Marxism in its classic sense cannot come back. It was proven wrong. Collectivism, however, always has a future. In my view, it is at worst a necessary evil from time to time (defensive war, a social safety net against the hazards of life), and at best a vital resource for liberal democracy in crisis (see FDR and Obama). But it is much more avoidable if real conservatives do their duty all the time, and attend to corruption in capitalism diligently, regulate lightly but firmly and without favors, fight the military-industrial complex and keep the lid on domestic spending.
But in America, the Republicans haven't done this for decades. They've forgotten entirely what their reformist tradition requires of them. Now.-- Andrew Sullivan, 01/25/13
Conservatism in Mr. Sullivan's abstract, affinity purified, solvent extracted, academic sense cannot come back.
Because it never existed.
Because it never existed.
What has existed in America during all the "decades" that Mr. Sullivan has been lending it his academic, intellectual and gay-friendly credentials has been American Conservatism: a deeply authoritarian, massively well-funded movement to "conserve" the social and religious ideals of the Confederacy States of America.
Liberals have gotten this right since the beginning.
People like Mr. Sullivan have gotten this terribly, terribly wrong since the beginning.
Elsewhere, Mr. Sullivan describes the act of forgiving those who have wronged him as being integral to his Christian faith:
For Christians, forgiveness is integral to our faith - and letting go of resentment is the crucial part. For the sinner in public life in a public capacity - a history of vile slurs against minorities, physical and emotional abuse of the mother of his child, etc. - I do think some level of sincere public apology is a reasonable civic request. I asked it of George W. Bush, as a fellow Christian, with respect to torture. No apology came. I did my duty as a civic voice; as a Christian, my imperative is to forgive regardless.
Too bad he cannot find it in him to forgive his betters for being right :-)
6 comments:
The primary purpose of the GOP these days is to provide tax breaks and other financial advantages (such as not regulating pollution and other socially costly externalities) to their wealthy donor base. All the rest of their platform, all the culture wars stuff, is simply rube bait.
- Mike Lofgren
~
Lofgren's book is a great read.
There are no "moderate" Repubs. The so-called moderates have been witnesses to decades of the republican's "Bigot Outreach Program", and said little or nothing. They invited and used the TBaggers, and now they are "shocked", that these bigots are bigots!
They use it because it works. That is all.
His "betters" have been right, of course, as they essentially have lost everything.
I hate to say it, and thanks for the fine light that your blog provides daily, but they have won.
Particularly while "losing" elections.
The torture continues.
For US all.
I see the same mentality in many religious Christian gays that I do in religious Christian women. "Suffering makes me a better Christian, and therefore a better person." The problem is, this justifies those that are inflicting the suffering. Further, it justifies the inflicting of this suffering on others. If those who are of weak faith or no faith have oppression inflicted upon them in the name of Christianity, they will see the value of humility, turn from their hedonistic ways, and acquire a closer relationship with G~d.
I've met gays like this who have internalized systemic homophobia, and I've met women like this, even in my own family.
Mike.K.
I guess I just have no fucking clue how Sullivan defines the conservatism that he tries to defend, and I'm not about to spend the time to research that. Itdoes not seem like he ever quite got the southern strategy or just what that demographic consists of and who exploited it and why. What is more probable is that he understands his niche completely and just lies for a living, filling the need for the right-wing Centrist of [enter minority here] persuasion. I hope Driftglass isn't paying to access his blog.
BTW, 'Marxism' has been proven wrong in much the same way that 'Darwinism' has been proven wrong, i.e. only in the minds of those committed to misrepresenting it.
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