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Mark Steyn: The lunatic mainstream had better start worrying fast
The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 06/15/04 | Mark Steyn

Posted on 06/14/2004 4:06:57 PM PDT by Pokey78

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To: Pokey78
One reason why the Eutopian dream has fizzled across the Continent is because the entire political class took it for granted no right-thinking person could possibly disagree with them, so they never felt they had to bother arguing the case and, now they have to, they can't remember what the arguments were.

This line is a keeper, and it is so true of many facets of American politics as well. By the time the cure comes around, it not only doesn't solve the problem, but the problem doesn't even exist anymore.

21 posted on 06/14/2004 5:07:20 PM PDT by RobFromGa (The Four Pillars of America; Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Reagan)
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To: Pokey78

The "lunatic mainstream" paradigm is there, because they've received lunatic left concepts from their most popular choices in media for most of their lives. They expect the government to take care of everything, including the maintainance of their bizarre, anti-American and anti-Jewish perceptions of what's happening in the world. To them, Panama is administered oppressed by a government of US leaders.

For some phantastic resemblance of sanity, they are fed intermittent doses of the illusion of symbolic monarchy--empire, and believe that the US is not properly administering its empire. They are taught that President Bush is a mildly retarded country bumpkin--a puppet of conspiratorial, corporate shadow dictators in a conspiracy to oppress the perfectly justified "Palestinian" "freedom fighters."

They publicly criticize our President mildly. In smaller circles of their own, behind our backs, they bash us all mercilessly and generally. There are no truth or lies there, and only cruel denizens of the radical right hold to dictionary definitions. To them, fascism is a "state of mind," rather than a form of government where businesses may be privately owned but are contolled, along with speech, by the government.

The UK has a brainwashed populace indoctrinated by fascists/communists, indeed.


22 posted on 06/14/2004 5:18:51 PM PDT by familyop (Essayons)
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To: 45Auto

...and the Democrat Party. For a moment I thought it was a description of Kerry's campaign platform.

Brilliant article.


23 posted on 06/14/2004 5:18:59 PM PDT by BlessedByLiberty (Respectfully submitted,)
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To: Servant of the 9
This one is less catchy, but right on target for the liberal mentality:

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death my right not to have to listen to you say it.

Fortunately, if the liberals are stopping their ears, that should slow their response time.

24 posted on 06/14/2004 5:19:57 PM PDT by livius
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To: Pokey78

Heh, heh. ..."fantastic," even. ...long day.


25 posted on 06/14/2004 5:23:10 PM PDT by familyop (Essayons)
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To: 45Auto
"Chospin and Jirac ran on identical platforms, both fully committed to high taxes, high unemployment and high crime."

The quintessential definition of Socialism.

You can always opt for communism: no taxes, no unemployment, no crime (except against the State)--and no freedom. ;)

Or you can go for our original Constitutional Republic: no taxes (except excise and tarrifs), little unemployment (if you didn't work, you didn't eat), and little crime--and very great individual freedom.

26 posted on 06/14/2004 5:29:00 PM PDT by Forgiven_Sinner (The Passion of the Christ--the top non-fiction movie of all time)
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To: johnfrink
Actually, I believe that Steyn is recycling that line, as I'm positive I've heard him use it before.

In a piece right after Fortuyn's assassination. Still a good line. Even Orwell and Mark Twain sometimes recycled stuff.

27 posted on 06/14/2004 5:32:41 PM PDT by Salman
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To: Pokey78

The politicians are getting further and further away from the people. Looks like term limits are going to be the only answer. I know that here, our forefathers never envisioned professional politicians.


28 posted on 06/14/2004 5:39:00 PM PDT by McGavin999 (If Kerry can't deal with the "Republican Attack Machine" how is he going to deal with Al Qaeda)
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To: Pokey78

If England doesn't feel "at home" in the EU. Rather than be isolated on their little island, they could petition to join the US. At least they'd speak (mostly) the same language.


29 posted on 06/14/2004 5:42:00 PM PDT by narby (Bumpersticker: "Democrat = Internationalist ... Republican = American")
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To: RobFromGa
One reason why the Eutopian dream has fizzled across the Continent is because the entire political class took it for granted no right-thinking person could possibly disagree with them, so they never felt they had to bother arguing the case and, now they have to, they can't remember what the arguments were.

Right you are, a keeper it is. What happened, I think, was that a political alignment that was used to ruling came to regard rule as its birthright. It is at that point that a political coalition morphed into a would-be ruling class, one that came to assume not only the right to rule its locality, but in company with like-minded political operators, the world. Their resentment of those outside their class is not that of political rivalry, but of upstarts attempting to withdraw a rightful entitlement. This is the stuff of aristocracy. May it find its guillotine.

30 posted on 06/14/2004 5:47:05 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Pokey78
"the political culture forbids respectable politicians from raising certain issues, then the electorate will turn to unrespectable ones. "

How far away is this from happening in the United States?

31 posted on 06/14/2004 5:47:07 PM PDT by FreedomSurge
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To: Pokey78

Thanks, bump!


32 posted on 06/14/2004 5:58:04 PM PDT by Lurking in Kansas (Rest in Peace, President Reagan. **Greatest President of the 20th Century**)
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To: Pokey78
There are three basic political groups in the United States right now.

The patricians, the plebeians/productive workers and the blood suckers.

The Republicans are made up of Patricians and Plebeians; The Democrats of Patricians and Blood Suckers.

Our Patrician rulers divide their loyalties between their party and their class. This means no party fully represents my interests.

Both Kerry and Bush are Patricians.

As a mental exercise I developed the following percentages.
Bush is 30% beneficial to me 35% Harmful and 35% indifferent
Kerry is 15% beneficial to me 50% harmful and 35 % indifferent

I will obviously vote for Bush, but I will not deceive myself that the net result is beneficial to me.

33 posted on 06/14/2004 5:59:25 PM PDT by FreedomSurge
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Comment #34 Removed by Moderator

To: Pokey78

placemark


35 posted on 06/14/2004 6:30:15 PM PDT by Maigrey (He was our Governor; he was our Homeboy - Seven of Nine)
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To: Dog Gone

Funny, funny, funny. Gosh, Steyn has a way with words. Sigh.


36 posted on 06/14/2004 6:43:20 PM PDT by hershey
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To: RobFromGa

My favorite, too.


37 posted on 06/14/2004 6:44:57 PM PDT by hershey
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To: narby

"If England doesn't feel "at home" in the EU. Rather than be isolated on their little island, they could petition to join the US."

- Actually, there was a serious suggestion raised by a small group of influential businessmen and economists about 4 to 6 years ago that, rather than have England join the EU, it should join NAFTA. The suggestion was never considered by the political class in England because, as Stein states, they had already decided that the matter was already settled and not worth debating.
As an aside, I've never been sure exactly when the EU, which I'd always thought of primarily as a sensible economic union, morphed into this monstrous super state that will devour the legal, political, foreign policy and military roles of it's member states. As it now stands it looks like France and Germany have been behind this conversion as they seek to control, through internal power politics, the overall direction of the super state. Their UN challenge of the US on the Iraq issue served as a wake up call as they prematurely tipped their hand as to how they will conduct affairs on the world stage if the EU plans continue on their present course. They see the EU as a global competitor of the US, replacing the old USSR.


38 posted on 06/14/2004 7:03:56 PM PDT by finnigan2
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To: Pokey78
the respectable parties aren't honest on this subject, and so a frustrated electorate has loosed strange new forces upon the land.

Steyn isn't coming right out and saying it, but he is foreshadowing seriously dark developments, and the development of sinister forces. They live in interesting times, those Eurofolk do.

39 posted on 06/14/2004 7:31:32 PM PDT by irv
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To: yall
Bump for later ...

40 posted on 06/14/2004 7:42:35 PM PDT by MeekOneGOP (Call me the Will Rogers voter: I never met a Democrat I didn't like - to vote OUT OF POWER !)
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