The Fall of the One-Party Empire (Liberals are Funny!)

The Nation ^ | November 22, 2005 | Jonathan Schell

[StoneWallJack]

For some time I have been suggesting here that the aim of Republican strategy has been a Republican Party that permanently runs the United States and a United States that permanently runs the world. The two aims have been driven by a common purpose: to steadily and irreversibly increase and consolidate power in GOP hands, leading in the direction of a one-party state at home and a global American empire abroad.

The most critical question has been whether American democracy, severely eroded but still breathing, would bring down the Republican machine, or whether the Republican machine--call it the budding one-party global empire--would bring down American democracy. This week, it looks as if democracy, after years of decline, has gained the upper hand...

...

As happened in the Vietnam era, the war came home. The Administration's disrespect for law led to law-breaking. Somehow, the law-enforcement system in and around the Justice Department has retained enough independence to serve as a check on abuses of executive power. Indictments have been brought, and others are likely to follow. The mechanisms whereby the foreign debacle has led to the domestic setbacks for the Administration are complex, but the broad outlines are already clear: The failed empire, in the shape of its failed war, has driven down the President's support to the point at which others, cowed until now, feel free to attack him.

The institutions of government and the economy, drawn like iron filings into the magnetic field of power, failed at first to check the Administration. But the public, represented by opinion polls, has stepped in, and the institutions are following. Not since the Soviet Union fell fourteen years ago have we witnessed a greater reversal of fortune...

[StoneWallJack]

Liberals are naturally funny!

[Mr. Rational]

The Onion has competition!

[infidel29]

...the aim of Republican strategy has been a Republican Party that permanently runs the United States and a United States that permanently runs the world.

...and the problem with this is...?

[Buck W.]

The Nation: The only magazine that can make Mother Jones appear mainstream.

[StoneWallJack]

I'm not sure that The Onion can compete with this!

[coconutt2000]

Maybe their problem is that it isn't the Democrats...????

[Nonstatist]

The most critical question has been whether American democracy, severely eroded but still breathing, would bring down the Republican machine, or whether the Republican machine--call it the budding one-party global empire--would bring down American democracy.

I disagree. I think the critical question is whether unhinged leftists rags like this can continue to wax hysterical ad infinitum, or will they eventually extinguish themselves from shear exhaustion ?

[CWOJackson]

Sounds like pat buchanan.

[StoneWallJack]

Do you think this guy really believes this stuff? Is there some liberal reading this article and going "yeah, baby!?"

[Navy Patriot]

Liberals are naturally funny!

While commiting treason, it seems. A couple of one liners here:

the public, represented by opinion polls,

As happened in the Vietnam era

cowed until now,

democracy, after years of decline,

Schell has scored some good weed.

[Eddie01]

I'm proposing a new alert for articles like this.

The "Tacoma Narrows Bridge" alert.

The left is starting to violently twist so hard the inevitable structual failure and collapse into the dustbin of history is looking more certain by the day.

And what is this "Machine" bit. He must mean "Machine" as in War of the Worlds type machine no doubt. Relentless, merciless, uncaring, freedom stripping, jedi mind tricking machine.

LOL. Man these folks have a major projection issues (or is it strategy).

[txroadkill]

Is there some liberal reading this article and going "yeah, baby!?"

Yeah, baby!

[atomicpossum]

The greatest single advantage the Republican Party has in the foreseeable future is that people like this are the competition.

[StoneWallJack]

"Tacoma Narrows Bridge" alert - I like it!!!

[Buck W.]

Considering what I read at DU, yes, lots of them.

[saleman]

These Libs are just too smart for me. I read these rants and I'll be dog if I can figure out what the heck the point is. Other than "Republicans, Bad. Liberals, Good."

How in the heck can this guy blame the Leftist leaders in South America on Conservatives? Isn't that what the Right has been fighting for decades in Latin America?

Oh, never mind. I still don't get it though. How can anyone take this crap seriously? Do you actually have to be educated to write for The Nation? Is common sense no longer a virtue? Or was it ever?

[Graybeard58]

This is what I call a "word salad".

[Just Lori]

You mean the "Galloping Gertie" alert.

[jonrick46]

A sample sentence from the article: " Still others, like journalist Robert Kaplan, were touring the empire's far-flung garrisons, lionizing the "imperial grunts" and counseling that America's civil leaders should yield to military direction."

This writer is so caught up with his association with the American Republic to the Roman Empire that he must use esoteric descriptions to prove his point. We are portrayed as utilizing "garrisons" as if we were like some imperialistic empire that occupies countries like a modern day Roman Empire. The image of one "lionizing the imperial grunts" is a scornful portrait of our men and women sacrificing themselves for the good of freedom. When one begins making comparisons with the Roman Empire one thinks of our government under the rule of the Democrats. Whenever there is corruption on the level of the Roman State, we find the Democrats in power. As far as the process of "lionizing" people for purposes of propaganda, the Hollywood cult star system is one that the Democrats play to the hilt.