The question of where the "woke mind virus" has gone too far and led to social conservatism being popular against has reared its ugly head even on the "left." In a discussion with Alex Hochuli on Twitter, I pushed back that this was new, particularly related to "wokeness," or even unique to the left. This leads us to look at longer trends going back to the 1990s, and maybe even to the 1970s. Ultimately, I think something more universal to the epoch of capitalism is at play, and do speculate as to some possibilities for why. Here are the articles referred to:
Social Conservatism in U.S. Highest in About a Decade
Thirty-eight percent of Americans say they are conservative on social issues, the highest Gallup has measured since 2012.
news.gallup.com
U.S. Liberals at Record 24%, but Still Trail Conservatives
The percentage of Americans identifying ideologically as liberal grew one percentage point to a record-high 24% in 2014. The percentage of conservatives was unchanged, at 38%, and moderates held steady at their two-decade low of 34%.
news.gallup.com