Crack-up alert
The concept of a "conservative crack-up" holds the same article-of-faith status for many of today's liberals that the "final crisis of capitalism" held for the Marxist left of my day. Both are fast-approaching, and virtually any bump in the road is greeted not just as evidence of the crack-up/final crisis, but as its beginning. And both deemed inevitable by virtue of "internal contradictions."
We probably will see a conservative crack-up, whereas I doubt that any of us will witness a final crisis of capitalism. But I disagree with Glenn Reynolds to the extent he believes that the Terri Schiavo case is evidence of, or will help lead to, a conservative crack-up. Many conservatives will be disappointed with the Republican Congress' intervention in this matter. But few will hold a long-term grudge against their fellow Republican conservatives for being too intent on providing Terri Schiavo with additional process before she starved to death.
UPDATE: Reader Tim Barry writes to say that the one current issue that might lead to a crack-up is immigration. I agree.
