R: Fear the Viral Right

  Few things have shaped the political institutions of the modern world more than the internet. The

emergent access to a source of instantaneous information—and misinformation—has transformed

people’s perspectives on politics, with many becoming informational skeptics and many more

becoming ideological devotees. There is no doubt that the internet has aided, to the point of having

caused, the polarization that plagues today’s political landscape. With these new methods for

interaction comes new responsibilities for the stewardship of a healthy political environment. The

American right-wing has seamlessly integrated itself with the internet to a point where their

influence outpaces even that of the left in terms of content consumed—in a phrase, the right has

gone viral. But whether or not this newfound success should be embraced or rejected is the central

question of our debate.

  The affirmative reminds us of a number of truths about conservatism that undermine the

legitimacy of the viral right. Conservatives value a number of core tenets, including temperance,

reason, and community, and today’s popular rightwingers often forget each of these in various ways.

Few are temperate; they are often found raging culture wars in comments sections or confronting

protestors with microphones. Few are rational; they parade in a mask of factuality that covers their

deeper adherence to punditry. Few are communal; they have swapped stump speeches and campaign

rallies for podcasts and Twitter posts. In short, online conservatives are not conservatives at all: they

are insulated egotists who pretend to fight for conservative principles while developing their

followers for the sake of personal gain.

  The negative points out the benefits of having rampant conservative popularity online. Contrary to

the affirmative’s criticism, the negative does not view the viral right as unvirtuous. It would be

hyperbolic to say that everything that comes from the mouth of a pundit is mere grandstanding.

Countless numbers of people have been convinced of conservative ideas and ways of life by those

who have had the courage to speak online. We live in an era when it is perhaps more socially

unacceptable than ever to support conservatism, which makes the right’s digital stronghold all the

more impressive. There is nothing inherently anti-conservative about the internet, and the ultimate

effects of online expansion will certainly be more beneficial to the movement than detrimental.

  Has the viral right gone too far? Or would more conservatives benefit from taking a page out of

their book? And is it possible for the Internet Age to produce truly great thinkers?