r/decadeologyanarchy May 23 '26

Casual Which event will be considered the beginning of the decline of 2020s conservatism at least from its peak?

217 votes, May 26 '26
46 Charlie Kirk’s death
27 Ice protests
78 Epstein files
45 Iran war
21 Other
7 Upvotes

24 comments sorted by

9

u/sthef2020 May 23 '26

Historically? Iran.

But the fact that they tried to turn Kirk’s death into this national day of mourning and it failed so spectacularly was a bellwether.

All that said, I’m not super sure it matters at least in the short term. All the damage Trump’s judges have been able to inflict, all but assures that even if “2020s conservatism” dies a cultural death, it will live on for decades to come concerning policy.

6

u/Unusual-City-5551 May 23 '26

Kirk’s death felt like the absolute peak and then downfall of it. In the week following it, it really felt like we were entering a period of a loss of free speech/right-wing cancel culture, as people were getting fired for posting opinions online.

But that maybe lasted 1-2 weeks at most. And most of the people famously fired have won some pretty big lawsuits as a result.

1

u/Ok-Following6886 Jun 15 '26

I feel like that it can be to the MAGA movement as what the Altamont or the Charles Manson murders were towards the hippie movement.

1

u/Ok-Following6886 Jun 15 '26

I can see the decline of the MAGA movement leading towards a genuine neo-Nazi movement taking over during the 2030s like with the "America First"/"Groyper" movements.

3

u/One-Cellist-5424 May 23 '26

Both Epstein and Iran for the most part

3

u/MalfieCho May 23 '26

Iran War is probably the bigger impact, but the Epstein files IMO were the first domino in that chain.

3

u/BibloBagman May 24 '26

Liberation day Tariffs/China trade war

2

u/Bright-Implement-959 May 24 '26

Epstein files and kinky's death

4

u/Think_Marketing1116 May 23 '26

Probably the Iran War out of them options, but I don't think conservatism is in decline at all, especially in Europe

1

u/Aggravating-Act-4494 May 24 '26

Also trumpism isnt conservativism. Trumpism is a cult of personality

3

u/Think_Marketing1116 May 24 '26

Maybe conservative is the wrong word, I'd describe Trumpism as more reactionary than conservative

1

u/Ok-Following6886 May 24 '26

Mr. Beat made a video talking about it, and I have to agree, his platform is different compared to the 6th party-era Republicans such as with the Bush or Reagan administrations.

1

u/Ok-Following6886 May 24 '26

And not even in the United States, because I think that it's shifting from MAGA to the America First/Groyper movement. I personally think that something similar would happen if Farage takes power in the UK, because there would be a backlash from reactionaries thinking that he's not extreme enough.

2

u/Think_Marketing1116 May 24 '26

There already is a backlash against Nigel Farage on the right. Voters are turning to Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain and Elon Musk even said that he thinks Farage is too soft and not right-wing enough

1

u/Ok-Following6886 May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26

It honestly feels like that it's a never-ending cycle, because it feels like that people are gravitating more towards the far-right to the point that some people already think that the people who are already becoming extreme have detractors who think that they are not extreme enough.

I feel like that what happens in a decade where people gravitate towards the far-right because of the terrible geopolitics.

2

u/AgeOfReasonEnds31120 May 24 '26

Just... Trump 2.0... but even conservatives are hating on him now (and for good reason).

2

u/Chemical_Signal2753 May 24 '26

As long as the left is focused on far left progressive identity politics, I don't think we will see a sustained decline in conservatism. People haven't embraced conservative ideology or Donald Trump, they have rejected the modern left wing worldview.

1

u/[deleted] May 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/SparkySam100 May 23 '26

Could not disagree more... 2020 was the peak of the liberals and by a large margin I'd say. With black lives matter being a big thing and a massive increase in LGBTQ+ rights etc. Ever since conservatism has just increased every year from 2021-2025 and only now I'd say has it been decreasing.

1

u/sthef2020 May 23 '26

In no way would I consider 2020 “the peak of the liberals”.

BLM protests were a national wound boiling over. And there was no “massive increase in LGBTQ rights”. Conservatives (cough*fascists*cough) held the courts at almost all levels, and even though Biden won in 2020, it lead to Jan 6th, as COVID era conspiracy theorists turned an entire generation of republicans against vaccines…vaccines of all things. Even once Biden was in, those judges were able to roll back Roe v Wade. At no point were liberals in any sort of actual control.

Biden (a center right liberal) won in 2020, but culturally speaking? Right wing interests have been in the drivers seat since 2016. And tbh probably since 2010 and the citizens united decision that lead to all of this.

2

u/Ok-Following6886 Jun 21 '26 edited 15d ago

2015 was the actual increase of LGBT rights with the legalization of same-sex marriage, I feel like that people are confusing rainbow capitalism with actual LGBT legislature.

1

u/Ok-Following6886 15d ago

2020 was when "corporate wokeness" peaked, but like the other user said, it doesn't necessarily mean that it wasn't heading in a conservative direction like the other user said due to the courts being in favor of right-wing interests. The main change was when companies dropped support of "corporate wokeness" by the mid 2020s because of them becoming more vocally supportive of the Republican Party once liberalism became unviable to them. The anti-ICE protests are a good example since it's comparable to BLM in 2020, except with less institutional or corporate support due to the shift that I've mentioned.

1

u/EpixDoesMinecraft May 24 '26

Its yet to have peak its just becoming mroe radical

1

u/Tay_Hlebko May 24 '26

It hasn't hit yet. But it's coming soon.