• @CanadaPlus
        link
        English
        15 months ago

        Small c, maybe. “Conservative” these day can actually mean “extremely reactionary”.

        • @feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          1
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          Reactionary in the sense of maintaining the status quo, would actually be a good thing under those circumstances! Although I’m very much economically left-wing, I try to recognise that. Makes me understand why the rich skew conservative, because obviously to them everything is already good.

          • @CanadaPlus
            link
            English
            15 months ago

            “Reactionary” specifically means trying to go back to a (often imagined) previous state.

            reactionary <-> conservative <-> progressive

              • @CanadaPlus
                link
                English
                2
                edit-2
                5 months ago

                Yeah, I kind of wish there was another word for the idea, because it’s a bit confusing. I think originally it was “in reaction to progress”.

                Big and small c conservative is sometimes used to make the distinction in commentary, with big C being the reactionary stances that are common in right-wing parties that call themselves “Conservative”, but I don’t think everyone gets that either.