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Grow up, America -- before it's too late
Townhall.com ^ | August 25, 2007 | Diana West

Posted on 08/25/2007 1:59:05 AM PDT by Kaslin

Q: What do Belgian Muslims calling for a ban on Easter eggs have to do with American parents hiring "parenting coaches" to put junior to bed? And what do imperiled Easter eggs and the advent of parent coaching have to do with U.S. foreign policy? Furthermore, what does all of this have to do with the triumphant shriek of Western womanhood on wriggling into jeans fit for a 7-year-old?

A: Plenty. In fact, I could write a book about such recent events -- only that I already have. It's called "The Death of the Grown-Up," and the phenomenon it describes -- Western society's relatively new tendency to replace maturity as the goal of human development with a state of perpetual adolescence -- makes the connections obvious. Well, obvious if you've been spent the last two, three, five, 10 years thinking through the theory.

Let's see how the theory works, starting with Easter eggs. After the city of Antwerp banned hijabs on women stationed at the front desk in a municipal building, protests ensued. A Muslim trade union representative said, in effect, well, if that's the way you want it, "we demand that no Christmas trees be set up in city buildings and no Easter eggs be given out."

Now, that's crust -- or, croissant, since we're talking Belgium. Clearly, Antwerp's Muslim population (or some sizable portion thereof) rejects the right of the native Christian culture to express itself in terms of its traditional symbols. But what does it mean if post-Christian Antwerp accedes to this Muslim "demand"? Given the precedent set in 2003 in France, where Jacques Chirac banned the hijab -- a symbol of Muslim life that upholds sharia as the law of the land (any land) -- along with all Christian, Jewish and Sikh symbols in state schools, don't bet on Antwerp drawing a religious line. And if it does trade in its holiday eggs and evergreens for a hijab ban, it will mean that another outpost of the West will have agreed to strip itself of the defining symbols of its own identity.

But how do sorry tales of European self-abnegation jibe with the absurd spectacle of American Mas and Pas paying "specialists" to get Baby to go nighty-night -- let alone the death of the grown-up?

First, let's consider the kind of coaching that affluent America thinks it requires, as recently reported by the Boston Globe.

The problem? Lily, 3, wouldn't go to bed. The solution? The parenting coach put Lily to bed. That'll be $300, please.

In different realms, on different continents, both reactions, in Antwerp and in Boston, reveal the same alarming hollowness in the people who are supposed to be in charge. They both engage in a stunted mode of behavior that is aptly described as infantile. In the case of the European metropolis, it no longer has the self-knowledge, confidence or courage to flaunt the symbols that make up its identity; in the case of these American parents, they no longer have the self-knowledge, confidence or courage -- or basic human instinct -- to trust themselves to raise their young. Any way you cut it, it's hard to label such behaviors as mature, responsible or self-assertive, and they're certainly not conducive to the propagation of the culture represented here on both a state and personal level. How did we get here? In a nutshell, a half-century or so of youth-oriented, adolescent-minded popular culture has taken its toll.

And American foreign policy? Well, I'm not talking about the War to Make the World Safe for Democracy (World War I), the War to End Fascism (World War II) or even the Cold War, which ultimately brought down the Evil Empire, at least temporarily. It pains me greatly to say it, but the war to Buy Time For Iraqis to Reconcile (Iraq) -- not at all the same thing as the War to Smash Islamic Jihad, which we are regrettably not fighting -- is based on the childish, Flower-Powery premise, born of sophomoric, multiculti myths, that no real differences separate cultures, religions and peoples. And besides, the theory goes, if such differences do exist, it is "mean-spirited" or "intolerant" or "racist" to point them out.

Once upon a time, such adolescent naivete would have driven the grown-ups crazy -- or maybe I'm just nuts. How about if we call off the struggle to squeeze into play clothes and try to find out?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: growupalready; immigration
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1 posted on 08/25/2007 1:59:07 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
"...the war to Buy Time For Iraqis to Reconcile (Iraq)"

Ouch! That is gonna leave a mark.

Pay no attention to this my FRiends and get back on your knees and build more "foot basins"

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

2 posted on 08/25/2007 2:07:18 AM PDT by expatguy (New and Improved ! - Support "An American Expat in Southeast Asia")
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To: Kaslin

bttt


3 posted on 08/25/2007 2:07:35 AM PDT by malia (Rush * * Beck * * Free Republic * * and posts & links by SandRat * *)
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To: expatguy
To be fair, the theory was that if an alternative to the standard Arab dictator was made available to the people they would embrace it and it would alter the course of the culture of death. That theory has yet to be proven either way but it doesn’t look good.

It is a bit like the Russians. The Russian majority appears to want a strong man running the place, not to rule themselves. It is a cultural problem that is clearly deeply rooted. They appear incapable of governing themselves.

4 posted on 08/25/2007 2:36:18 AM PDT by DB
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To: Kaslin

This lady is on to something, very good article. They will use our freedom and tolerance to destroy us within. We don’t have to lose a war to them because it’s as if we already did.

A nod and a thank you to you, Kaslin, for making the good posts for us early-risers.


5 posted on 08/25/2007 2:45:12 AM PDT by WildcatClan (If you're like me, and I know I am, you're voting for Hunter!)
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To: WildcatClan
She is indeed.

I normally don't get up before 5:30 or 6 CST, but I couldn't sleep anymore

6 posted on 08/25/2007 2:51:05 AM PDT by Kaslin (The Surge is working and the li(e)berals know it)
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To: Kaslin

diana is onto something here. if there isn’t a groundswell to start a fund to pay for nation-wide foot wash basins for all moosies using public crappers in the usa soon, well then im afraid fed. funding is in order.....

after all, we cant let them accomodatin’ captulatin’ europeans get ahead of us, now can we? i think not, diversiy itself is at stake...let the demandin’ begin.

thank you for your time.


7 posted on 08/25/2007 3:50:00 AM PDT by flat
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To: Kaslin

She is indeed onto something, but it is the same thing we’ve been talking about for years already!

The very values that the philosophy was meant to instill, failed. We are now seeing a parental generation unable to cope, teach, or instill self-discipline in their own children. It is the result of the ‘nanny state.’

Sports where there are no losers, spanking is child abuse, sending the child to a corner in front of classmates is considered horrific. All of these things were touted in front of several generations as poor parenting and damaging to the self-esteem, we are now only beginning to see the fruits of that effort.


8 posted on 08/25/2007 4:14:54 AM PDT by EBH
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To: Kaslin

Excellent article...description of European self-abnegation, refusal to defend its history, religion, and identity — the dictatorship of moral equivalence. PC nonsense and worse. If you caught even two minutes of that CNN monstrosity this week...C. Amenpour’s hatchet job of Judaism and Christianity, and her extolling of the virtues of poor Muslim victims — if she isn’t the Tokyo Rose of our time, I don’t know who is.


9 posted on 08/25/2007 4:22:54 AM PDT by hershey
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To: Kaslin
The ultimate benefit of affluence: staying adolescent forever. Be in charge is to come face-to-face with limits and burdens imposed by the reality. You want to shirk it and live in your dreams as long as possible. That is adolescence.
10 posted on 08/25/2007 4:24:28 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, chia head, ppogri, In Grim Reaper we trust)
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To: WildcatClan

Study WWII and the Internment Camps. We will see them again... and YES, America will win because when we are awakened (I am talking about the linguini spined liberals and independents here... the right has been wide-awake) we do WHAT IS NECCESSARY to win... and we will once again... and would have already done it by now... if not for the modern left in America. Many more Americans will perish before the left’s veil of hate is removed from their eyes.

LLS


11 posted on 08/25/2007 4:42:27 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (Support America, Kill terrorists, Destroy dims!)
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To: expatguy
"besides, the theory goes, if such differences do exist, it is "mean-spirited" or "intolerant" or "racist" to point them out."

This same quote goes for Bush's true believers and their blindness to a poorly run war.

A democratic Iraq is noble and would be wonderful but ultimately I don't care. I want islamofascism crushed in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afganistan, and anywhere else is raises it's venomous head.

This is not a job for a soft hearted leader. It must be brutal to succeed.

12 posted on 08/25/2007 5:09:13 AM PDT by live+let_live
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To: Kaslin
which ultimately brought down the Evil Empire, at least temporarily.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Marxism is alive and well in Western Civilization, and it is STILL the most serious threat that our nation faces. There are Marxists (and their useful idiots) in every level of government and they have thoroughly overwhelmed our K-12 schools and colleges and universities.

We can survive a nuclear suit case bomb, oil embargo, another World War, or Great Depression.....BUT,,,,we can NOT survive if the Marxists succeed in overwhelming the vote booth.

At this moment, the most important weapons that the Marxists and their useful idiots have are our socialist government K-12 schools, and our colleges and universities. They are working tirelessly to indoctrinate our nation´s children and youth. If they succeed, our nation´s experiment in self government is DOOMED. The next generation of Marxist indoctrinated citizens will overwhelm the voting booths.

It really is that serious, yet those with the power to broadcast the danger are silent. Where are Rush and Sean? They rarely even use the word that fits¨: MARXISM!

Where are our talk show host demanding that government K-12 schools be SHUT DOWN? Why aren´t they calling for the shutting down, complete reform, or the creation of new universities and colleges?

Marxism will succeed in its goal to destroy freedom, unless we do the following:

1) STOP using the words liberal, leftist,progressive, or socialist. Use the words that fit: COMMUNIST, MARXIST.

2) We must SHUT DOWN the Marxist´s most powerful weapon: The government schools and Marxist infected colleges and universities.

3) Remove your own children from government schools immediately.

4) Organize with neighbors and friends to elect representatives that will permanently shut these government school indoctrination camps.

5) Shut down or completely reform our colleges and universities.

13 posted on 08/25/2007 5:19:46 AM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
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To: wintertime
I just stumbled across this the other day... Political Correctness, the revenge of Marxism
14 posted on 08/25/2007 5:41:52 AM PDT by CatQuilt (aquietcatholic.blogspot.com)
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To: wintertime

Hey, I went to public school and I went to a state University, and I sure as hell am no Marxist!


15 posted on 08/25/2007 6:04:20 AM PDT by jack_napier
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To: wintertime

“4) Organize with neighbors and friends to elect representatives that will permanently shut these government school indoctrination camps.

5) Shut down or completely reform our colleges and universities.”

You probably just better aim for reform of schools at all levels. I doubt there’s any way to shut them down and that’s probably not desirable. But reform of the curriculums at all levels is definitely needed, a very long, drawn out process.


16 posted on 08/25/2007 6:17:00 AM PDT by Will88
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To: Kaslin

“How about if we call off the struggle to squeeze into play clothes and try to find out?”

And by the age of 21, please.


17 posted on 08/25/2007 6:46:32 AM PDT by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
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To: DB
That theory has yet to be proven either way but it doesn’t look good.

Utterly incorrect. Instead of trotting out their Dinocon "Realists" dogmas as regugitated at them by never been anything Talk Radio Hosts, how about the Neo Isolationists finally actually learn some basic things about Iraq? Start here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Security_Forces http://icasualties.org/oif/

18 posted on 08/25/2007 9:14:16 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Donate to Vets For Freedom! http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/)
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To: live+let_live
This same quote goes for Bush's true believers and their blindness to a poorly run war

Napoleon in Spain, the Nazis in Eastern Europe and the Russians in Afghanistan wage a Counter Insurgency your way.

They all lost badly.

You are a completely ignorant fool with utterly NO grasp that Counter Insurgency is not Total War or that your "Strategy from watching War movies" is idiotic drivel. You are a completely ignorant political fringer without the slightest clue about Iraq or the war.

I suggest you tend to your mindless Bush hate and utter ignorance on this topic before you start slinging any stones at anyone about "blindness". Instead of clinging mindlessly to your dogma because you have a highly irrational emotive hate for the President, try actually learning some things about Iraq

19 posted on 08/25/2007 9:23:18 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Donate to Vets For Freedom! http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/)
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To: MNJohnnie
Instead of demeaning labels ("utterly incorrect", ... "learn some basic things") and inactive links (lacking the html code that lets you click on them), one might get further by actually stating ones position or describing what position you are disagreeing with and explaining what is wrong with it ... using real html links

I can't do the former for you (I really don't know what your position is, or what you were disagreeing with, or why); but here's a couple of real html links for you:


20 posted on 08/25/2007 10:34:45 AM PDT by ThePythonicCow (The Greens steal in fear of pollution, The Reds in fear of greed; Fear arising from a lack of Faith.)
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