Tuesday, August 26, 2014

The great hallucination

Victor Davis Hanson nails it, as usual: “Historians will look back at 2008 as a time when the country became more or less collectively unhinged.”

The question, going forward, is whether this tendency toward mass self-delusion has been reversed (or is even, any longer, reversible). Color me prayerful, but skeptical. Why skeptical? Let me count the ways:

1) The Romney boomlet. How many times do establishment presidential candidates have to lose before it becomes apparent that that’s the only thing they’re especially good at?

2) The dubious gaggle of alternative GOP contenders, many of whom began the last election cycle as putative tea party hopefuls, but eventually revealed themselves to be delicate and insubstantial soufflés, collapsing into establishment goo before the onslaught of noise from the big government/amnesty/business-as-usual wing of the Republican party.

3) Hillary Clinton’s continuing popularity. She’s not inevitable, even as her party’s nominee, let alone as the next president; however, in what mature, sober environment would someone so utterly lacking in genuine accomplishments, and so heavily freighted with the baggage of corruption and ineptitude, have any real chance at all?

4) The rapidly growing segment of the population that is not only resigned, but apparently eager, to undergo the transmogrification from a free people into a lowing herd of government-fed, domesticated ruminants.

5) The mainstream media’s permanent role as a progressive bullhorn, in which it excels as a purveyor and validator of left-wing fantasy, peddling ideological salt licks to the bovine (see #4).

So, as I say, I remain prayerful rather than hopeful.

8 comments:

rinardman said...

... however, in what mature, sober environment would someone so utterly lacking in genuine accomplishments, and so heavily freighted with the baggage of corruption and ineptitude, have any real chance at all?

The mature, sober environment of 2008?

And again in 2012?

bruce said...

Yes, a public world lacking in genuine accomplishments:

Just saw a headline 'First openly lesbian beauty queen is about to make history' - that's the world in which Clintons thrive. Got nothing against beauty queens and their charity work, do despise the drama-queens (female and male) who've taken over the world.

Robert of Ottawa said...

I feel your pain, Paco. Here, in Canada, we have the prospect of a totally competent conservative-ish government being ousted by a rich, spoilt and brainless scion of a former PM. I am talking of Justin Trudeau, a man who has never had to do a days work in his life. I do not even understand how the had the balls to produce offspring.

However, he represents the best chance of the perennially corrupt Liberal Party to get back onto the gravy train of government.

MickfromVic said...

Have you read Conservative Insurgency yet, Paco?

Well worth the $8 for the Kindle version.

ALbury Shifton said...

To hear all the shrieking about Burger King merging with Tim Horton's you'd think it was unpatriotic to want to pay less taxes if it's possible. If the US wants to see the cessation of this sort of business emigration, they can damn well lower the corporate tax rate.

rinardman said...

...you'd think it was unpatriotic to want to pay less taxes if it's possible.

Of course it is! Otherwise, how's Obo the Clown gonna be able to golf and party on Martha's Vineyard? The poor guy works so hard, reading as many as ten letters a day, to stay in contact with the little people.

JeffS said...

Robert Heinlein described a period in his "Future History" called "The Crazy Years". That's where we are at now.

Whether or not we survive The Crazy Years, as a civilization, is another matter entirely.

Bob Belvedere said...

We're doomed.