We're Witnessing a Dangerous Detachment from Reality

Thumbs up for taking the time to post, SSG, not for the article itself. That was ridiculous. Conservatism is empty? How strange that the Democrats have lost over a thousand seats at all levels of government, as well as majorities in both houses of Congress, and the presidency, all within the last 8 years. Doesn't seem so empty to me. And then putting an asterisk after the word president? Please. The author showed himself throughout the article to be a typically snide, smug, self -professed intellectual very much in keeping with the rest of those who were so recently proven terribly wrong, yet are certain they've found the answer once again.

Change is coming he was elected on a platform and is now delivering on that platform. You can debate the "profound emptiness at the heart of conservatism" but it was the hubris of the DNC and Clinton Inc that is the problem.

I was born and raised in WV. No, I am not from the southern coal fields, but I have spent a good amount of time there, specifically, the McDowell County region. The author does speak one truth, WV and it's coal industry and those surrounding it, are the forgotten/invisible American(s). However, that is the only thing he grounds in reality. The reality is, that under the Democrats, predominately the last 8 years, the coal industry has been under an all out attack! The regulations, he bemoans, that will disappear are, for the most part, regulations forced down by the likes of the EPA and the administration, hell bent on shutting down all coal in America. Regulations that regulate the already, common/best practices that have been adopted by the companies, and I do mean a total buy in from the top down. The regulations he is afraid of loosing are the ones that create death traps for entire communities. I have personally worked in the area where reservoirs have broken, destroying towns and killing people. Reservoirs that were mandated by EPA for no other reason than they wanted to have their fingers in the area. Mine cave ins are going to happen, it's the nature of the beast. But in the state of WV, cave ins are combated by practices that have been in place for decades, reducing the frequency and severity, without EPA regulations. This idiot must buy in to the "Hollywood" idea that all owners of coal companies are "Simon Legree" and do not care that men and women die, as long as the coal rolls and the money keeps filling their coffers. Truth is, a lot of the companies are foreign owned, at least in my area, or owned by large conglomerates, that fully realize the importance of safety, safety of the employees and the community. This guy has no idea of the power of the United Mines Workers Union wields, when it comes to safety. What has replaced the status quo in politics is that we are now lead by a businessman that understands business from the ground up and is not going to tolerate Government regulating businesses, out of existence, for shits and giggles. A leader that understands that when a person gains self-worth by employment, drug issues and the out stretched hands disappear. Communities become stronger and independent of government assistance, which is not in the Democrat/Lefts interest. That is just my two cents.