Conservatism is the “sick man” of American politics and culture. At least that seems to be the view from the 19 social and political commentators in the new collection of essays from Encounter Books titled “Up From Conservatism: Revitalizing the Right After a Generation of Decay” (“Up From Conservatism”). And whether one reads these essays or not, such a conclusion cannot be dismissed. Dismissiveness, in fact, is what has led to the sickness.
Conservatives may take offense at such a claim, but it is more a diagnosis than an accusation. The sickness, or decay, is not from a cultural disease, such as sexualized perversion or contempt for the Constitution; rather, it stems from the terminal symptoms of the Right’s ongoing passivity.
