Everything sublime is as difficult as it is rare. Baruch Spinoza
Friday, February 24, 2012
Like a Rolling Stone
Nobody says it quite like Matt Taibbi. This is probably the best analysis I have read about how we got this rabid rightwing in America. Matt is so good at putting it in simple terms. If you have a couple of minutes, read it.
While I agree with the well written article, I disagree with one point: the paranoid illness that is the Republican Party is far from imploding.
They will continue on even after losing the next round of elections simply because they're woven into the country's DNA, and have been since pilgrim times.
I agree with you to a point. There has always been an extreme fundamental madness in the US, but it has spent much of its time in the minority, raising its snarling head periodically, doing damage and then stuffed under the bed for a while. I can't speak for Matt Taibbi, but I think they have reached the tipping point and will implode, only to be put away for a period of time. To your point, they never disappear, but we have had some long periods of time where they have been leashed. In my memory, this is as bad as it has been. I was born at the tail end of McCarthy. Reagan started the ball rolling and GW gave it a giant push.
My version of mod history. Our modern political progressiveness developed when FDR was prez. But he was in battle with conservative-rightwingers during his earliest days but WW2 gave him immunity from their onslaughts. One of his political skills was reigning in western conservatives and southern Dixiecrats. Later, those guys became our current southern Republicans, responsible for so much social regressiveness.
After FDR died Truman caught the full resentment of conservatives which dominoed until Nixon. Ike almost had no choice but to accept conservative Tricky for his VP.
I wrote a deeply intellectual response & blogger chose to eat it. I can only think brilliantly once a day, so I will leave it at; the times they are a'changin'. : )
4 comments:
While I agree with the well written article, I disagree with one point: the paranoid illness that is the Republican Party is far from imploding.
They will continue on even after losing the next round of elections simply because they're woven into the country's DNA, and have been since pilgrim times.
Enlightenment remains out of reach.
I agree with you to a point. There has always been an extreme fundamental madness in the US, but it has spent much of its time in the minority, raising its snarling head periodically, doing damage and then stuffed under the bed for a while. I can't speak for Matt Taibbi, but I think they have reached the tipping point and will implode, only to be put away for a period of time. To your point, they never disappear, but we have had some long periods of time where they have been leashed. In my memory, this is as bad as it has been. I was born at the tail end of McCarthy. Reagan started the ball rolling and GW gave it a giant push.
My version of mod history. Our modern political progressiveness developed when FDR was prez. But he was in battle with conservative-rightwingers during his earliest days but WW2 gave him immunity from their onslaughts. One of his political skills was reigning in western conservatives and southern Dixiecrats. Later, those guys became our current southern Republicans, responsible for so much social regressiveness.
After FDR died Truman caught the full resentment of conservatives which dominoed until Nixon. Ike almost had no choice but to accept conservative Tricky for his VP.
I wrote a deeply intellectual response & blogger chose to eat it. I can only think brilliantly once a day, so I will leave it at; the times they are a'changin'. : )
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