The Death of Conservatism

The heartless, spiritually bankrupt intellectual frauds who openly court -- and are disturbingly non-judgmental of -- the most intolerant loathsome elements of the political landscape (who for some unconscionable reason have been consulted about virtually everything our government has been doing or undoing for the past six plus agonizing years) -- these are the fruits of a particular strain of conservative idealogues with a shared affinity for the Hobbesian view of humanity, which postulates that people are essentially evil and the role of the ruling class, the government, was to have a standing army and police presence and little else. Essentially that the "people" were totally on their own, frontier-style with no public services, healthcare, college grants, headstart, maintenance of roads and bridges, public defenders, job training programs, Medicare, Medicaid; you get the picture.

Also violently opposed to the Jeffersonian assertion that people were basically good and part of a government's function is to engender the conditions where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are possible through education, hard work and a sense of community, whereas conservatives have only contempt for the notion of a fair playing field.

Conservatism is in its last throes if you will, twisting in the wind, dying like communism did because neither philosophy works by definition -- they both operate from the fraudulent premise built around contempt for and control of the people.

In the coming months and years history will not absolve them. These multimillionaire radio and television personalities who stoke and taunt "Joe Sixpack" with cleverly and sometimes not-so hate speech, railing about the danger of gays taking over and turning everything and everyone gay; Hollywood liberals seem to be among the most evil people since Sodom and Gomorrah, African-Americans are attacked in veiled terms that are usually not as veiled as they think, playing on people's fear of losing their job, demonizing foreigners seemingly from everywhere, scoffing at the notion that there is no class system in this country. All the while looking down on rubes and suckers who vote against things that are in their self interest and very survival to help further a cynical, mean-spirited political movement that has become a dangerous parody of the most astoundingly inept, impotent bully wannabes who can count among them physical and intellectual cowards who knowingly and smugly perpetrate lies that have literally cost untold lives.
How did this legendarily generous and open nation become fearful, distrustful, anxious and worried about our families, our country, our future?

We must resist being manipulated into thinking that a so-called "war on terror" is "winnable"; this is as patently impossible as trying to empty a river with your hat. Terrorism is a tactic, not a country -- there always were terrorists and will always be. This is not a war that can be "won" in the conventional sense -- that is clearly an impossibility. Recent events have shown that good police work can do more than an ill-conceived war that has become a recruiting tool. The sooner it ends, the recruits diminish and the police, with the federal government's support, can do what they are trained to do.

The Department of Homeland Security was a totally unnecessary boondoggle that is redundant and sadly ludicrous because it is now known that prior to 9/11, all the information we needed to anticipate and probably prevent the attack was in existence but not shared by different agencies because of turf battles and rivalries for funding and boys with secrets out of control and not sharing because it's their secrets.

As we continue to watch conservatism devour itself we can all hope that in the end, Jefferson's dream of fair governance can be realized before it is too late.

To be continued

-- Richard Belzer

Comments

[drblack]

Anyone who thinks the Dems are ineffectual because they have a thin majority just has to look at how they caved in to the Bush neoCONS over the changes in the FISA laws.
I do hope they regain their senses when it comes up again in Jan.
Jefferson would be disgusted by the current state of America.

[Swift2]

Do you have something constructive to add, or do you just like bitching?

[PoliceState]

Richard, you're both correct and incorrect at the same time.

Conservatism is dead. It was killed by Reagan in 1981. In its wake came neoconservatism, a far more malicious and evil beast.

Now...if you think neoconservatism is dead, you'd better take a better look at the political landscape. It's alive and well.

Neoconservatism is like the killer in a bad Hollywood horror flick. No matter how many times you think you killed it, it just keeps rising to its feet, over and over again.

[bossysooz]

Great post! You always provoke days of thought.

My take is on this is that both the liberals and conservatives have betrayed us in the name of special interests and power. It's hard to tell them apart by their actions in Washington, even though their words might be crafted to suit their audiences. (In Hillary's case, you get both the liberal words and the conservative words in a matter of hours)

I think Communitarianism is the answer. We just have to get back down to the local level and give communities real power to take care of their citizens.

In the meantime, Go Obama. We need some fresh air.

[Swift2]

No ism is the answer. There are probably some good ideas you have. Share them.

"Too long have the workers of the world waited for some Moses to lead them out of bondage. He will not come, he never will come. I would not lead you out if I could; for if you could be led out, you could be led back again"
-- Eugene V. Debs

[leftLibertarian]

Dude: Start with your own. Look at the Democrats who don't have the BALLS to impeach the criminals bush and cheney.

[NoToWingNuts]

As long as Rubert Murdoch can buy up most of the media outlets, these fanatic right-wing lunatics will be around for a long time.

We must get control of the FCC again, and bring back the "Fairness Doctrine"

[WilliePilgrim]

Aren't both the Hobbesian and Jeffersonian perspectives on life equally valid..and equally invalid. People aren't either universally bad; nor are they universally good. A hobbesian perspective doesn't say "no social infrastructure", but it does imply that you'll create one of your own, if allowed to in security (hence the need for police and army, etc). And Jeffersonian ideals don't say the good will of the people should over-ride the will of the individual when the individual is taking care of himself and his lot.
It takes a bit of mental agility to see this, but the two conflicting ideas are actually the key and lock of our security. Consider that when painting with a broad brush one's opponent's viewpoints. A car drives best when it has both a gas pedal and a brake pedal and is driven by someone who knows how to apply 'em and knows where we're going.

[Richardini]

The idea that Conservatism is dead or devouring itself does not hold water. The conservatives are worse than Japanese Beetles. Spraying doesn't work on them. Their's is a mind set which can be summed up by the words don't rock the boat. They feel that we just need to get back to "basics", family values, old time religion when men were men, etc. The radical conservatives live in a never-never world and constantly strive to show themselves super patriotic, down till the last dog is hung. Yes, they are united, like a pack of wolves. Unfortunately, the Democrats have of late proven themselves to be pusillanimous to a shameful degree even to the point of giving in to the wolf pack's growling. And we always thought of the Democrats as the party with backbone. That bone at this point seems shattered and useless.

[nieuwsdoos]

"As we continue to watch conservatism devour itself we can all hope that in the end, Jefferson's dream of fair governance can be realized before it is too late."

Watching isn't enough! You have to get up, get out and voice your thoughts. With the upcomming elections you NOW have the chance to do so.
I'n from Europe and a friend of mine showed me http://www.ronpaul.eu/ which made me think. Take a close look because it is NOT an error-page. It is about the USA elections, the upcomming North-American State (Canada, USA and Mexico being 1 union) and the problems we have in Europe at this moment. People all over the world start to use their power: their voices.

[realitybase]

Ron Paul is an extreme libertarian. Say goodbye to social security, medicare and any hope of single payer healthcare. Are we a "we" society or a "me" society? (to quote M. Moore) The Founders began the Constitution with "We the People." Case closed. Conservatives are the royalists, the tories...t­hey WANT a king to crown because it's TOO HARD to think for themselves. They have the money, but WE have the population. Now we need to educate the electorate as to the true history of this country. Tune into Thom Hartmann (on Air America radio) or check out his books, "What Would Jefferson Do?," "Unequal Protection" and his latest "Screwed." These will give anyone a greater understanding of the forces we are up against and how they affect working class families across the nation. Richard, love the blog and your work. Thanks!

[Pyrum]

"Single payer healthcare" is a euphemism for "socialized medicine," and Ron Paul is correct in opposing it.

[nuQlerOstrich]

In case you haven't noticed, WE ALREADY HAVE SOCIALIZED MEDICINE.

Just go to any city hospital Emergency Room and see the indigent waiting for their free socialized health care.

Then, if you own your own home, look on your property tax statement and find the "hospital taxing authority" assessment and tell me who is paying for it. It doesn't matter if you can't afford corporate insurance for your own family, you still have to pay for their free socialized medicine, or lose your home.

[sethrp]

Belz, I really miss Hunter S. Thompson. Did you know him? You seem like kindred spirits.

[Jason357]

Actually, I think it's the two-party system that is dead. This country needs a system that isn't winner take all, but gives many political viewpoints a seat at the table of government.

[DancingPenguins]

Mr. Belzer:

You go boy!!!

Beautiful words.

[DC]

"Homeland" is a colonial and fascist expression. The first thing the government can do to restore liberty of its own citizens to to purge this obscene expression.

Then it can remove the new pornographic air memorial at the south side of D.C. as it looks like any ordinary militaristic fascist monument of countries in the former east block or South East Asia, or even the Middle East, now run by Dictators.

[zukervati]

Belzer, I can't believe what I'm reading. As if all I wanted to opine was summed up in one neat little blog - you stole my thoughts and rendered them with sheer elegance and simplicity, wow! Any schmuck who still doesn't get it should be forced to go back to grade school for remedial history lessons.
Keep up the good work. BTW, at the risk of insulting you, did you have help on the verbiage? I mean, it is worthy of submission into the annals of history. The judgement may not be swift nor for any one man to pass, but in the end it is casted en mass for eternity.
Please keep up and thank from the bottom of my heart.

[Joeseo]

How did this legendarily generous and open nation become fearful, distrustful, anxious and worried about our families, our country, our future?

And the answer is: Corporate Fascism, which we Americans were warned of by President Eisenhower. We failed to act.