12-7 and 9-11

Vote Republican.net ^ | 12-3-03 | Michael P. Tremoglie

[Hill Street Blues]

12-7 and 9-11

by Michael P. Tremoglie

The 1930’s were known as the Red Decade. It was an era when American culture and political thought were becoming increasingly leftist in orientation.

In the words of Eugene Lyons in his book The Red Decade: "Never before --or since-- had all areas of American society been so deeply penetrated by a foreign nation and a foreign ideology. Never before had the country's thinking, official policies, education, art, and moral attitudes been so profoundly affected by the agents, sympathisers and unwitting puppets of a distant dictatorship."

Pearl Harbor changed that orientation.

After Pearl Harbor Americans became more patriotic, more religious, and more democratic after Pearl Harbor. The institutions of American culture were changed. Media, art, music all became more appreciative of American democracy and less appreciative of foreign “utopias.”

For the next two decades, American culture promoted the ideas of democracy, religion, equality, capitalism, and patriotism. The uniformed services were regarded with esteem. Capitalism was enjoyed and revered. The only bastions of leftist culture were in the very influential (albeit small) fields of art, literature, entertainment, journalism, government, and academia. However, unlike the 30’s, leftist philosophy was not the preeminent belief among Americans even though it may have been among some elites.

All that changed in the jungles of Southeast Asia.

Leftist/socialist/communist thought became the major philosophy, the zeitgeist as it were. It was represented sympathetically in movies, theater, television, art, books, and most importantly academia. These institutions promoted ideas that were antithetical to the American ethos. Uniform services were reviled. Capitalism was disdained.

The average American reverted to being skeptical about the American ideal and public opinion was receptive to the communist propaganda. After all, many soldiers in Viet Nam believed it was an “economic war.” Many citizens believed that it was only the “poor and the minorities who were being sent to Viet Nam” - a myth that to this day is being recited by such influential journalists as Chris Mathews and historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin.

We were told that Ho Chi Minh modeled his declaration from the Declaration of Independence. Americans serving in Viet Nam were given the analogy by the media of comparing Viet Nam to our own Revolutionary War. They were made to feel that we were the British and they the redcoats. The Communists were like the American colonists - patriots who only wanted freedom.

These anti-American feelings precipitated a purge of the government institutions like defense and intelligence in the post-Viet Nam era. Public opinion, disillusioned by Viet Nam and Watergate, and fueled by a liberal media, was ripe to begin dismantling intelligence because of the “revelations” of Cointelpro. These revelations of FBI spying on “civil rights” groups and leaders; clergy; and charitable organizations were portrayed by the media as fascism.

9-11 changed all that.

Since then, we have noticed a reverence for the uniform services. A reverence that has not existed since WWII. This reverence has been shared by and, in some instances implemented by, the artistic and literary community. American capitalism and military have a new appreciation as imperfect as they are.

Those in the media or on campus may question whether the flag should be displayed. However, this question would never have been considered before. They would have considered displaying a flag jingoistic.

It is only among some academicians, some government officials and the mainstream media that the anti-American status quo is retained. It is only among them that this transmogrification from loathing of American culture to an appreciation of what America provides them has not occurred.

Yet, this is a positive thing. It is positive because the public needs to know about: professors who proclaim that any group that can destroy the Pentagon is admirable; professors who proclaim that it is America who is responsible for the Taliban; CEO’s of media corporations who proclaim that they cannot issue a condemnation of terrorism because of their objectivity; government officials who prohibit patriotic displays; librarians who unctuously reprimand an employee for furnishing the FBI information about terrorists.

As long as the average American is aware of such anti-American fanaticism these people will be discredited. Ordinary America will now know these liberal elites are not altruists. They do not believe in democracy. They are demagogues. They are totalitarians. They are aristocrats.

The liberals are becoming increasingly marginalized as more is known about them. As ordinary Americans are learning about who is operating their cultural institutions and as they learn that they have not been told the truth, those institutions will change. As more and more Americans learn that educators do not want the pledge of allegiance recited because it somehow might make some students uncomfortable, Americans might ask themselves - is the prohibition of prayer in school really a constitutional issue or an attempt to bowdlerize religion from the culture? Are the proclamations by civil libertarians opposing military tribunals really a civil liberties issue or just fanaticism?

As more Americans hear and read mainstream media journalists describe as jingoistic Lee Greenwood singing “ I’m proud to be an American, God Bless the USA,” those journalists will be recognized as the as the sanctimonious, supercilious twits they are.

December 7th ended the Red Decade. September 11th will change American culture as well.

[Calpernia]

The unfinished project: http://www.nsa.gov/docs/venona/

[gcruse]

(Innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does.)

"The Jews of the Warsaw ghetto staged a revolt before they could be put on the trains."

Tsk tsk.  Wonder what they were guilty of.

[Calpernia]

I think you took my tag out of context

[JohnGalt]

FDR gave Stalin half of Europe thanks to Communists working by his side, and you call it a "minor concern?"

LOL

Suggesting a lack of knowledge of history after this laughable ideological screed that attempted to call nationalism, rightwing, and anti-patriotism, leftwing, is rather weak. I suggest the approach of historical reasoning.

I am one to believe that FDR government the country more as a fascist than a Red, but the two are essentially the same.

We still live under the same socialist/Red/fascist institutions directed from the DC tax regime since the 1930s only now, so called conservative Republicans defend them. That is a wholesale sell out to the left that progressively gets worse every year.

Most of the Communists in the FDR and Truman Administrations escaped detection and a few Hollywood screen writers had to write under pseudo names-- wow, what a punishment. Yes, the Rosenbergs got the death penalty but that was a minor catch in a sea of Red traitors. FDR, rather than a villain to history, has been declared not only a hero but the neoconservatives are trying to make him a conservative hero as well.

Interesting points about Communist thought, though wrong conclusion. It was the importation of ex-Communists Irving Kristol and James Burnham into Rightwing circles that represent as much as anything the conservative movement in this country.

The only tolerable debate allowed now ranges between two brands of Marxists, neocons on the right, and advanced victimologist on the left. He is attempting to call the complete loss of the Right a victory by changing the definition of what it means to be on the Right-- and sadly, he used Progessive/liberal logic to do so thus making it an ironic article at that.

[gcruse]

Uhm, I quoted the entire tag. What context is there beyond that?

[Semper]

Meanwhile, gays can now marry, and doctors will have to kill the baby while still in the uterus rather than in the birth canal-- and conservatives call it a victory.

Which is worse, gays and women allowed a choice or the fiscal collapse which the U.S. is rushing towards (with just as much republican responsibility as democrat)?

Seems to me that the impact on us is far greater with a fiscal collapse (if you doubt a collapse, just look at the numbers - social security, medicare, national debt, economic demographics, projected entitlements, etc.).

A nation's strength (and therefore its security) is ultimately founded in its economy - with a fiscal collapse, we are in much greater peril than with social controversy and moral fluctuation.

[JohnGalt]

Good point.

A country already $22 trillion in debt, launches a debt financed war to build a welfare state in Iraq with the promise of Victory in the War on Terror, at the same moment it gives free drugs to the Greatest Looting Generation, that patriotic cabal from the 40s.

And yet the author still claims that victory for the right, is just around the corner.

Good post.

[flutters]

Great read. Thanks for the ping!

[Hill Street Blues]

Yes and if the 1930's mentality continued it would have been all of Europe and North America too.

Your extemist thinking and, as I said, your all or nothing fallacy is what discredits you. The John Birch Society is a home for people like you. However, the JBS will not be a factor in this country and neither will your dogmatism.

The author is quite correct about what he wrote. America was changed dramatically by both events and in both instances they prevented the continuation of a trend that people like you could not prevent because nobody listens to the negativity and dogma you espouse.

[LauraJean]

glad you mentioned the Warsaw ghetto. I went to school with a girl whose dad was one of the heroes of Warsaw. He managed to escaped ended up in Singapore and got married. Good man, still tough when I knew him.

[JohnGalt]

That is the part that makes no sense.

The mentality did continue and took over both the 'Left' and 'Right' in this country.

I am not a JBSer, though I wish them all the best, just an Old Right Conservative Libertarian.

If by 'dogma' you mean American conservativism, then lots of laughs, Trotsky.

Yes, I concede the Reds won the culture war, but we are still well armed.

"America was changed dramatically by both events and in both instances "

America was pushed further towards the abyss with each event, thanks to a discredited and incompetent central tax-regime, that much is true. Its only response has been "More warfare and more welfare," financed and paid for with the labor and blood of the young.

Your last line is correct, that is why we call you sheep.

[gcruse]

Yes, attributing guilt to those protesting their innocence is one of the strangest taglines I've seen on FR. I hope its owner drops it.

[Calpernia]

Applying the words of my tag to a situation it wasn't intended for = context

[gcruse]

Not being a mind reader, one is challenged to avoid situations you had not intended. Attributing guilt to protests of innocence is unsavory.

[Maelstrom]

You're a victim of public schooling.

Context concerns the placement of words or sentences as they work together.

For example:

"If I were a Liberal, I would consider all manner of socialism acceptable."

OUT OF CONTEXT: "I would consider all manner of socialism acceptable."

No such context exists for your tag-line.

Context is NOT about *intention* but only and solely about MEANING.

This bit of education is provided free of charge because you are a Freeper. Next time charges will accrue so be prepared with your PayPal account and credit card.

[Calpernia]

Experience had taught me that innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does. Innocence is a mighty shield, and the man or woman covered by it, is much more likely to answer calmly: “My life is blameless. Look into it, if you like, for you will find nothing.” That is the tone of innocence. by Whittaker Chambers

I am sorry you can't read minds nor have any insight.

[Calpernia]

I may be a victim of public school, (bows head shamefully since it was transparent), but I read books by great people (none of which were required reading in my, *coughs*, public school).

[gcruse]

“My life is blameless. Look into it, if you like, for you will find nothing.”

Yes, then blithely board the trains to Nazi relocation.  My example was
germane.  Your tagline is cynical and wrong.

[Calpernia]

Then don't read it.

[gcruse]

I hope you are wrongfully accused of something serious someday. Your reaction would be interesting to behold.