[Serious] Any high-quality right-wing media, books, explainers?

I know Lemmy isn't normally the best place to search for this, but are there any high-quality right-wing explainers, or modern books, or media outlets?

I myself am ultra-left (quite literally communist, to the dictionary sense of the word), but I'd like to quit the bubble that inevitably forms around and look at good arguments of the opposing side, if there are any.

Is there anything in there beyond temporarily embarrassed millionaires and fears that trans people will destroy humanity? Is there rational analysis, something closer to academic research, behind modern ideas of laissez-faire capitalism and/or political conservatism?

I've tried outlets like PragerU, but they are so basic they seem to target a very uncritical audience.

I'd like to see the world in the eyes of an enlightened right-winger, and see where they possibly fail (or if suddenly they have valid arguments).

Gigan ,
@Gigan@lemmy.world avatar

The first name that came to mind was Thomas Sowell

Allero OP ,

Second time I hear this name, should check out! Thanks!

DonnieDarkmode ,

Not a right-wing source in and of itself, but Corey Robin’s The Reactionary Mind explores the history and philosophical underpinnings of conservative thought from Burke/Hobbes on through the 21st century, on a variety of different topics. It’s a serious engagement with the ideas, and attempt to understand them and their origins

Allero OP ,

Great! Something to definitely check out
Thanks

rufus ,

Maybe read something from Jordan Peterson? He's conservative, against gender politics or modern life. Sells 'simple truths' that look well reasoned if you're not too intelligent (or don't believe in equality...) I think he wrote several books and has lots of YouTube videos available.

Allero OP ,

Peterson seemed more pretentious than competent to me.

As you well said, "look well-reasoned if you're not too intelligent"

But thanks!

theywilleatthestars ,

Probably more right-wing than you're looking for, but The Concept of the Political by Carl Schmitt. Insightful on how these people think, and much more readable than works by some Nazi philosophers I could mention.
Also if you're interested in a good deconstruction of far right views, I highly recommend Neoreaction a Basilisk by Elizabeth Sandifer

Allero OP ,

Thanks!

capital_sniff ,

Maybe check out Matt McManus's work, he's a professor at the University of Michigan.

Allero OP ,

Thanks!

Meron35 ,

A lot of the academics associated (formerly or currently) with Chicago Booth are highly respected as economists but highly conservative. As influential and famous they may be, their personal blogs and twitter account are yikes.

E.g. Harald Uhlig, Joch H Cochrane

Allero OP ,

Thanks!
If I'm not mistaken, Thomas Sowell, who is often cited under the post, changed to the right-wing after discussions with Chicago students - must be quite solid.

WebWizard ,

Mein Kampf

Allero OP ,

Would unironically take a read someday, though it shouldn't be considered mainline right-wing despite Trump debacle.

naeap ,

It's actually a really shit book

I'm from Austria and in my early youth I wanted to work though the history of my family and country, especially because nobody wanted to really talk about it.

'Mein Kampf' really really disappointed me. It reads like a whiny, misunderstood dude thinks he got cheated and looks for someone at fault - and obviously it would be best, if everything would follow his ideas, because then he would never feel rejected/disappointed anymore.

Of course this is a more than subjective, and quite polemic, view on this book, but although I've always identified much more with anarchism, I really wanted to get what's so intriguing about this book and its ideas.
But it was just a series of whining autobiographic stories and some blaming for just someone to be at fault for his suffering.

I've found the more common books during the period of the Nazi regiment much more interesting.
There are quite some books about how girls should fulfill their role as a mother, when they are reaching adolescent.

Pretty much the same for boys who get indoctrinated into being some kind of selfless knight - but always with the motivation of social admiration

Every form of self fulfillment always needs to be for the good of the empire (read: in line with the Führer's will/ideology/order)

I can completely understand how a young person would join a moment with such promises and I think it's very dangerous to just ban those books.
Instead they should be part of the educational curriculum, so the actual problems and weakness (to put it lightly) of such systems can be discussed and understood early.

Moving to simple solutions in times of crisis seems to be part of human nature. So we have to take care, that we don't do stupid things in challenging situations

Allero OP ,

Thanks for your opinion!

Any other Nazi books you'd recommend?

(Gosh, I never thought I'd say something like this)

naeap ,

Was more than 25 years ago, when I looked into books of that time. Mostly found it on such used book markets.

Can't remember any titels, sorry

But it also gets old really fast. It's always the same thing and ideal picture they want the world to be

Allero OP ,

I see. Thank you anyway!

juicy ,

So I'm going to interpret your request broadly and recommend a couple podcasts. They aren't necessarily right-wing (honestly, probably center left to center right), but they're probably outside of what you'd normally consume and may challenge or intrigue you.

  1. The New Liberal Podcast New liberalism is a rebranding of neoliberalism. I'd start by listening to a couple mailbag episodes and his past best books of the year episodes.

  2. Conversations with Tyler Tyler Cowen is a conservative economist at the University of Chicago, but you don't actually hear his opinions that often on his podcast which consists of interviews with an eclectic variety of folks from a homeless man to a Calvinist theologian, from music producer Rick Rubin to Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. He has a unique interviewing style that consists of a series of disjointed questions. He often poses challenging questions, but he gives them plenty of space to answer and doesn't debate. I would suggest skipping interviews with people you know you're going to hate (e.g., Peter Thiel), but instead look for interviews that pique your interest.

Allero OP ,

Center left to center right by American standards, I suppose?

(It's important to clarify as American center is way more right than normally considered, with Democrats normally considered center-to-moderate right outside of the US)

Thanks! Wide scope is appreciated.

juicy ,

Yes, I'm not familiar enough with European politics to confidently say what it would be considered there.

higgsboson ,

Going to Lemmy and asking this is like going to Truth.Social and asking about resources for helping trans teens.

Allero OP ,

True, which is why I started my first paragraph with this :D

I came to Lemmy since it's the only such platform I trust to be inhabited by real benevolent people with useful recommendations. But the bias is obviously there.

Still, I got a lot of useful reads.

djsoren19 ,

I think this is a little disingenous. Plenty of leftists are academics who have studied economic/political theory. If you're already willing to put yourself through reading Marx, you're probably also the type who's willing to read Milton.

applepie ,

No... Around here people will actually talk shop on doctrine...

Truth social is where red blooded strong american men jerk each others dicks to maintain hi T levels.

We are not the same,jpeg

Kalkaline ,
@Kalkaline@leminal.space avatar

Ayn Rand is where modern right wing ideology started. You really don't need to read a whole book, she beats you over the head with the message repeatedly.

Fast forward to the Rush Limbaugh talk show and listen to some of his monologues.

Then jump back to Mein Kampf to see the future of the right wing.

It's all bullshit, and it's easy to fall down the rabbit hole of right wing talking points. Ask critical questions like what happens to the most vulnerable populations under that system and you realize quickly that it's Sparta all over again and they will be actively killed because they believe in eugenics.

MyPornViewingAccount ,

Hard disagree with Rand, thats just a libertarian circle jerk.

Better would be anything from Jefferson.
If you really want to get into the weeds, the Anti-Federalists from the 1790's opposing the Constitution in favor of keeping the original Articles of Confederation that governed the US right after independence.

Allero OP ,

Jefferson sounds like a barely relevant choice from a very distant time, something that an average libertarianist will shove in people's faces without telling it fails to describe shortcomings of capitalism highlighted by later thinkers.

But as a starting point, I see how that may be useful. Thank you!

LibertyLizard ,
@LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net avatar

If you’re looking for credible conservatives who actually confront the shortcomings of capitalism, I can’t think of any. But these early writings were pretty well-thought out and are foundational to later ideas, so I think they’re worth reading.

Successful_Try543 ,

If you really consider reading Mein Kampf, don't.

ThrowawayPermanente ,

I thought your review of conservatism was very fair and balanced. I give it a perfect 5/7.

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