In many ways, conservatism is more liberal than liberalism.
Marxism just bypasses the whole debate — but if it has an affinity with one side or the other, it is not clear that side is liberalism.
Karl Marx stands between Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant. There is nothing wrong about bypassing the culture war.
But the culture war war does supervene on political economy, which makes picking a side necessary.
I used to think liberalism was the strategic choice. I no longer see strategic use in liberalism — which makes it effectively empty, seeing as it is already morally vacuous.
That is not to say Kant is not worth reading. He is the brightest mind of the modern world. But his successors have turned liberalism into a joke.
Classical liberalism is much better than progressive liberalism — but Burke would object to both.
So would Marx.
Edmund Wilson 