Posted on 04/02/2006 6:47:06 AM PDT by kellynla
In his 1995 book "The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy," the late Christopher Lasch argued that America's political and cultural elites had opened up a gap between themselves and ordinary Americans. "Many of them have ceased to think of themselves as Americans in any important sense, implicated in America's destiny for better or worse," he wrote. They are increasingly detached from their fellow citizens and drawn to an international culture, Lasch said, or what we would today call a transnational culture.
Consider the current immigration debate in this light. In the transnational view, patriotism, assimilation and cultural cohesion are obsolete concerns. Borders and the nation-state are on the way out. Transnational flows of populations are inevitable. Workers will move in response to markets, not old-fashioned national policies on immigration. Norms set by internationalists will gradually replace national laws and standards. The world is becoming a single place. Trying to impede this unifying process is folly.
The term "transnationals" specifically refers to those working in and around international organizations and multinational corporations. More broadly, it indicates a cosmopolitan elite with a declining allegiance to the place where they live and work, and a feeling that nationalism and patriotism are part of the past.
To some extent, their worldview cuts across Democratic-Republican and liberal-conservative lines, and reinforces the other concerns that prevent immigration control: the desire for cheap labor and Hispanic votes. Old-line one-worlders and enthusiastic supporters of the United Nations hear the siren call. So do many academics, judges and journalists who attend international conferences and tend to adopt a common consciousness and world outlook.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
I have.
My argument is that there is no such thing as "its ideas". The CFR is not a policy making organization. It doesn't have ideas. It has members. Members with an incredibly wide divergence of opinion on almost every issue regarding foreign affairs. That this concept can be so impossible for so many to understand is a clear indication that most folks take their information from whackjob conspiracy sites and just assume it is true. Then, when presented with very clear and irrefutable facts to the contrary, they claim there is some sort of secret cover up of the truth. There is nothing secret about the CFR. It doesn't create or advocate any policy. It simply provides a forum for some of the world's foremost foreign affairs experts to publish their opinions. If you want to critique the ideas of some of its members, that is wonderful. And highly encouraged. (In fact, some of the most interesting articles found in the CFR's Foreign Affairs journal are articles from members who disagree with each other.) But to pummel any of its members for articles written by other members, or to claim the CFR pushes any policy or agenda is just gross ignorance. That is the point I am making, but it is just sailing right over the heads of people more interested in posting spam and Spanish obscenities than discussing facts.
Some aspiring student could do a behavioral thesis on this thread alone. What started out as a rather innocuous subject of immigration reform devolved to an arguement about a talk show host and his involvement with CFR. It has since transmogrified into a mud slinging contest about the merits of CFR with all the associated insults and arrows.
When all is said and done, noone is listening to anyone. FReepers...ya gotta love 'em.
FYI They even write 'presidential speeches'.
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Critical Policy Choices (CPCs), formerly called Council Policy Initiatives, are undertaken when a subject of critical importance divides policy-makers, experts, and the broader public. CPCs aim to foster debate on these critical international issues by laying out arguments for each of the main policy alternatives in the form of policy memos or presidential speeches.
And giving the members an excuse to take off and have lunch with each other.
This part of the thread, about the CFR, is an indication that tinfoiler conspirazoids are alive and well on FR.
Fact?
Fact is the RINOs and Bush who will sign it if it gets thru the House are pushing to make this a predominately Mexican or Central American nation founded largely by illegals once you factor in anchor families and the floodgates this will open. Some expect over 100 million poverty refugees in here in the next generation. Right now we are estimated up to 3 million per year. In the 1960s, it was maybe 20 thousand.
They think we should absorb all the world's poor simply becasue they lack the balls to try to stop it.
Our culture as we know it will be over. Like the Visigoths or Saxons or Moors....just not many on horseback carrying sabers..lol...the tides of population will crush us.
Those are our facts. You are a fool to ignore them or this is exactly what you want.
There are some minority FReepers here who blow very loud that anyone who opposes this is a bigot but the dilution of the majority culture in America is exactly what they want. So who is the bigot then?
You Rokke are to the left on nearly every hot topic issue I see you post on here. Aren't you some former govt aparatchik yourself?
But...to be fair....unlike the other collaborators you are still here fighting for your cause....most of the others are lying low.
I think the Frist capitulation was more than they ever dreamed possible...a fantasy come true
Because ideas don't hurt America. Ignorant voters hurt America. Corrupt politicians hurt America. Lying journalists hurt America. Not enforcing existing laws hurts America. But discussing ideas hurts no one. I worry more about people who are afraid to discuss alternative viewpoints than people who do. I firmly believe that if your viewpoint stands on its own merits, it will win the day. But if you must lie or repress competing viewpoints to support it, than you have a losing position being kept alive on a phony foundation. You are essentially living a lie. I trust America and Americans. Given the facts, the people of this country make the right decision everytime. So give them the facts. All the facts. And don't silence folks who disagree. If their arguments are wrong, the facts will reveal where they are wrong. We're starting to overwhelm our lying media. Are we going to replace it with our own dishonesty?
But Evad's last comment was dead on. This thread has become nothing more than a pissing contest. And that hurts Freerepublic. So this will be my last post.
I'll bet you think chemtrails are a danger to the Republic, too.
Sometimes fears are poorly understood, but justified anyhow. Globalism could be a conspiracy, or it could be an appealing idea to certain people who stand to benefit from it; it could be both. Either way, it will and already has lead to lost American sovereignty. Fear it for whatever reason you like -- or don't. Some people think it's too late to care. If you're one of them, enjoy your globalist future.
Exactly how has that occurred?
International courts have been given additional authority over American law, international military command has been exercised over our troops, and our economy has been subjected to competition with communist and third-world countries in the name of "globalism." International firearms laws under the concealment of "small arms control" are being pushed for Americans by the United Nations, and have been for years -- all in the name of globalism. On top of all of this, the press and our legislative bodies are both crying out for additional credence to international law when it comes to America's decisions regarding the disarmament of our enemies by force. Again, all of this is in the name of globalism. But you know all this. Good night, sinkspur!
No, I don't know this. This is all paranoia, right out of The New American.
I'd ask for some links to back up your wild ranting, but they'd likely come from prisonplanet.com or rense.com.
Some would say that you are a punk-a$$ piece of garbage. I wouldn't, but some would.
I would however raise the issue of your being a cabin boy for Tony Snow, and an ardent supporter of the CFR's "Building a North American Community" agenda, with one common border around our three formerly sovereign nation.
Some would say that anyone who promotes that treasonous agenda is a stinking piece of mierde traitor to America.
You're so much fun, sinkspur! But it's late here on the east coast. Good niiiiiighhht.
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