For years I've confidently claimed that conservatism is now best defined as a counterculture.  Before I go on, I want to mention that I'm not the first person to make this claim, and it wouldn't surprise me if many of my fellow conservatives already share this belief.  Regardless, I think it's an interesting and important topic worth discussing, especially considering the left's current and deeply threatening stranglehold on so many aspects of our society. 

I was mostly prompted to write this piece after hearing how Lucasfilm and, by extension, Disney fired Gina Carano.  A former MMA fighter, Carano had a recurring role as Cara Dune in The Mandalorian, a roguish Star Wars spin-off. 

Now, some might be wondering what grave crime Carano committed.  What awful actions led to her being fired?

You probably guessed right.  She committed the unforgivable deed of espousing conservative views while working for a typical leftist mega-corporation.  Come to think of it, it's pretty much considered an intellectual crime if anyone espouses such views nowadays, regardless of his occupation. 

Does anyone honestly believe that Carano would've been fired if she'd espoused the blatantly radical views typical of so many in Hollywood?  Of course not.  I'd wager that she would've received countless heaps of praise had she promoted Marxism, slammed Trump, and supported Black Lives Matter.

While I've never watched an episode of The Mandalorian, I have heard great things about it, and I admit that I'm deeply saddened by Carano's firing.  While I'm obviously sympathetic to her because of her conservative views, I'm also sympathetic because she didn't actually do anything wrong. 

This is only one example of the tight grip leftist politics and philosophy have on America's throat.  The majority of Hollywood actors, actresses, and filmmakers are liberal.  On top of that, I'd argue that most mainstream musicians are as well.  Most large companies and mega corporations are blatantly and unapologetically liberal, promoting LGBT "rights" and far-left movements like Black Lives Matter.  Finally, as the cherry on top, much of our media is appallingly and unprofessionally biased against conservatives.  That's no secret to anyone at this point, though many media entities frequently and unconvincingly tend to feign neutrality.

I want to briefly add that while conservatism is countercultural now, so is Christianity.  Indeed, I'd even argue that conservatism and Christianity are equally reviled in our current political and moral climate. 

In the spirit of cultural rebelliousness, I'm reminded of Elvis Costello's 1978 hit "Radio Radio."  It's a song critical of conformity, media manipulation, and being told what to think.  It's a great song for me to listen to and relate to when I hear about all the various ways in which conservatism is demonized by the left's intellectual monopoly. 

I believe that most or all of the song's lines now speak the thoughts of so many frustrated conservatives.  These particular lines are, in my opinion, exceptionally compelling and eerily reflective of what conservatives face today: 

You either shut up or get cut out; 
they don't want to hear about it.
It's only inches on the reel-to-reel
And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools
tryin' to anaesthetize the way that you feel

In all honesty, if you wanted to be a real legend of rebelliousness in 2021, I'd advise you to rent out a decent venue, sing songs like "Radio Radio," praise conservative values, critique liberal ideology, and close with a prayer.  Yes, conservative values are shunned now more than ever before.

However, the ironic boon in this situation is that conservatives are now the cool kids on the political and intellectual block, rebelling against an establishment with deeply immoral, illogical, and even incorrect views.  To conclude, let's make conservatism reign again. 

Image: 1950s family is in the public domain.  The Woodstock concert attendees photo is by Derek Redmond and Paul Campbell and is used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.