Posted on 11/20/2012 7:51:45 AM PST by Kaslin
"Barack Obama won because he recognized a new America." Or maybe an America more fluid, more insubstantial than post-election wisdom is ready to grant. You can't always tell about "new" -- a truth the human race rarely acknowledges.
We'll see whether James Carville's and Stan Greenberg's words from a Democracy Corps survey stand up better than the consensus of November 1965, following the Lyndon Johnson-led slaughter of almost every Republican downwind from Barry Goldwater. Johnson, father of the Great Society, was all but run out of Washington on a rail after mucking up the Vietnam War.
Meanwhile, as everyone these days seems to know, the unstoppable alliance of unmarried women, young people, Hispanics and Blacks is set to remake America: the minute Americans agree on what a remade America ought to look like.
"There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip" is the indicated adage for now, notwithstanding that polls such as Carville's and Greenberg's seem to confirm the birth of a new alliance committed to wealth redistribution and big government.
The so-called "Rising American Electorate" appears to hanker for, among other things, larger investments in education, "protection" of Social Security and Medicare and fairness for women. Thomas B. Edsall, in the New York Times, calls attention to a Pew Research Center poll showing rising support for socialism as the remedy for capitalism.
Yes, yes, fine. Let's see how it all works out. To put it another way: Let's see what works out in practice and not just post-campaign rhetoric. The instant temptation, from the conservative side, is to go all weepy at such news. I would counsel resistance to such temptation: this, for a couple of reasons.
--The alliance of "Rising American Electorate" members is not necessarily based on congruence of interests. The young may be the shakiest element of the alliance for economic reasons. When you're earning $20,000 a year -- or living at home -- it may seem well to call for expropriation of the bloated plutocrats. The genius of America, nonetheless, has always been the elevation of the low-income earner to the higher tax brackets. To redistribute widely would be to overthrow the American premise of entitlement to the fruits of one's work and enterprise. Are we there yet? I see no persuasive evidence.
--Then what's all these nonsense about hiring another 100,000 teachers? Meaning, another 100,000 members of the teachers unions, whose troops have carried American public schools to such celestial heights? "Protect" Social Security and Medicare? Without affecting economies as to cost and eligibility? That should do a lot of good. And without -- gulp! -- burdening taxpayers with slimmer means than the two left-wing Georges -- Soros and Clooney?
Shall we try socialism? What a great idea -- Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela as our models and pole stars! Ought to be an effective formula for weight loss.
A continuing problem with left-wingery -- a problem not grasped by some of the analysts -- is that it doesn't work. Socialists, as Maggie Thatcher astutely observed, always run out of other people's money. They can't replace it of course with their own. Socialism isn't about creating wealth; it's about grabbing someone else's.
Republicans need to cheer up. It always hurts to lose a vital election: for instance, the one immediately past. And yet to victors sometimes belongs something more depressing than spoils; namely, the obligation to make good on lame, idiotic promises. Might we hold the national obituaries pending proof that the 2012 outcome was the will of the gods?
In the short run, what about a little indignant and forceful resistance, according to the American tradition, as exemplified 70 years ago by "Uncle Joe" Stilwell while the Allies reeled from a near knock-out by the Japanese? "I claim we got a hell of a beating," Joe told the press. "We got run out of Burma and it is humiliating as hell. I think we ought to find out what caused it, go back and retake it." And you know what? We did just that.
“A continuing problem with left-wingery — a problem not grasped by some of the analysts — is that it doesn’t work. Socialists, as Maggie Thatcher astutely observed, always run out of other people’s money. They can’t replace it of course with their own. Socialism isn’t about creating wealth; it’s about grabbing someone else’s.”
That’s what I will take from this election.
Cut off their funding, Every one of us has ideas as to how to accomplish this, from selling stocks, to reducing income, to throwing out adult children who vote for Communism and want to live at home for free.
There are many things we can do to remove ourselves from the reach of this greedy government. It’s simply a challenge to our creativity.
The “new” that we didn’t see coming is:
- Americans are stupid beyond most of our imagination.
- The media is openly corrupt. They don’t even pretend to be unbiased.
Those two things will allow an attempt at socialism, and an acceptance of failure.
One thing is new about this day as it compares to the past.
We have now entered the era of the completely ignorant voter. More dangerous than a nuclear device.
This may have been true in the past (even I used to say it) but I doubt it applies today. Other peoples money is now just gravy.
It appears to 'hanker' from redistributed taxpayer spoils.
Dammit, republicans had better start getting this one down fast.
Enough bullsh*t about 'fairness' and 'diversity'. Its about the dollars. Democrats win because they promise the most stuff. The end.
I never watch Leno or Letterman, but I am familiar with their “Man on the Street” interviews showcasing American ignorance, even stupidity. As Jimmy Carter said of the “energy crisis” the stupidity “is real.”
But in a nation as rich as the USA, made so by healthy capitalism, it will take generations for the takers to run out of “other people’s money.” At least to the point of collapse and outright tyranny. Europe has held on two generations since the decline began.
Sorry, not buying the thesis of the article. A historical gem is being destroyed, and despotism is on its way.
as a parent, sometimes you have to let your child experience the fallout from their mistakes in order to let the lesson be learned..
so, my solution is to take the bus headed over the financial cliff, put a brick on the accelerator and let it go over at full speed..
The ones feeling the worst of it will be, lower income workers, those under 40, and single women and minorities..
tax rates for lower income workers will double, and in some cases triple, while a good portion of these workers that paid no tax under bushie, will now be on the hook to the feds..
now with everyone paying, i think the word fair can be applied..
be careful what you ask for, ‘cuz you might just get it..
let them eat cake
I see this as the leftists/socialists/progressives FINALLY doubling-down and saying, "Okay, I think it's safe to come out of the closet and to proclaim that we support communism." They openly endorsed Obama because they knew the fix was in and they were willing to abet any level of fraud and tow the line for the narrative the White Hut was selling. They KNEW the elections would fall for Obama, I truly believe that.
And as such, they are now openly supporting socialism and will continue to use the American right as a pincushion for all the wrongs that are about to start coming down the line. Look at what's happening in response to all the layoffs: it's Romney's fault! It's Bush's fault! It's the right-winger's fault! HOW? How could they say this with a straight face and not expect the country to shoot back and ask, "Care to explain your justification on this?" It's sick and sad and they simply CAN'T!
As socialism becomes embedded, anything that doesn't work as they promised will be blamed on Republicans or conservatism.
Crime's not going down? Oh, well that's because people are allowed to have guns. We need to take away guns, then there will be no crime!
Healthcare is sub-par, people are dying, babies aren't surviving their first 12 hours! Oh, well that's because people still have to deal with insurance companies. Make the government the single payer for all healthcare, and everything will get better!
There are no jobs! All of the private companies shut down! Jobs? Why do you need them? We give you everything you need for a comfortable life, right? Jobs are evil, corporate mechanisms of greed and filth and they pollute the environment and lead to global warming! You don't need a job. Here, have some more government cheese.
It's freezing here in the northeast! We need oil! No, you don't need oil. C'mon now. Just use your EBT and buy some more wool blankets from the local FEMA shack. When the clouds break, your solar panel will provide you with enough power to slightly warm a cup of water for your instant coffee. The winds will keep those windmills turning and you'll have power when we can afford to give it to you. You just have to blame all of this on "big carbon" and "big oil." This is all from global climate change!
*spit*
The completely ignorant voter is not new.
The “completely ignorant voter” was the majority at our founding. That was a time of great upheaval and in a day when the common man toiled dawn to dusk for survival.
Our system was devised to minimize the power of the individual vote and put power in the more informed representative, whether it be to Congress or to the Electoral College.
Voting was not so widespread then. Certain groups did not have right of sufferage.
Stone me for saying so, but the poll tax was a good idea. Those who have no financial stake in the economy have nothing to lose and are dangerous voters.
Universal sufferage is NOT a good idea.
I agree, both with your post and with your tagline.
From the article: “And yet to victors sometimes belongs something more depressing than spoils; namely, the obligation to make good on lame, idiotic promises - - - - “
Their idiotic promises are not what worries me the most, it’s that open definition of “change” that bothers me that will never worry the morons that voted for him, such as neutralizing away the 2nd amendment, there seems to be a push to start hating Christmas and Thanksgiving, taking our IRA’s (if that is a fact), trashing our armed forces, limiting our freedom of speech, expanding hatred towards Christianity, and whatever else is being worked on under the radar.
agree completely.
We on the conservative did not realize how far 1/2 of this country had fallen. We were too busy living our lives, raising good children and working the soil. We were just busy being good honest Americans. Many of us Americans a busy folks. But only a little less than half of us, it seems.
And yet, I was watching “Idiocracy” (the movie) the other night and it was amazing just how close of a description it made in regards to our populace.
We should have taken a good hard luck at television and seen the change. It has happened incrementally over 30 years. The culture is hooked on celebrity with no regards to the issues, except for headlines which are spoon fed by the MSM. The culture pays no attention to the grand issues, the main point. These folks in this culture are too busy buying jeans and tattoos. They are uninterested in the large issues.
Any book stores open ? Anyone buying classical music? What types of pop music are in fashion? What are the hottest TV shows?( Honey boo boo... Housewives and sluts ) What are the hottest movies? Do you know anyone that reads books, novels short stories or god forbid, political commentary? Anyone tending a garden? Anyone working up a sweat ?
I will still fight for language, borders and culture ( in the words of Michael Savage) I will still vote for a flat tax and an end to entitlements and smaller government. I will still vote for a powerful deterrent in regards to nuclear arms. I will still vote for a strong foreign policy.
But I have very little hope. I’ll fight, but at this point I need to move forward with realistic expectations.
Universal sufferage is NOT a good idea.
I'm certainly not going to stone you. You're right on both counts. As are the rest of your observations.
The irony, however, is that the elite is now well to the Left of the "common man" (and no, I am not a populist). A country run by state legislatures might be considerably to the Left of the country we have now.
Cheer Up!
It’s all gonna come crashing down!
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