RE: My political leanings, 2026
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but now that conservative movements have been co-opted by the alt-right
All that's really saying is the conservative groups have changed to something else. There are a lot of right-wing powers out there which are far more accelerationist than progressive left, want things to change rapidly. This just isn't conservative by definition.
As you described, older people want to protect the status quo - they are, philosophically & politically speaking, becoming more conservative regardless of who starts taking over the labelled entities.
maintaining the status quo really isn't sustainable,
This is true. There's certainly something to be said for those people who point out that it was because of our conservative complacency that we got in this mess to begin with. Putting our heads in the sand, and enjoying life as it secretly and invisibly degrades all around us. Not a concern however, something for future generations to worry about!
at least 5 roughly equally sized parties
Proportional representation pretty much. The problem is that it's about as far the other end of the spectrum as a dictatorship. Say of China what you will but a single party nation can get things done fast. A government of 5 parties generally ends up completely stuck, change is gruellingly slow and ineffective.
I think the UK has a bit of an advantage here compared to EU countries - if only we can get a solid party in power with a solid majority, they can essentially do a 5 year dictatorship approved by the voters, or even infinite years if the voters remain happy.
We actually see this with Labour. Keir Starmer, for all his faults, is getting tonnes done in rapid time. The only reason it didn't happen the last time the leaders had a big majority is because the Conservatives had constant civil war, insider backstabbing, crawling for power.
A previous majority, Tony Blaire, did much the same, an almost infinite number of new laws and regulations, complete transformation of the actual government's inner workings, and more.
Edit: Sorry, didn't realise I wrote so much for a comment!
Sorry... I actually didn't get around to tying my point together.
What I meant was that I don't think people are actually becoming more conservative as they get older anymore because it's becoming very obvious that the current systems are not worth preserving.
If anything myself and almost all of my friends have become more progressive as we've gotten older as we understand the damage that the current systems are doing to current and future generations.
I do very much hope that the pendulum swings back hard against far-right conservative parties once many countries see the damage that religious ideology does to policy.
Far right and left powers are an immune response, the problem is both are fairly confused, I think. But I also think they have a role to play, almost like bartering in a street market.
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If you demand, like some on twitter, to expel everyone with a single drop of non-white blood, then you pull the opponents further in that direction without actually going to that extreme, making, for example, foreign criminal deportation more open for discussion (this is exactly what has happened in recent months in the UK).
Similarly if you demand all billionaires to go to prison, or all politicians advocating war to go to the front lines themselves, neither will ever occur, but you very quickly hear them say 'hey hold on a minute, perhaps we can work something out'.
I think that maybe, without those outer-edge forces pushing the centre, nothing will ever get done. It's just a very dangerous game we've gotten ourselves into...
Yeah, you're essentially describing the Overton window, which I think has been dragged way more to the right in the last 6 years because of billionaires buying up traditional and social media as quickly as they can.
I don't mind the odd sway to the right or left, but it's definitely getting to a point where people might trip on the curb edge!