They really don't. Words have meanings and the US is not the only country in the world. Other countries still have actual conservative parties. The GOP used to be a conservative party but really should not be called conservative any more. It is a right wing populist party with a shrinking centrist wing (that still has some old school conservatives in it) and a growing right wing extremist wing (which has actual fascists in it).

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 6 points 1 year ago

It seems to be a standard at the moment. Look at the UK conservatives. Their policies and rhetoric of become increasingly fascist over the last 15 years. But boy do they blow a fuse if you point it out.

The big difference being they don't have a big dedicated voter base.
It's where does it in the US they do have one.

[–] arefx@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

Well of course I'm only speaking for the United States of America, my country, and not other countries in which I've never even been and can't speak for.

[–] PostmodernPythia@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

American English is distinct from other English, so our vocabulary has no bearing on the rest of the world, but you can also get your linguistic prescriptivism out of our dialect. Language (and the meanings of words) are co-created by speakers. Ask any reputable linguist. And in American English, for political and cultural reasons, the meanings of “conservative” and “fascist” have converged in many ways.