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
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**"How did this legendarily generous and open nation become fearful, distrustful, anxious and worried about our families, our country, our future?"**
seriously brought a tear to my eye. what has happened to us, indeed.
nicely expressed outrage. (always enjoyed your stern appearances, belz, back in the day...)
God I hope you are right. Otherwise this country is done.
At least he's proven that Lee Oswald's innocent.
Want to comment of Chappaquiddick too, Dinna Ken. Maybe we won't notice Bush's screw up then.
Very insightful piece, Richard. You may be correct that conservatism as a ruling majority is in its last throes. I hope so. However, there will always be a segment of any population that is supportive of the conservative hogwash. It doesn't matter to them that historically it is a dead end.
Until the "reptilian" portion of the brain can be evolved away, we'll always have numerous conservatives and their selfish bile.
CONSERVATI
Disparities withn all of us are, if not irreparably innate, close enuf to it to be near impossible to change stripes mid stream. Or something. Personal traits, certainly physical, are pretty much forced on us and we slap all kinds of working philosphy around them, and or our 'looks' yes, to give ourself and our nature, authority to live a way of life accordingly, a reason for a voting stance. Our makeup must be tended to, meshed up with this or that idea generating us to make a move. We respond to the face in the mirror, the 'callings' within us, enhanced by environment/cuture implications eh. Others respond to us consequent our take on things, our looks and actions. What a predicament far as everybody just getting along the same.
My view is most CONSERVATIVES like LIBERALS are born with their politic stripes emerging already. Inclinations attract them to a political philosophy they can wrap their natural inclinations around. We are this way; we are that way. What are you going to do but go to the PARTY you be most comfortable partying in. Accordingly. We is or we ain't eh.
"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."
Brilliant!!!! Thank you!
Conservativism will be dead if we Democrats stand united, win more seats in the House and Senate AND get back the White House ... we infight like the latest on MoveOn trying to "teach some Democrats a lesson", the Repugnants will be back in power. It will be beyond shameful if we do not take all when the right wing is at its weakest!
Also, a bunch of non-voters, who are primarily liberal, SHOULD vote in '08! We CANNOT afford to give the right wing a new lease of life in 2008!
Leaving aside the arrogance of your screen name, which implies that anyone that dares disagree with you has no sense, your argument is absurd and at variance with the facts. Without the enablement of the Democrats none of Bush's agenda, incluidng the tax cuts, the Iraq War and the Patriot Act would have been enacted. Since regaining a majority in the Senate and the House they've done nothing but act like a bunch of cowardly, spineless political hacks who are afraid of their own shadow and interested only in their own political survival.
They've allowed a sociopathic, criminal administration whose approval ratings are lower than those for cockroach piss to control and define the political discourse while whining about how they don't have the votes to stop the war or illegal domestic wiretapping, which is a completely disingenuous argument.
It's obvious that the Democrats strategy is to run out the clock on Bush and Cheney based on the assumption that they will win the Presidency and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate in 2008. So what if Bush starts a war with Iran, a major economic catastrophe strikes or we have another Katrina in the interim? And what are they really offering us if they do win - the "competent Bush" agenda of HRC or the vapid, overcautious "politics of hope" of Obama? After more than a decade of the betrayal of the progressive agenda by the Democrats they seem to offer little, in my opinion, than a lesser evil compared to the delusional, batshit policies that would occur in a Guiliani or Romney administration. That's not a very high bar to clear but the Dems seem to want to do little more than scrape over it.
So bring on the primary challenges - this is a good thing that will strengthen the party and improve the prospects for a real victory in 2008 - that is, one that will lead to real reform, not just holding off a worse alternative.
When Clinton won in 1992 and the Democrats had control of Congress the media was screaming about the death of conservatism. The Republicans took over Congress shortly after that and proved the fallacy of that prediction. As much as I would like to see the end of conservatism the fact is it will always be with us like a bad case of herpes. The natural ebb and flow of American politics proves one thing, Americans are never satisfied for long with whoever is in power. We are fickle and truly believe that the crooks that fleeced us the last time around will treat us better if given another chance. The Democrats have shown since taking over Congress there is not much difference between the two except the rhetoric. We will take power and hold it for a decade or two and we will fall by the same corruption and greed that is bringing down this pathetic group of current criminals. Power corrupts absolutely. No truer words have ever been spoken.
I long for the day when some group can see beyond the political machinations and calculated responses to hold power and take a stand of courage and risk to do the right thing and not the move that is most politically expedient. This current group is not the answer and I fear no group will be the answer until they genuinely fear the wrath of the people. If we vote for someone because they are the lesser of two evils we will be getting just what we deserve, a lesser evil, but an evil none the less.
History has shown that as one group fails from a corruption of power the previous corrupt group will be given a shot and fail because of its avarice and greed. Only the people can end this cycle. The only question is will that ever happen?
--we infight like the latest on MoveOn trying to "teach some Democrats a lesson", the Repugnants will be back in power.--
so we should vote BACK into office democrats who have done nothing for the party just because they are democrats?? i believe moveon was targeting the dems that aren't really dems, but republicans in disguise. they vote the same way as the repubs do, that isn't what we elected...
honestly i dunno if i trust dems at all... they all seem to be basically the same thing: rich people who tell whoever they are speaking to whatever those people need to hear to choose the side of the speaker.
we could combat the voting issues if we had an education system that actually worked well, because then student could learn why their voices matter. but by undercutting education at every turn the repubs are creating a vicious cycle because people who don't know any better will keep doing what they've always done. not voting.
There has only been one instance in US history where a major political party literally devoured itself and ceased to exist. The election of 1856 was the last for the American Whig party. It was immediately replaced by the modern GOP (Lincoln was an ardent Whig and joined the new party). The Whig party was ultimately destroyed by the question of whether to allow the expansion of slavery to the territories.
If the 2008 election turns into a GOP debacle, meaning they lose both houses of Congress by wide margins, the presidency, and the majority of governorships, we very well could see traditional conservatives, many who hatewhat has become ofthe GOP, force the radicals from the party and regain control from fundamentalist Christians. This would compel radicals to form a third party or crawl back beneath the rock from which they came and hopefully take the fundamentalists with them. But the GOP defeat in 2008 would have to be horrendous.
If we maintain anything close to the status quo, I doubt anything will change within the GOP. As for those businesses who bought the Republican Party, I'm sure they'll work over time to "win" over Democrats to their glorious free market ideology.
"... we Democrats ..."?
Please speak for your own self.
I'm egalitarian, iconoclast, irreligious -- agnostic, secular -- and virulently anti-conservative anti-Republican. But I ain't no "party" man! Sure; I've voted many times for many Dems. I like to dream. I want a community and a society. Jeffersonian, New Deal, Great Society; sounds good to me. How about a Fair Deal? Trouble is, society doesn't want me, and I'm White! I can't even imagine what it's like to be brown, or black, or female, or Hindu, or young, or alone and pregnant, or gay, or poor. Hell, I'm just low rent!
No; Dems have to earn my vote, and count it. I don't have another fifty years to see how they're 'gonna fix things. If they act to rein in defense spending, de-fund campaigns, de-criminalize the over criminalized, make capitalism work for working people, feed, house, cloth and educate the poor, I'll vote for 'em.
What do you think the chances are that'll happen? I'm thinkin' zip.
On Real Time, tonights' panel consisted of Prof. Cornell West and Mos Def (I loved 'em), with Nader on satellite. Rahm Emmanuel was a no-show. Said he had to vote. On that panel Emmanuel would be the "conservat
From the Supreme Court to Ted Nugent to Rahm Emmanuel, conservatism, like smog, ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon. Democrats will throw a few measly bones, but there won't be much Jeffersonian meat on 'em. Ultimately, all the good faith and good will and passion of good folks here isn't worth a bucket of warm spit. Sorry, but that's the deal. The Dems bought into the winners' one party system. Debs is gone and he ain't comin' back. It's Dobbs from here on out.
My governor, Rick Perry, chaired Al Gore's campaign in Texas in 1988. The former Lt. Governor, Democrat Bob Bullock, endorsed George W. Bush. His widow appeared (spoke?) at the Republican convention.
No; nosirreebob, I ain't no Democrat.
Let me restate your point more directly. Jefferson and the other Founders spoke of a "well informed citizen" who would be involved. Sadly it is not just Democrats but Republicans who must rise to this level Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and the rest don't inform, they confuse and anger, hence votes are cast as Al Gore put it in his book "The Assault on Reason" we cast emotional fear based votes without logic or forethought.
Jefferson and the Founders saw "holding office" not as a career, but more of a civic duty one performs towards the end of their years, and for a short time. Today we have family dynasties holding office, much the way monarchies held power in Europe at the time of this nation's birth.
Only when the lobbyists are chased from our society, elections are publicly funded, and term limits are imposed on both houses of Congress will the Representative Democracy that the Founders intended be realized.
Until then, we will remain the United Corporations of America.
PA Firefighter
"Cogito, ergo Liberal!"
Or, in a tribute to Mr. Belzer:
"Je pense, donc je suis Liberal!"
The Founders prevent us from meeting their own requirements.
They ass-ssumed that markets freed of government and church imposition would spontaneously offer the people a skeptical, informative press.
So they protected that industry with two 1st Amendment rights.
They were wrong.
I have not yet read "The Assault on Reason" but I would like to toss in another "assault on reason" and it is aimed at most of the foolish people who vote because (how many times have you heard Chris Mathews say "he LOOKS presidential") of how someone looks. If that isn't the dumbest reason to vote for someone, I don't what is other than because someone told you to vote for a particular person. Looks? Other than his resembling a chimp, gwb COULD be thought of as nice looking. I never cared for the stupid look myself, and once he opened his mouth, it was the death knell for him as far as I was concerned. To get back to the topic, I keep hearing about how Fred Thompson "looks presidential", and I'll toss this back to Richard Belzer, who wrote the original blog. Richard, you work with this character, you know he has spouted off about the Ronald Reagan republicanism, know the fools who want a permanent republican majority are sniffing around him like hounds after a bitch in heat and trying to wave the Reagan flag over him. What is your take on him? Would we not just get more of the same stupidity as we are getting from the current corrupt repub. administration? As for the rest of you out there, Thompson is 6'4" as opposed to Richard Belzer's 5'8", which of the two do you think would make the better president? I'll go with brains over looks any day.
That sounds just like a CONTRACT ON AMERICANS too me!
I was discussing communism with a Hungarian refugee, my pal Pete Rojak years ago. I was just a kid. It was 1967.
And I said sagely, as only a 21 year old can, "I guess some people think that others were put on earth to work for them. That is an idea that we stamped out in the USA after the Civil War."
My Hungarian friend Pete said, "I think it needs a lot more stomping!"
Pete was right, it needs more stomping now.
WHATEVER7,
65 words in one sentence. Sounds like you've been reading William F. Buckley or Richard Belzer.(Hi
The mark of good writing is to be understood, not to be as convoluted as possible.
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