As someone who was raised as a staunch Christian conservative but is now a center-left liberal, it's been truly confounding to see conservatism lose its character. All the things that I appreciate in the conservatism of my family and upbringing, and that I still try to exemplify, have been drained from conservatism on the public stage. It's weird and sad.

I may not have been clear. I'm familiar with Pinker's work, but this bubble might be hundreds of years long. I suppose my point was more that there are no natural laws suggesting that Pinker's very nice trends are assured to continue. It's an article of faith to think that they will, and the type of thing that might tip over the apple cart would be demagogues and their followers crapping all over the rule of law because they are powerful enough to do so.