It’s about time someone noticed that Conservatives’ exclusive fixation on economic arguments has lost them the culture war.
Daniel Bendele writes:
If the culture degrades even as the stock market climbs, there must be something else that we are missing? If the rising tide is lifting all the boats, why is society so unhappy? Why is it that society continues to call good evil and evil good? Conservatives and Christians are losing the culture war because we fail to promote GOOD art. It’s not the economy, stupid, it’s Truth transmitted through culture.
I wrote in my last piece about the desecration of statues and churches. Last year, prominent “Conservative” columnist David French called Drag Queen Story Hours at public libraries, “One of the blessings of liberty.” Leftists have argued that people should be able to use the restroom of whatever gender they identify as that day. God and the Bible have been taken out of our schools, courthouses, and the public sphere. But Republicans are happy because the stock market is up?
Oftentimes during this discussion, friends tell me, “Conservatives don’t make good art.” There’s this idea that we’re losing the culture war because we are not good at creating or because we’ve failed to engage in that type of work. I’m here to tell you that this is absolutely false. Conservatives are NOT losing the culture war because we fail to make good art and/or fail to participate in that sphere. Conservatives are losing the culture war because our leaders fail to promote the good art that does exist, and we are too lazy to find it for ourselves and promote it to our friends and family.
Two of the best-selling literary series of all time were written by strong, Conservative men of faith, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. You may be surprised to learn that Christians didn’t stop writing fantasy after Tolkien and Lewis. Believe me, after years of being sick to death of only finding fantasy with morally ambiguous heroes, gratuitous and often violent sex scenes (looking at you George R.R. Martin), and grim portrayals of humanity, I was shocked to find a plethora of amazing literature written by Christians and Conservatives. These works are for the most part not explicitly Christian, but like Tolkien’s work they promote important themes: heroism, sacrifice, integrity, and the battle of good versus evil.
The readily observable fact that Conservative leaders acknowledge the culture war yet refuse to engage the enemy on the cultural level is all the proof you need to conclude they’re either terminally stupid or cynical grifters.
Support artists who want to entertain you. Don’t give money to people who hate you.
