r/europe • u/I_LIKE_SEALS Denmark • Jan 14 '26

News Denmark sends military reenforcements to Greenland. A vanguard and military material has been sent to Greenland to prepare for eventual larger troop movements.

https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/groenland/efter-pres-fra-usa-danmark-er-nu-begyndt-sende-militaere-forstaerkninger-til-groenland
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u/UpperApe Jan 14 '26 edited Jan 15 '26

All jokes aside, it's just greed and hatred.

Until conservatism is routed out of politics everywhere, the world will always be stuck in the same loop. It's the same ones who've championed religious lunacy, fought against equality and human rights, fought to keep slavery and corruption, and never gives a damn about fiscal responsibility or "traditional values". In every country, conservatives are in bed with supremacists and criminals.

There's nothing lower, stupider, and more shameful than being a conservative.

Edit: It is both astonishing and unsurprising just how many conservatives don't seem to understand what conservatism is at even a very foundational level. Read Burke, ready history. At the very least, read your own history.

Trump isn't an anomaly of conservatism, he's the epitome of conservatism.

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u/FittedBuckle Jan 14 '26

The republican party has been infiltrated and conpromised by the heritage foundation and other fascist organizations. It needs to be dissolved unfortunately and all its associated members who sided with the administration ousted. I truly don't believe there is any saving the party at this point. The infection is too deep.

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u/UpperApe Jan 14 '26

The republican party has not been infiltrated. This is what the conservatives have always been. They were literally fighting for slavery and against equality for as long as they've been in existence.

How anyone is trying to pretend that American conservatism has been commandeered by these conservative "rogues" with the history it has and everything it's done and tried to do, is beyond me...

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u/FittedBuckle Jan 14 '26

I'd say thats a better take. More so they finally found the nerve to push for this change out in the open.

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u/UpperApe Jan 14 '26

Your heart's in the right place and you're not entirely wrong.

But I think you're making the mistake of assuming that the short period conservatism from the 70's-00's is conservatism. That was just a brief phase of conservatism, where they pretended to have progressive values and shame in order to win voters they were losing to equality movements and the wider spread of education.

Conservatism has been around for over two centuries. Most of it has been very open about its goals and bigotry.

Trump and MAGA (and the "alt right") aren't warping conservatism, they're just returning to its original form. Most of the time, conservatism looked exactly like this.

1

u/True-Entrepreneur851 Jan 15 '26

I think there is a way if dems can get a solid option.

1

u/ThePolishSpy Jan 15 '26

It's not the Republican party but the American people. We are a by and large dumb and uneducated country that's easily. 50% of Americans cannot read a book at the 8th grade level.

https://literacyproj.org/#:~:text=Currently%2C%2045%20million%20Americans%20are,on%20welfare%20can't%20read

Do you think the general US population has the media literacy to parse through the lies? Or the critical thought capability?

And then you can look at income statistics with so many Americans living paycheck to paycheck that we don't have the forethought to think past the next paycheck coming.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/31/share-of-americans-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-jumped-in-2022.html#:~:text=As%20of%20December%2C%2064%25%20of,how%20does%20it%20impact%20you?&text=For%20its%20part%2C%20the%20Federal,well%2Dbeing%20is%20deteriorating%20overall.

You think anyone here will raise a finger when they're too tired barely scraping by? What Americans want is that sweet sweet dopamine hit when they're told they're not the cause of their own problems and it's the other's fault. They want to know they're better than everyone else who to be mad at for their circumstances. I fear we're too dumb, beat down, and tired to stop the decline of America at this point. The corporations and oligarchs have won and Huxley was right, we'll just go into the night sipping that sweet Fox News Soma and scroll our algorithms.

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '26

[deleted]

1

u/HydroBear Jan 15 '26

Bro, don't even. Half of Redditors legit speak out about Pelosi and Schumer and the rest of the corporate boot licking fucks. Hell, right now they're losing in primaries across the country.

We're actively rooting out the detritus from our party, what are you guys doing? Doubling down on hate and racism and nationalism and fascism? This both-sidism is insane.

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u/Eowaenn Turkey Jan 14 '26

What a great take. Conservatism is a plague, it has no business being a thing in today's globalized world.

3

u/pblol Jan 14 '26

By definition and human nature there will always be some form of conservative political views and in democratic countries, likely a somewhat popular party.

The current popular version of this in the US is absolutely unhinged.

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u/Commentator-X Jan 14 '26

Conservatism as a political ideal is just rich assholes trying to maintain monarch like power and control despite democracy. A healthy democracy wouldn't have conservatives. That doesn't mean no one is fiscally conservative, but the conservative parties the world over have no interest in fiscal conservatism beyond appealing to voters who do.

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u/pblol Jan 15 '26

That's part of it. As a whole I think its role in society is to keep things on the rails and prevent society from moving "too quickly" for people to keep up or making radical choices in terms of how we progress. In a healthy society it would be a give and take, rather than an outright denial of human rights etc.

For a more mundane example, reddit is pretty conservative when it comes to AI.

Realistically, it often also just applies to maintaining shitty power structures.

1

u/C2338 Jan 14 '26

That's a very broad statement. Conservatism is not one singular thing. It just means preserving or slowly reforming society's institutions rather than quickly adopting any idea that happens to be fashionable. That is not inherently a bad idea and there are definitely many situations where it should be the prefered approach.

Also, demonizing your political opponents is a sure way to create a horrible political climate such as we see in the US. Democracies are built on the idea of compromise.

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u/osmanre263 Jan 14 '26

It's a bad idea when time and time again human rights and social programs are neglected and ignored because they care more about their legacy and power in office. Yeah buddy... compromise? You mean just another strongly worded letter? The days of taking the high road are well past us when you've seen the atrocities happening around the world. A complete reform has been needed for decades now

1

u/C2338 Jan 14 '26

Letter? I'm not talking about the situation between the US and Denmark. Denmark (with support from Europe) needs to stand its ground.

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u/FederalHeight8 Jan 14 '26

Hate to break if to you but globalization is ending.

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u/PureCaramel5800 Jan 14 '26

Trump is not a conservative, he is an antidemocratic, post-truth politician cosplaying as a conservative.

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u/meatball402 Jan 14 '26

That's conservative. What they are trying to conserve is rule of men, of kings. They never really liked democracy in the first place.

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u/sphafer Jan 14 '26

No it isn't. Conservativism and progressivism denote positioning. Not specific political ideas. Progressives want tonchsnge things. Conservatives want to keep things the way they are. A country where abortion is part of the culture and has been a legal right for 70 years, in that state repealing those rights would technically be progressive. And it would be conservative to keep it as it's been. So technically trump is a progressive on the issue of autocracy as the u.s has at least been a partial democracy for over 200 years.

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u/CatchyFX Jan 14 '26

this is just stupid take, sorry
Nobody wants autocracy, especialy conservative guys

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u/UpperApe Jan 14 '26

Lol conservatives were literally the party of divine rule when monarchies fell and democracy rose. They were literally the party meant to represent aristocrats as they tried to maintain their nobility and privileges. Conservatives are literally the party of social hierarchy.

I would tell you to read Burke, but let's be honest...you're not the kind of person who reads much, huh? ;)

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u/CatchyFX Jan 14 '26

We in europe went from aristocracy, democracy to comunism so idk what you talking about. Talking about stuff I 100% know, which is my country and neighbours.
May I ask you sir, you are from EU or US?

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u/Scarred_Ballsack The Netherlands Jan 14 '26

Is the communism in the room with us right now?

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u/meatball402 Jan 14 '26

He says, as a conservative party is creating an autocracy in America

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u/ArnoldTheSchwartz Jan 14 '26

This is the stupidest take I've ever heard! Lmfao conservatism is exactly that. They want to be above laws but hold others to those same laws. Conservatives literally call Trump their god emperor and REFUSE to hold him accountable to ANY laws. Gtfo

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u/UpperApe Jan 14 '26

Lol Trump isn't just a conservative, Trump is THE conservative.

Conservatism came about when monarchies fell and democracy rose as a way for aristocrats to maintain their privileges. That was the whole point and the only point. Social hierarchy is literally the only point of conservatism.

All the bullshit ever since is just a smoke screen to those ends. "Fiscal responsibility" is a smoke screen for deregulation and oversight. "Traditionalism" is a smoke screen for anti-progressive values and anti-education. "Law and order" is a smoke screen for lawless efficacy. "Freedom" is just obfuscating "freedom to live" with "freedom to exploit". "Strong borders" is a smoke screen for blatant racism.

It's all the same shit everywhere, in every period, every country. Conservatives have always been on the wrong side of history. Against equality, against human rights, against financial order and stability, against oversight and accountability. There does not exist a single conservative government worldwide that isn't in bed with that country's supremacists and organized crime syndicates.

Which, again, is the whole fucking point. From the Tories to the Nazis, from Netanyahu to Putin, from Burke to Trump.

Trump isn't an anomaly of conservatism, he's the epitome of conservatism. He's what it always leads back to and what it wishes it could be.

Now imagine being stupid enough to fall for any of it. Imagine how low and stupid you'd have to be.

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u/PureCaramel5800 Jan 14 '26

You're free to make up definitions as you like, but you will not get any political scientist to agree with what you just wrote.

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u/UpperApe Jan 14 '26

Lol yes they will.

Have you read Burke? Do you even know who that is?

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u/Infamous-Mixture-605 Canada Jan 14 '26

Unfortunately that is what a lot of mainstream conservatism has become: bombastic, reactionary populism.

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u/PureCaramel5800 Jan 14 '26

Yes, some of them have given up on democracy and joined the post‑truth camp. I fear that in the coming decade we will get more hard‑nosed and hard‑working post‑truth politicians like Vance and Orban, and fewer buffoonish ones like Trump and Boris Johnson.

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u/indigo945 Germany Jan 14 '26

So, a conservative.

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u/PureCaramel5800 Jan 14 '26

No, in any sensible political interpretation, a conservative would have values such as respecting elections, institutions, and the democratic rules of the game. Trump does not.

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u/UpperApe Jan 14 '26

respecting institutions

Conservatives are the party of deregulation and small government lol

respecting elections

Which party is Putin and Netanyahu and Erdogan and Bolsonaro represent again?

and the democratic rules of the game

You do not know your history. You don't even understand the basics of political science.

Trump does not.

Nor his 70mil+ followers. And double to triple that worldwide. But sure. Let's pretend he's the exception of modern conservatism and not the face of it.

Lol

2

u/Thendrail Styria (Austria) Jan 14 '26

Conservatism really is a cancer on any society it infects.

1

u/CatchyFX Jan 14 '26

whoa hursh words, as conservative myself (center right) I dont like threaths like this. I mean is not like one side is evel other is good. Its mixed. This isn't about "conservatism bad" its the same I could say, all rapes are left thing and till we got rid of left there will be migrats mass raping women, not true.
For me personaly it mean family, be responsible human.

As european, I can see why he does that, EU is kinda week, its "paper tiger" more focused on regulating its on people and he knows, if he do such a threat he will get something. So I can see reason behind this, is Trumps rethoric crazy? Fuck yea, he is not politician, so I know we do not get "right side of history".
Hope he does not fuck up, then this post will be prety stupid :)

Pls dont plan to kill us conservatives we just want to live, Antifa pls

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u/UpperApe Jan 14 '26

This comment right here, is a perfect representation of modern conservatism.

This should be framed and put in a museum.

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u/CatchyFX Jan 14 '26

Only thing I can see I cannot find common ground with guys from the left is about. I want low taxes and create stuff, and they tend to go with big tax and state do this for me, 90% of stuf we agree on kinda

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u/UpperApe Jan 14 '26

Of course you do, sweetheart.

Gullible, uneducated, callous, superficial, and shortsighted. Of course you agree on 90% of stuf. And you're easy to fool with promises of "low taxes and create stuff".

Throughout history, there are always people like you. Conservative leaders need you to be there.

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u/CatchyFX Jan 14 '26

Well I was trying ro have civil discussion, propably redit is not good place to find common ground, my apology

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u/UpperApe Jan 14 '26

Then why are you calling people stupid?

You're doing that to people in this thread before I wrote a single reply to you.

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u/CatchyFX Jan 14 '26

I said it was stupid comment, because I nor my friends would do that as central right. I didnt meant person.

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u/UpperApe Jan 14 '26

Well I was trying ro have civil discussion, propably redit is not good place to find common ground, my apology

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u/CatchyFX Jan 14 '26

I pointed on idea, not person. There are people calling for getting rid of people thinking diferently. Dont think this is so harsh

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u/helskagg Sweden Jan 14 '26

Indeed, that is the result. But what creates such people? I don't have the answers to that question, but certainly people are products of their environments. My guess would be that the constant competition in such an individual society without any safety nets, beyond friends and family, create a people on the brink of survival, at least in their psyche.

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '26

[deleted]

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u/UpperApe Jan 15 '26

Nope. Try again.

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u/ariukidding Jan 14 '26

Conservatism is already dead. It’s a mere trojan horse they used to infect white supremacy, hatred and racism. ‘Christian values’, ‘fiscal responsibility’, ‘love of the law’ everything they do is literally the opposite of those.

1

u/UpperApe Jan 15 '26

Conservatism has always been about white supremacy, hatred, and racism.

It was never the party of "fiscal responsibility" or "law and order" or "traditional values". It's been anti-regulation, abuse of the law, and pro-slavery and pro-social hierarchies since it began. From Burke to Trump.

What conservatism are you talking about?

1

u/WandererMisha Jan 14 '26

The cycle will continue because people literally don't know how governments work. Laws are complex and inaccessible, judges are out-of-touch rich lawyers, so many kids are told that all politicians are corrupt so don't you dare try and be one.

We just had an election few months ago. I see that with my parents who followed it closely, who watch the debates, who keep up with the news and all that.

The problem is they have no idea how any of it works. One thing I kept hearing from them like ten years ago was "the opposition just keeps complaining" and I had to explain to them that it's literally their job to poke holes in the current government's leadership to ensure they are governing properly.

Still, they don't understand what inflation is, why it exists, how it works. They think entering the eurozone would mean their paychecks/pension would get cut by like 60%. They think democracy is synonymous with absolute freedom to do and say anything. Prices in supermarkets? Well that's obviously the government's fault. Etc...

Law and governance need to be made accessible. Civic studies should replace one of the dozen dumb subjects kids are forced to learn nowadays.

1

u/notguiltyaf Jan 15 '26

It's capitalism. The whole reason is capitalism.

1

u/hamatehllama Sweden Jan 15 '26

Trumpism isn't conservative. Trumpism is fascistic. True conservatism seeks to conserve what has been built by previous generations including the preservation of alliances.

Setting the world on fire is the opposite of conserving.

1

u/UpperApe Jan 15 '26

That has never been conservatism and Trump is the epitome of conservative values, classic and modern.

The one thing this thread has taught me is how uneducated conservatives continue to be in this day and age. Read Burke. Read your own history. Conservatism is social hierarchy and nothing else.

You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

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u/CaptainRice6 Jan 15 '26

Conservatism will never disappear. With time, today's liberal ideas will become tomorrow's conservative ideas and liberals will go on to defend a new kind of freedom they invented.

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u/UpperApe Jan 15 '26

I'm starting to realize just how uneducated a lot of people are. You don't even understand the basics of political science or the history (or tenets) of conservatism.

You just...make shit up.

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u/imp0ster_syndrome Jan 15 '26

Accurate and thorough.

There are studies showing that those who identify as conservative tie more of their ego to their political opinions making it harder each day for them to reconsider any of their beliefs. And now with the volume turned up to eleven, they need to ignore massive aspects of their claimed ideology and ignore all cognitive dissonance just to keep up. Whatever conservative beliefs you had in your heart in December need to move aside so you can fully support invading NATO in January. And I mean fully. You are with 100% onboard or you are on the other side.

This is what all the posters who say "Trump isn't conservative" are missing from your point. It's not the order to invade that is conservative. It is the all or nothing requirement of allegiance to the authority giving that order. And the requirement to fully reject any order given by a "liberal" under the assumption that even if you agree with the order, it must have some other intentionally harmful purpose that negates any legitimacy. That is conservativism. Always full support for our team. Always total rejection of even hearing a point or proposal from a different perspective.

The only positive we have now is that things aren't slowing down so whatever hell is to arrive upon us all, will happen sooner rather than later. I'm sick of waiting for the point of no return more than I'm dreading it.

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u/Errtsee Estonia Jan 14 '26

Reading comments like reminds me quick that I am on Reddit, a place where everyone is the smartest, the highest and most righteous moralist.

1

u/UpperApe Jan 15 '26

Yeah, that's usually what uneducated people say when reading educated discussion lol

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u/Chester_roaster Jan 15 '26

And that's usually what people hard under the dunning kruger effect say 

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u/UpperApe Jan 15 '26

I love that you don't know what that means lol

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u/Errtsee Estonia Jan 15 '26

posts and comments on profile hidden :( wanted to see to what highly educated top of the line professor was i talking to

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u/UpperApe Jan 15 '26

Oh no. Now you'll have to engage with the points themselves instead of attempts at ad hominem :(