Posted on 06/23/2010 8:20:39 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In 1861 America fought a civil war over slavery, States’ rights and economic differences between North and South. The opening shots of a second civil war were fired one hundred years later.
War began on college campuses with rebellion against academic and civil authorities. Hostages were taken, buildings occupied. There were riots and bombings. Students and police were killed and wounded. Anarchists joined civil rights activists and so-called “peace” activists in violent anti-war, anti-capitalism riots. In common was the attack on society and the Constitution in favor of an ill-defined “just” society to be created. Civil society suppressed the foul-mouthed radical students, the anarchists and the leftists but did not defeat them.
Student leaders ducked out of public sight, moved into academia, the unions, environmentalism and charitable foundations for support. There they prospered and wove virulent anti-capitalist, anti-American political philosophies into the fabric of these organizations. They gave up violence in favor of foisting their theories of social and economic “justice” on our brightest students, on our teachers and on politicians. These radicals worked quietly behind the scenes to gain control of the media, Hollywood, the schools and colleges and the Democrat Party.
Today, a majority of CEOs of big corporations and Wall Street financial institutions (Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs of Apple, Bill Gates and the leadership of Goldman-Sachs for example!) support the Progressive agenda. The election of Obama brought these radicals back into power.
The battle lines of this new war for the future of America are now drawn. On the left, leaders of the Progressive movement are wealthy, highly educated, extremely intelligent and masterful in their use of language to advance their issues. They are guided by the belief that a group of selfless, brilliant leaders using reason and logic can perfect humanity, eliminate injustice and famine and save the earth from mankind. They are ruthless in their belief that desired ends justify any means of attaining them. They believe the Constitution is outdated and flawed, needing of change. They favor more government regulation, taxation and litigation to achieve their Utopian goals.
Opposing the political left are traditionalists who believe in the relevance of the Constitution, the enduring wisdom of the Founders, smaller government, individual freedoms and individual responsibilities. Fewer, by way of comparison, are wealthy and have degrees from Ivy League colleges. But many have wisdom gleaned from dealing with realities rather than social theories. They don’t believe that any group of leaders, selfless or otherwise, is capable of making decisions wiser than citizens would make for themselves.
Most of the Progressive leaders have shunned military service considering it best suited to those of lesser intellect. They oppose strong national defense in favor of diplomacy. They disdain patriotic displays as nationalistic and misguided. They count themselves equally American and citizens of the world. Many opposing progressives are veterans proud of military service. Most are flag-waving patriots, nationalists and believers in American exceptionalism. Many own guns and willingly defend their families and their Constitutional freedoms. Most don’t believe that achieving political ends can ever justify a wrong.
The outcome of this new civil war is in doubt. If the left prevails, America will become a social welfare democracy, following the pattern of failing European states. If traditionalists prevail, America may return to the constitutional principles which it made it the most prosperous and free nation in history. The current balance of power favors the progressive left. But, history and an understanding of economics favors the traditionalists. The rising Tea Party movement suggests the balance of power may be shifting.
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William Dixon is a graduate of Columbia University, New York Medical College and the USF College of Business Administration. He was an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Georgia before entering private practice. He served 11 years in the Army as a surgeon and as a Special Forces Officer, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Dr. Dixon can be reached at Wdixon16@yahoo.com.
“On the left, leaders of the Progressive movement are wealthy, highly educated, extremely intelligent...”
Are they really “extremely intelligent”? I know they think they are.
Over their dead bodies...
Like the Scarecrow, Progressives believe that intelligence is imparted by way of a diploma.
That’s exactly right. Well said.
English were all the same, over 200 years ago
I think it's because they're a bunch of lazy pussies.
What horsecrap.
They are selfish, not so damned bright, even if overeducated, and their reason and what passes for logic in their circles is deeply flawed.
Those who aren't in it to get filthy rich milking it for personal gain are the starry-eyed cannon fodder of the New Left, deluded into believing that by divesting themselves of technology they can somehow make the world a better place, apologists not for the human condition, but for being human at all, traitors to their species, taking giant rearward steps on the path of civilization to asuage a guilt for having been born, and trying their damndest to inflict that retrogression on all humanity to achieve what they think would be Utopia. Of course, that all sounds nice in theory, but those rules aren't for them, or so they think.
In the meantime, those capitalizing on the socialism of the masses seek to have the corner office in the Ivory Tower, if not the Penthouse, and would deem themselves worthy to make rules for us all.
We're going to need more lamp posts and a lot of stout rope before the dust settles.
They’re not. ‘Intellect’ can NEVER replace ‘wisdom’. NEVER.
There are irreconciliable differences between the liberal world view and the conservative world view.
Pick various issues, and you will see that if we have certain policies in place, there is no compromise possible.
Some issues are:
abortion
same sex marriage
healthcare
affirmative action
government spending/balanced budgets
the government programs which we spend the money on
education
feminism
environmentalism
energy policy
capitalism vs. socialist policies
socialist policies vs. individual freedoms
I’m sure others can express this better than I can. But just saying, that if we adopt the most liberal policies in many areas, there is no room for the conservative/traditional/capitalist approach. If we lock in socialism/collectivism, then that becomes the social, economic, and governmental structure through which all issues are viewed and decided.
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Oh, this is good stuff.
Hello, again, 2ndDivisionVet. We’re in big trouble, and this piece that you posted says it so very well. It reminds me of my favorite piece by me: http://www.dakotavoice.com/2010/03/an-open-letter-to-the-evil-tyrants-in-washington/
Pray for our Mississippi Gulf Coast. I saw a model that puts the wave, that’s currently at Cuba, at Grand Isle on Monday. But, you know how hurricane “models” are.
III
This is the way that the world will end
This is the way that the world will end,
This is the way that the world will end,
Not with a bang but a whimper.
CWII Ping.
Winning this war will require more than going to the polls. In fact that may be the least effective means of reestablishing the Constitution as the controlling force in our government.
This is not a war that can be taken lightly by sunshine patriots. We must, if we are to bring our nation back to the spirit of its founders, be willing to make the same commitment that our forefathers made. We must risk our honor, our fortune and our lives in support of winning a war that is of no less importance than the revolution that gave us our nation.
This does not mean taking to the streets with guns blazing. Though it may come to that if the forces of evil that plague us succeed in subverting the electorate, the economy, our traditional society and our republic.
We brought 2 million voices to the Capital and were ignored. We will not be ignored again.
We will bring down the Democrat party.
We will bring down the current presidency.
We must, however, if we are to succeed, establish once again a government of, for and by the people, all of the people, not just the unions, the leftists and select minorities.
We must control our government institutions, reigning them in to provide the absolute minimum of services and only those provided for under our Constitution.
We must regain control of our civil society by establishing the laws of God in our social intercourse instead of the laws of the jungle.
We must never be ashamed to be a good people guided by decency and honor. We must draw a line in the sand and demand an end to the celebration of all manner of perversion.
We must insist that we are a Godly people, respecting the right of dissent but never submitting to the rule of contempt for all we hold precious.
If we are able to do all this we will regain our sacred honor. If we cannot we will surely enter a dark age that could delineate the end of freedom.
Not the first time that Socialists and political theorists have been overawed with themselves and have underestimated their opposition.
I reckon there are a lot of other parallels as well.
"War" didn't just "begin". To be fair, you'd have to admit the "rebellion" then was in part a response to an escalation of forced conscriptions to fight an undeclared war by Democratic administrations in the 60's (following the Tongkin Gulf incident).
Not all opponents were radicals, as mainstream churches joined protests by the early 70's. Today's all-volunteer system, is an admission that the earlier draft wasn't the optimum way to staff a professional military.
Radical philosophies, are really a separate matter, as they've survived (long after those specific issue-based protests stopped).
I think the civil war will be between the private sector tax payers and the local, state and federal employees’ unions. The private sector is enduring reduced salaries, reduced hours, increased payments for health care and other benefits at the same time they are footing the bill for unreal salaries and benefits for the public sector.
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