I concede that you've got a point that austerity isn't an all or nothing proposition. But your examples are laughable. No country that has implemented "austerity measures" has ever interpreted that as "ending corporate subsidies", or "taxing the wealthy", or in any way fucking with the wealthy or military's purse. It just doesn't happen. I agree, that would be an amazing thing. But it just doesn't exist in human history. What ends up happening instead is that they cut the educational budget. Or they cut social programs, like housing subsidies or food subsidies. Because governments aren't run by the lowest common denominator, who actually benefits from those programs. They're run by the wealthy. So no government is going to fuck over its supporters by cutting their benefits.

I have yet to see a modern conservative position that is more backed by real world evidence than whatever more progressive position it opposes.

Climate change? Denying overwhelming scientific consensus. Gun control? "It doesn't work", even though it works in every other western country. Healthcare? "But the death panels will decide if you get to live", they don't exist, and are used as pretense to ignore all those people who die because they can't afford treatment. Car infrastructure? It's literally better for drivers if more people are using transit or cycling. Student loans? I don't even know what the argument is here except "I had to pay them so everyone else should too". The money certainly isn't going towards the teachers.

Some of these are US specific, but the sentiment is the same everywhere. The list goes on and on. If someone refuses to listen to any reason or evidence and instead bases their worldview on only their own, limited lived experience, why shouldn't they be characterized as a moron? And if they understand that their view isn't based in reality and they hold it anyways, why not call that actively malicious?

The issue is the party overwealming supports these ideas, we are not debating what color school busses should be or how we should ensure we have clean water into the future, we are instead debating should X group be allowed to live. An option that involves taking rights from others based on misinformation isn't an opinion.

due to the polarization brought about by social media echo chambers.

Due to the actions of recent right wing political parties whe gaining any power.

That's a bit like saying

"How dare you call us all arsehole. Because we keep voting for arseholes to lead our parties. "

Unless you and others are prepared to form a right wing that opposes these ideas. Then that is the reputation the right deserves.

The conservatives you're describing are becoming more uncommon by the day. So much of conservative politics now is driven by misinformation and fear, I legitimately can't remember the last time I had a constructive conversation with a conservative. They live in a different world, which makes constructive discussion almost impossible.

I would agree with you, but at least in the US majority of conservatives fully embraced those moronic ideas.

The people that call themselves conservatives no longer are conservatives, their only goal is how to hurt "liberals".

At this point true conservatives that still care about the country started voting for democrats or not vote at all, but they are now labeled as RINOS.

I know it is a loaded term, and many will quickly dismiss it, (but it is correct given the definition), but the party was taken over by fascists and real conservatives aren't doing anything to take their party back.

You are essentially using a “no true Scotsman” defense here, which is wild given the public stances of America’s Conservative Party, the GOP.

You act like they are talking about outliers but the whole GOP is in lockstep with those awful stances and decisions. You say we need better conservative content? I say you need better conservative leadership because the majority of conservatives follow what they are fed of fox, oann, and whatever other sources of disinfo

Come back to us when the official party line isn’t supporting the big lie, or attacking climate change or attacking science and vaccines and masking, or that trans people shouldn’t exist, or that students should not be given the forgiveness that those with money get (PPP vs student loan forgiveness), or that Russia and Putin are not our allies nor role models, I could go on and on and on.

You want a better conservative image? You need better conservatives first. Talk about putting the cart before the horse

You say what we mention is mischaracterizations made by the left. Please, point out which are untrue

Yes, this is true, many conservative people are smart - they worked out that in order to get money and power they can exploit conservative talking points easily because they don't have to be truthful, thoughtful, or in any way care about other people

I think we need to have better conservative content.

Haven't seen a lot of examples of that for many decades.

True. Many of them are just plain evil. But I would argue that the vast majority are some combination of evil and stupid.