"Conservatism appears to be nothing more than a label for an incessantly shifting position, one that gauges its positions in relationship to changes taking place in different times and places. Conservatives merely react to changes in society. Once conservatives insisted on prayer in the schools. Now it's 'religious liberty', which is the reaction to the perception that today's liberals are trying to stomp out religion."
"Conservatism has failed as a rightist sect in the liberal project. Conservatism was never about conserving anything much. It may have begun as a reaction to the rapid pace of change attributed to liberalism, but it's become little more than rejection of the other two sects of liberalism plus protecting the elites from the ravages of democracy, like taxes and regulations."
Patrick Deneen argues that conservatism, as a rightist faction within liberalism, has fundamentally failed. Rather than conserving meaningful principles, conservatism operates as an incessant reaction to societal changes, shifting positions based on contemporary circumstances. Conservatives lack consistent ideological principles, instead gauging stances relative to perceived threats from other liberal sects—neoliberals and Marxists. Deneen contrasts this with neoliberals, who maintain consistent principles. Deneen identifies three strands of liberalism: conservatism, progressive liberalism (neoliberalism), and Marxism. He proposes a framework distinguishing between elites and subservient classes, with both conservatism and neoliberalism favoring elite interests. Conservatism's primary function appears to be protecting elites from democratic pressures like taxation and regulation.
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