SUNLIGHT IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT:

In a sharp New York Times column, David French argues that Elon Musk's problems at Twitter show how the "new right's theory of power" has failed. The new right--culture war focused, often very online, rejects small government conservatism as weak--thought Musk buying Twitter would force their cultural preferences onto America, as they believe the old owners did for the left. But American culture is too much of a bottom-up process. Individual preferences and the market are bigger forces, which we're seeing now as advertisers flee, and companies launch Twitter competitors that attract some interest, such as Threads.

It's a good point, but I'm going to take it further: This theory of power is not just wrong, it's insane. Nuts. A distortion of reality. More conspiracy theory than empirical assessment, based on a false premise that stokes feelings of victimization.

Here's how French explains the theory:

"In the new right's telling, the story of contemporary American culture is the story of progressive elite capture of the nation's most important institutions -- from the academy to big business to pop culture to the "deep state" -- followed by its remorseless use of that institutional power to warp and distort American values."

French argues that the new right's counter-strategy of "domination and imposition" isn't working and won't, but he doesn't really interrogate the premise.

The idea that leftists executed a hostile takeover of all major institutions and now use them to persecute conservatives is a foundational truism for the new right. Feeling like a victim of that persecution, and justified in taking drastic action in response, might be the main thing holding the movement together.

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