Clarence Thomas on Wednesday delivered a televised broadside against progressivism, a political philosophy he described as an existential threat to America and the principles that founded it 250 years ago.
“Progressivism seeks to replace the basic premises of the Declaration of Independence and hence our form of government,” Thomas said in a speech at the University of Texas Austin Law School pegged to the nation’s upcoming milestone birthday.
A spirit of “cynicism, rejection, hostility and animus” toward America – by Americans – has taken hold, Thomas said in remarks carried live on CSPAN.
Progressivism means Americans criticize America because they are interested in making it better. Conservativism refuses to criticize America because it has no interest in making it better.
And that’s why conservativism is ultimately so pathetic. To fix flaws you have to admit to them, and put in work to change your own habits and the world around you, both of which are hard. To refuse to acknowledge flaws is easy, and you don’t have to fix anything about yourself or the world. It’s a fundamentally infantile, weak way of existing.
When I see people with Thomas’ opinions, I think, “Well, there’s a child whose mind just got older, but never grew up.” It’s incredible to realize, as an adult, just how many of the “adults” around us fit that model, and how much power they often end up having.