In conservative and largely online circles, the term “NETTR” has gained traction. It stands for “no enemies to the right.” The underlying thinking is that those to one’s left are the enemies, and those to one’s right, just by mere placement, can’t be. It sounds good in theory: that “owning the Libs” matters most of all. In practice? It’s destructive in both the short and long term.
Conservatives must clearly and increasingly reject it.
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The civil war raging on the Right is not likely to die down anytime soon. For those who value established principles and basic decency, the desire to end the feuding should be overshadowed by the urge to cut the tumor out. The rot? White nationalism that is often promoted as Christian nationalism, antisemitism, racism, and authoritarian tendencies. The infection has spread so far that publicly pointing these things out is met with severe backlash.
On Sept. 16, conservative talk-show host Erick Erickson published a piece titled “The Midwestern Führerbunker Driving the Right Off the Cliff.” In it, he discusses the ethnically focused Christian nationalism and outright racism that has gained a foothold in and among media organizations, think tanks, and prominent figures and activists on the Right. Charles Haywood is the central figure, with the Claremont Institute playing a major role. Money is the mechanism of influence. Other individuals include Nate Fischer of the American Reformer, Jack Posobiec, William Wolfe, Darryl Cooper, Bo French, and Benny Johnson, to name a few.
In short, he describes the shared goal to raise a new generation of conservative leaders who have forsaken conservatism in favor of authoritarianism and race-based merit. The backlash against Erickson was swift and forceful. Instead of apologies and denunciations, there was doubling down. These people and their enablers deserve repeated condemnation. And Erickson was right to set the fire.
In recent years, the rallying cry has only been one of owning our ideological opponents. Leftism is, in fact, creeping into our society and institutions at an alarming rate. But urgency to defeat the Left should never include willful dismissal of those things conservatives once abhorred. What’s more, some of the words and actions now adopted by the NETTR crowd are no different than what they’ve been decrying on the Left for years.
It does no good to cede control of our conservatism to these people. Racism is not made more palatable because of the skin tone of the speaker. See Bo French and his recent racist tirade against brown-skinned students in the stands at a University of Texas football game. Theocracy is not more desirable if the faithful are American Christians who wish to supplant freedom of religion and force adherence. Government control is not better for us if the elected leaders currently in power have the right political party affiliation.
It violates the basic tenets of conservatism to support these behaviors and speak kindly of those who promote them. In fact, it is your duty as a conservative to point these things out.
It’s impossible to miss the fevered desperation of the NETTR crowd. It’s right there in front of us. In response to our criticisms, we’re told, “Well, what have conservatives ever conserved?” as if throwing it away now is somehow the answer. When Gandalf confronts his purported ally, Saruman, in The Lord of the Rings, he asks, “Tell me, friend, when did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for madness?” The NETTR crowd has done something similar. They’ve found themselves so utterly incapable of defeating their ideological foes that they would rather reject what’s right in favor of what they know to be wrong, simply because they’ve seen that same power wielded by the Left.
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The Right doesn’t need fewer principles. The Right doesn’t need to remake itself in the image of the moment. Instead, it needs an infusion of courage to stand by the principles we espouse. This includes a willingness to point out the abuses on our side, however uncomfortable that may be.
The answer to the failures of the Left can’t be embracing the very things we once condemned as morally bankrupt. And make no mistake: racism, antisemitism, and authoritarianism are always morally bankrupt.