Well that certainly trumps the two books I've read on reactionary politics.

Guess your one little sentence fragment is so much more powerful than decades of research (if you ignore the second half of it).

Damn. You really got me. Let's look at some definitions to see:

Here are aggregated definitions of "reactionary" from ten sources:

1. Merriam-Webster: Defines reactionary as someone or something that favors reaction, particularly extreme conservatism or rightism in politics, opposing political or social change [❞].

2. Wikipedia: A reactionary favors a return to a previous state of society, believing it possessed positive characteristics absent from contemporary society. Reactionaries oppose social transformation and are often seen as part of right-wing politics [❞].

3. Dictionary.com: Describes a reactionary as one who favors reaction, particularly extreme conservatism or opposition to political or social change [❞].

4. Vocabulary.com: Defines a reactionary as an extremely conservative person who opposes progress or liberalism, often aligning with far-right or ultraconservative views [❞].

5. The Free Dictionary: Characterizes reactionary as extremely conservative and opposed to progress or liberalism, emphasizing a strong traditionalist perspective [❞].

6. Collins English Dictionary: Describes a reactionary as someone who opposes radical political or social change, often related to ultraconservative views [❞].

7. YourDictionary: Defines reactionary as characterized by opposition to progress or liberalism, highlighting an extremely conservative stance [❞].

8. Britannica Dictionary: Defines a reactionary as a person strongly opposed to new political or social ideas, typically disapproving of progressive changes [❞].

9. Wiktionary: A reactionary is described as someone who opposes revolution and favors a return to a past state, often associated with traditionalist conservative views [❞].

10. Oxford Learner's Dictionaries: Defines a reactionary as an individual opposed to radical political or social change, often synonymous with extreme conservatism [❞].

Hmmmmmmmmm..... There's something I can't quite put my finger on...