The author distinguishes harmless emotional nostalgia from political nostalgia that tries to recreate past eras. He argues this mindset sedates action ('nostalgia is the opiate of the Right') and reliably produces failure because past molds no longer fit current realities. The corrective is to build new institutions suited to today rather than chase restoration.
— This reframes conservative politics from restoration to construction, shifting debates toward institution‑building, policy design, and coalition incentives.
Jonny Ball
2025.10.07
82% relevant
The article portrays the Tory conference as a 'Thatcher‑fest' and 'tribute band' that substitutes backward‑looking symbolism for viable policy, exemplifying the claim that nostalgia sedates action and guarantees failure when past molds don't fit present realities.
Charles Haywood
2025.06.30
100% relevant
Haywood’s line 'nostalgia is the opiate of the Right' and his critique of Russell Kirk–era conservative nostalgia as strategic dead‑end.
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