The Left. Version...?
What's called the left today is a hollow reflection of another, older movement. Hyped up on the myth that it is today what that previous movement was.
Even then - the understanding of the earlier incarnations of the Left is more myth than reality.
The very fact that to this day they are so heavily invested in Marxist theory should help illustrate the lack of fresh, creative thinking that plagues the left today. Marx poetically discussed some high-minded ideals (and some low, as well) - but had a piss poor understanding of human nature, and nature in general for that matter - thus could not articulate a sensible means of implementing them that didn’t first involve creating a more extreme version of the very situation he aimed to be rid of. Can we not take the good from Marx's lesson and move on please. Or do we need another demonstration of how efficiently the Marxist state is at producing body bags?
Here's the skinny, while the left is stuck rudderless, chanting the same solidarity songs and quoting Marx, or worse, Mao. Ridiculing the right by insisting its nothing but a series of stereotypes used in tired blanket statements. The right - the serious right that actually shapes policy from dozens and dozens of think tanks - has evolved. It's embraced Leftist concepts that proved viable and rejected its own that proved non viable. All the while you’re stuck believing some religious nitwit is the face of modern conservatism. He's not. Just because he claims to be a republican doesn’t mean he's a conservative. The two are not mutually exclusive at all.
While it was fashionable for Leftist to toss in an obligatory disparagement of so called Neo-Cons while discussing things political. It may have come as a shock to some to learn that what are now referred to as "neo-cons" were formerly referred to as Liberal Internationalists (or Scoop Jackson democrats) who strayed from the Left due to its stagnation and embrace of such status quo concepts as real politik. An extremely conservative position if there ever was. Meanwhile the right was purging the Buchananites and embracing internationalism.
Point here isn’t to play cheerleader for the right - it’s to point out the degree to which it has - for better or worse - been evolving while the Left has either remained stagnant. Or pitifully, while acting as reactionary obstructionist to perceived political opposites. Found itself nominally aligned with all manner of thug and riff raff. In what can be only called the Lefts version of "yeah he's a murdering bastard, but he's our murdering bastard!". They couldn’t very well just let the right claim that odious honor, could they? Definitely devolving there.
The Left doesn’t just need a rethink. It needs some completely fresh thinking. The kind that acknowledges the mistakes and disasters of the past so as to learn and evolve. And to not be so myopic and dogmatic as to refuse to acknowledge when the other side is on to something good, it just needs a little something extra to make it complete.
As things stand one can only hope. I definitely wont be holding my breath in anticipation.
BW
Even then - the understanding of the earlier incarnations of the Left is more myth than reality.
The very fact that to this day they are so heavily invested in Marxist theory should help illustrate the lack of fresh, creative thinking that plagues the left today. Marx poetically discussed some high-minded ideals (and some low, as well) - but had a piss poor understanding of human nature, and nature in general for that matter - thus could not articulate a sensible means of implementing them that didn’t first involve creating a more extreme version of the very situation he aimed to be rid of. Can we not take the good from Marx's lesson and move on please. Or do we need another demonstration of how efficiently the Marxist state is at producing body bags?
Here's the skinny, while the left is stuck rudderless, chanting the same solidarity songs and quoting Marx, or worse, Mao. Ridiculing the right by insisting its nothing but a series of stereotypes used in tired blanket statements. The right - the serious right that actually shapes policy from dozens and dozens of think tanks - has evolved. It's embraced Leftist concepts that proved viable and rejected its own that proved non viable. All the while you’re stuck believing some religious nitwit is the face of modern conservatism. He's not. Just because he claims to be a republican doesn’t mean he's a conservative. The two are not mutually exclusive at all.
While it was fashionable for Leftist to toss in an obligatory disparagement of so called Neo-Cons while discussing things political. It may have come as a shock to some to learn that what are now referred to as "neo-cons" were formerly referred to as Liberal Internationalists (or Scoop Jackson democrats) who strayed from the Left due to its stagnation and embrace of such status quo concepts as real politik. An extremely conservative position if there ever was. Meanwhile the right was purging the Buchananites and embracing internationalism.
Point here isn’t to play cheerleader for the right - it’s to point out the degree to which it has - for better or worse - been evolving while the Left has either remained stagnant. Or pitifully, while acting as reactionary obstructionist to perceived political opposites. Found itself nominally aligned with all manner of thug and riff raff. In what can be only called the Lefts version of "yeah he's a murdering bastard, but he's our murdering bastard!". They couldn’t very well just let the right claim that odious honor, could they? Definitely devolving there.
The Left doesn’t just need a rethink. It needs some completely fresh thinking. The kind that acknowledges the mistakes and disasters of the past so as to learn and evolve. And to not be so myopic and dogmatic as to refuse to acknowledge when the other side is on to something good, it just needs a little something extra to make it complete.
As things stand one can only hope. I definitely wont be holding my breath in anticipation.
BW
posted by Brother Waxwell at 02:15
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