The trampling of the rule of law by the Obama administration, in conjunction with the nauseating adulation and shilling coming from the media and the nutroot blogs, needs to be highlighted every day by those who know how fragile a thing personal liberty can be.
Remember: the liberalism of today is not the liberalism of 50 years ago. There is much in the philosophy, temperament and tactics of modern American liberalism that is entirely consistent with the practices (and, among many of its adherents, the ideology) of those noxious regimes of the 20th century, which we foolishly thought were dead and buried. As Lionel Trilling said, we have a moral responsibility to be intelligent (or as he sometimes put it alternatively, a moral obligation to be well-informed). Freedom is not an indestructible thing that requires no maintenance, nor should the mere fact - and results - of an election inure us to the undermining of liberty and tradition that is being committed by the victors. Let us be ever-mindful of the words of James Bovard: "Voting is no substitute for the eternal vigilance that every friend of freedom must demonstrate towards government. If our freedom is to survive, Americans must become far better informed of the dangers from Washington -- regardless of who wins the Presidency."
Image gratefully swiped from Cold Fury.
Exactly so. This reminds me of something Mr. H's 97 year old great-aunt said before the election, that she would vote for Obama because she's a "old-style Democrat". Never mind the fact that the Democrats are not the "old style" Democrats she thinks she remembers. It still makes me angry to think about it, but how do you argue politics with a 97 year old lady?
ReplyDeleteI feel for you, Rebecca. Unfortunately, the same holds true for people of any age. One of my relative flat out doesn't care who is in charge, and doesn't want to look at Obama in this light.
ReplyDeleteInstead, he prefers to hate all politicians, lump them together as being the same, ignore where America is going, and focus on his own life. He's very intelligent, but won't apply it to anything that doesn't directly impact him.
It's a waste of a good mind, and of potential.
Lionel Trilling? Lionel Fucking Trilling? My God, Paco, next thing we know you'll be name-checking John Kenneth Galbraith and writing essays in The Public Interest.
ReplyDeleteHuh. I seem to have stumbled upon Dominick Dunne's web page by mistake. Can any of you fine folks direct me to Paco's site?
ReplyDeleteTrilling: "We who are liberal and progressive know that the poor are our equals in every sense except that of being equal to us." (just in passing)
ReplyDeleteCheers
Stacy: I couldn't find a Carrie Prejean quote that fit. Anyway, Trilling knew his onions, and a quote from an old-school liberal (who, incidentally, was savaged, along with his wife, by the execrable Stalinist, Lilian Hellman) sort of dovetailed with the sub-theme of what liberalism has become.
ReplyDelete.
ReplyDeleteThe Left is just keeping this 'Mustard story' alive, the Right had a chuckle and moved on. There are many much more important things to criticize this administration about. The Left doesn't want people focusing on the big stuff, because that's where it's most dangerous to them. The Truth will bring them down, God willing.
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
deify your dear leaders
they are supernatural
with magical qualities
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
don't protest tax increases
or support states' rights
YOU RIGHT-WING EXTREMIST
.
Oddly enough, Ayn Rand predicted this sort of thing as well.
ReplyDeleteI've been one of those JeffS talks about. I really can't do much to sway things at the national level...except I'm pretty sure my absentee vote was one of the last 500 or so counted in favor of George W to put him over the Electoral College line...so who knows! In general, I don't like or trust politicians, especially life-long politicians who have NEVER done anything else. But I don't believe the parties are impossible to tell apart. I believe the Republican party will GENERALLY do what is good for business because that's what grows an economy that supports all Americans. Democrats will GENERALLY (now and since my mum was little) want government that 'helps' or provides everything their constituents want or think they need, usually at the expense of business and prosperity of the individual.
ReplyDeleteI'm not well educated. I don't follow all the details about everything (especially since 2 motorcycle wrecks within 3 years, I'm lucky I can recall what I do), but I am passionate in defense of the Constitution and I know most politicians and most Americans don't really give a rip about it...and that makes me dislike them, no matter how much I might think they're fine people otherwise.