Saturday, September 08, 2012
Chaos on the Mountain
"The Mountain" was the label used during the French Revolution to describe the screaming rabble of radicals in the high seats of the assembly chamber at the time. It consisted primarily of the Jacobin faction - radical leftists in the mold of what would later in history be called communists. This unruly mob would later be responsible for the infamous, "reign of terror" that engulfed a once civilized country into rigid authoritarian paranoia and paradoxically, chaos. The recent Batman movie by Christopher Nolan made a notable attempt to mimmic the archetypal nature of this time and place. When any mob of screaming leftists get together one can see the phenomena of social chaos literally crying out for authority and control.
I know it's hyperbole, but this is the introduction to my comments on the Democratic convention this week. Most who attended were probably not communists (though former "green jobs czar" Van Jones was there and he proudly proclaims his credentials as a communist).
When one accuses another of being a communist or sympathetic to the creed it's important to note or remind one that being communist is actually a bad thing. Some people often seem less confused if one notes that fascism and Nazism were/are bad things, but communism has joined the relativity-cauldron as just another "point of view." Lots of death, suffering, and crushing of freedom are not really an issue to some who have been raised in the "Democrat/media complex." If the meme is for "equality and social justice" that's all some need to know to give the left face of fascism a pass.
Some playful trouble makers from right-wing blogs went around the Democrats' convention and asked people questions about their feelings regarding government, capitalism, and profit. It was certainly no surprise to me that they all answered through the lens of a far left would-view. I remember one lady dressed up in revolutionary garb ala' Che Guevara - big surprise there.
So..."there [they] go again," replaying 1972. Making clear their dislike for religion, Israel, capitalism, and in some cases, the country itself (while paradoxically honoring their love for the authority of the state).
These were people of passionate conviction born of zero practical knowledge and an equally impractical suicidal impulse (political suicide).
They got to shake their fists...but I don't think they'll be winning any elections.
I'm not going to critique each speech made but just generally laugh and mock the concept of people seriously making speeches before audiences of millions regarding the need for the taxpayer to pay for birth control or the sky is falling fear that Romney and Ryan will usher in a new police state where women and minorities will be unable to vote. All this nonsense while, in the real world, the economy is toast and people are dropping out of the workforce like peasants dying during a "five year plan."
I was working on another essay (below) regarding just how far these folks have strayed from center. Since it fits in so well with the events of the past week in Charlotte, I'll just tack on the end here.
....'What the hell are these people thinking?
p.s. Obama and all those who sought to apologize for him just looked plain pathetic. Clint Eastwood pegged it perfectly during his skit at the Republican convention...sometimes, when someone can't do the job, you just have to "let 'em go."
In years past, America had two clearly defined politial parties. Republicans and Democrats would sway back and fourth on the political spectrum to varying degrees, often converging on a varity of issues, most notably their sense of America's exceptional place in the world as a beacon of individualism and liberty. Of course they diverged often as well, generally leaving Republicans as America's de facto conservative party, favoring a strong defense and pro-active posture on international affairs and pro free-market capitalism domestically (which often merely defaulted to a pseudo-capitalist corporatism).
The Democrats were more idealistic internationally, often trusting that if we take the first step in rolling back our posture of strength, our adversaries would follow (did I write, "idealistic?" I'm sorry, I meant, stupid). Their weaker stance on defense did not, however, stop them from taking a patriotic stand for their country and rallying its strength when confronted with forces opposed to liberty. Domestically, Democrats favored more government involvement in the economy and more centralized agencies to direct what they saw as noble social goals - they didn't deride capitalism, individual initiative, or prosperity and growth. Corporations were sometimes demonized when compared to the Democrats' pro-union bias, but wealth or business in general was not held in contempt and the country and its history was not held in contempt.
Democrats in the past really didn't speak much for or about "the middle class," they just accepted that the middle class (which used to be"the working class") was on their side to begin with ( and it often was). Their rants would often focus on "the poor" hoping to pull at the heartstrings of all classes to promote the "need to help the less fortunate." Of course now Democrats must actively state their allegiance with "the middle class" (of which many are now clerical types who live lifestyles far above what used to be called middle class). I grew up "middle class / working class." My dad worked on an automobile assembly line and we bought clothes at tacky discount places in bad neighborhoods - my own neighborhood wasn't all that great at the time.
A few decades ago Democrats and Republicans viewed each other as the loyal opposition. Name-calling was mostly a tongue in cheek affair not meant to be taken too seriously and certainly didn't interfere with an ability on both sides to eat lunch together or comment on the mundane affairs of the day that are unrelated to politics. Today's leftists clearly view everything - everything! - as being related to politics. So it is that they have tried to permeate so much of life with a political spin. In decades past, dating, marriage, religious belief, and much of art and entertainment were not seen in political terms by most people - the classic college neo-Marxist approach to things. Of course among Marxists and their associates, merely observing life as it was, was found to be a political conspiracy to "maintain the status quo," thus opening up a whole new industry in philosophy and academic sophistry.
Many can now barely recognize the transformed party that America's Democrats have become, let alone what it is they stand for. The Neocomms (the "progressive" socialist-communists) are back, and they will accept nothing short of "socialist revolution." There is barely a Republican who can make it through a nightly news report without being painted in some way as extreme, heartless, cruel, and authoritarian. In reality- the place common people inhabit - Republicans are simply conservative and continue to favour the founding traditions of our system - in short, they have changed little in what they believe or promote. yet, their image has been transformed by the intellectual class into perceived proto-fascists. Why the transformation in public image so contrary to reality? The answer lies in the changes that have occured in America's other political party. The Democrats have changed radically, at least since 1972 when the "progressive" neo-comm cast got it's foot in the door and took a moderately left of center party and transformed it over time into a truly extreme (by American standards) force for the authority of the socialist vision.
The passion and poison one regularly senses in the Democrat/progressive's rage is not because they fear losing the grip they've gained over a formally capitalist America. Their anger is born of the fact that they are so close to their objectives - "so near but yet so far." It has taken the better part of a hundred years for the progressives of old to permeate American society to the point where they can barely be turned back from their "mission." Their values dominate schools, colleges, the arts, entertainment, and no matter how much they are kept at bay, their philosophy leaks through the system like poisoned water that's the only thing around to drink.
This last week the latest version of the Democrats put a show on for all to see and they weren't the least bit embarrassed that their former position as America's center-left party had morphed into something your daddy wouldn't recognize...unless he was a history professor with expertise on the French Revolution....
