Comment by RICHARDNIXON on The consequentialist case for social conservatism, or “Against Cultural Superstimuli” · 2021-04-15T05:10:58.102Z · LW · GW

Conservatism is an ideology built for a world that runs best free of interference. 

We do not live in the 1800s anymore. We have nuclear power plants, and securitized bundled mortgages, and a million other things that go very fucking badly for a whole lot of people who have no practical means to consent to the possibility of harms occurring from them or cope with the destruction that comes from their failure or even understand why these systems cause problems that they do. We require a centralized regulatory authority capable of tending to the garden of human projects. 

Any socially conservative value worth keeping will be re-invented in the same manner that tech startups eventually re-invent the bus ("What if we have an uber on a pre-determined schedule and the stops are at set times and everyone splits the cost via a monthly membership fee?"). Any value that isn't re-invented belongs in the trash bin of history. 

And of course, every socially conservative take finally boils down to the following, in full display by the assertion that trans activists are lying about the social status of trans people : 

"Society worked so well when you accepted that you were a joke, and didn't deserve respect. Now you're asking me to treat you with respect, and that makes me angry. Therefore, you are causing social discord."

This same argument was tried with the blacks in the 60s and the gays in the 80s. It was stupid then, and it's stupid now.