Posted on 06/10/2013 1:17:25 PM PDT by Yollopoliuhqui
The traditional Marxist theory of power was a very one-sided one based on the role of force and coercion as the basis of ruling class domination. This was reinforced by Lenin whose influence was at its height after the success of the Russian Revolution in 1917. Gramsci felt that what was missing was an understanding of the subtle but pervasive forms of ideological control and manipulation that served to perpetuate all repressive structures. He identified two quite distinct forms of political control: domination, which referred to direct physical coercion by police and armed forces and hegemony which referred to both ideological control and more crucially, consent. He assumed that no regime, regardless of how authoritarian it might be, could sustain itself primarily through organised state power and armed force. In the long run, it had to have popular support and legitimacy in order to maintain stability.
By hegemony, Gramsci meant the permeation throughout society of an entire system of values, attitudes, beliefs and morality that has the effect of supporting the status quo in power relations. Hegemony in this sense might be defined as an ‘organising principle’ that is diffused by the process of socialisation into every area of daily life. To the extent that this prevailing consciousness is internalised by the population it becomes part of what is generally called ‘common sense’ so that the philosophy, culture and morality of the ruling elite comes to appear as the natural order of things.
(Excerpt) Read more at infed.org ...
In my lifetime, I don’t remember Conservatives EVER controlling media.
Yep. I think by the 1960’s the Libs had the media and higher levels of education in their pockets.
Though it would take decades of constant pounding with crap like ABC’s American Family to finally flip the culture.
Except new media of talkradio and internet.
“The whole of the 1960’s “counter culture” and its attendant “new age” spirituality and environmental paganism”
Contemporaries of Gramsci include high level occult personalities, they also had major influence on counter culture and new age.
All major internet portals (Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Wikipedia, MSN, etc) seem to be in the control of “progressives”.
Up until 1964, the year that Henry Luce retired as Editor-in-Chief of Time-Life, we at least had his “relative” conservatism to keep the other side somewhat in check.
My reading of the history of communications and news, pegs that year and that event as the inflection point.
Websites that is what I was referinng to, correct you.
Such as Drudgereport, WND, FR, etc.
True conservatives do not see ‘control’ as the end to all means as do ‘Progressives’.
Two tribes exist. One wants to be left alone, the other wants to control. Guess which is which.
The tide turned in the 60’s - but I’ve seen plenty of ‘media’ that was influenced or propagated a moral/conservative ideal... after the 60’s it was all crap... kind of like American made cars in the 70’s and 80’s.
Gramsci just outlined one set of values. The fact that his values are the ones that are taking hold is more a reflection on the people who agree with what is happening.
Gramsci is the Fabian bridge from Marx to Alinsky to Ayers.
Right.
And even IF the case can be made that Conservatives held any sort of ascendancy in the media, THEY never abused their position to defame and demonize their political opponents.
Conservatives did not see themselves as the one and only model for America much less did they devise and CARRY OUT a wholesale ‘culture war’ in this country.
However… once the Liberals gained the upper hand (and THAT was done at the expense of thousands of soldiers fighting for their lives in VN) they certainly abused their status in ways and to an extent that Conservatives (poor slobs that they are) traditionally regard as vulgar and dishonorable.
Poisoning generation after generation of American youth to the concept that there is ONLY one political party in America, and that a one-party system WORKS, is a lie no intelligent adult can permit himself and still call himself an adult….or intelligent.
Conservatives have always had the moral high ground but have always been incapable (for what ever reason) to capitalize on it.
Maybe Liberals have been SO energetic and successful in de programming morality itself that the ground has been cut from under Conservatism right from the start! In any case, another approach has to be made or Conservatism will become a relic.
In the end, and with or without an establishment Conservative political party, there will always BE people with Conservative views and values … wholly alienated and sitting like a malignant, undigested growth at the heart of the Liberals’ faux Utopia .
Somewhere along the line, Conservatives who keep the faith will return and I hope they will have learned some lessons by then!
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