis/insults and treatment by a majority of the mods.

Thankfully, that day is now long past. However, I still recall a claim by some of the better known around here who certainly should have known--that most of the mods were quite liberal. It was obvious.

Thankfully, now, Christian conservatives can post and still be treated in a civil way now that the modding is insisting on that across the board.

That was long overdue.

Nevertheless, the majority--by far, in my estimation--of posters on ATS are still exceedingly to rabidly liberal in a list of ways.

That's OK. I like the give and take as long as it's civil.

But the idea that the majority of ATS are REACTIONARY CONSERVATIVES is beyond absurd.

BTW, what's the term for REACTIONARY LIBERALS?

There seem to be a LOT MORE of those hereon than the conservative variety.

It's an empirical question. Perhaps the research folks could come up with a good poll on it.

From reading around I can see that your source for definition for the term reactionary comes from Wikipedia. This classic progressive liberal leaning pedia is perhaps not the most centered source for a definition on this subject. It seems this term has been taken to mean ultraconservative or anti-progressive.

Perhaps reaction to radical change can be called reactionary. In that I would say that the body's immune system is reactionary. Perhaps the body politic is just reactionary in the way that the immune system of the human body is against disease which is a sudden change in the body.

Reactionaries could also be a natural human instinctive response to radical political change acting against the invading ideas like they are a disease. Makes sense to me.

Originally posted by beezzer
Any site that has an article calling Herman Cain an "Uncle Tom" has my immediate disdain.

But if you want to use a site that promotes racism as a source, then by all means, continue.

Way to intentionally misrepresent that...

Originally posted by BO XIAN
UNMITIGATED HOGWASH.

Nevertheless, the majority--by far, in my estimation--of posters on ATS are still exceedingly to rabidly liberal in a list of ways.

Do you visit the same site as me?!?

I thought it was a pretty well known fact that the visitors of conspiracy sites are predominantly conservative.