Even though @sohrabahmari blocked me (presumably for my #Protestantism), I'll defend him against C. Bradley Thompson's reactionary piece at @theammind.

The problems with Thompson's take begin in the first paragraphs.

read: https://twitter.com/docMJP/status/1260696190191992833

His Americanism, which is simply "synonymous" with the Enlightenment ideas of the Founders, conspicuously ignores the part played by The People.

It is no wonder, then, that, according to Thompson, John Winthrop and the Puritan settlers are "not a part of the American tradition."

Thomas Jefferson, likewise, would not have thought very highly of the religious figures who inspired American masses and had at least as much to do with motivating Revolution as Jefferson himself did.

Thompson aligns his enemies on the Right with progressive Leftists...

But, in reality, it is Thompson that agrees with the modern, progressive Left on their most pointedly anti-American, liberal idea: that America can be reduced to the interests of a #bourgeois class. How odd for a "conservative" to agree with Howard Zinn on so fundamental a point.

Thompson's thesis is that conservative criticism of "classical liberalism" is simply reactionary—which is ironic because Thompson's defense of bourgeois liberalism as the essence of Americanism is, at bottom, a knee-jerk reaction to this new, unfamiliar political moment.

The knee-jerk nature of Thompson's reaction is most noticeable in his criticism of a concept universally acknowledged by America's Founders: the "common good."

Thompson makes two arguments, on this point, that don't even cohere. 1st, he says that the only such good is "freedom."

And, 2nd, he says that the #CommonGood is completely unintelligible. He uses the term "anti-concept" to dismiss it, which is a habit common among those who inhabit the fever-swamps of Anarcho-Capitalism and Objectivism.

We should remember that Thompson's reaction is largely a good thing.

He is better than his philosophy—which is why he reacts so passionately as it becomes increasingly obvious to everyone else that #ClassicalLiberalism's secular logic leads inexorably to #ProgressiveLiberalism.

It doesn't lead there, for him, to be sure. And, thank God for that. When your premises are flawed, a little inconsistency and illogic is a blessing.

But, now is the time to grow up and abandon the #Enlightenment-worship that has been masquerading as American- #Founder-worship.

That kind of godless, individualist civil-religion, popular among bougie neckbeards a generation ago, will not suffice for the 21st-century.

On this point, @SohrabAhmari, @PatrickDeneen, @bronzeagemantis, and the rest of the conservative "reactionaries" are right.